<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Women's rights in Afghanistan (PLEASE DISREGARD PREVIOUS MESSAGE)</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF">
<TT><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
PLEASE SPEND TIME READING THIS<BR>
Subject: Fw: Women's Rights- Petition<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Date sent: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 16:13:13 +0200<BR>
Organisation: CAMA TRADING<BR>
This is an actual petition, and "signatures" will be lost if you drop the line.<BR>
I don't know if this is going to help but take 3 minutes out of your life to do<BR>
your part. Madhu, the government of Afghanistan, is waging a war upon women.<BR>
Since the Taliban took power in 1996, women have had to wear burqua and have<BR>
been beaten and stoned in public for not having the proper attire, even if this<BR>
means simply not having the mesh covering in front of their eyes. One woman was<BR>
beaten to death by an angry mob of fundamentalists for accidentally exposing her<BR>
arm (!) while she was driving. Another was stoned to death for trying to leave<BR>
the country with a man that was not a relative. Women are not allowed to work or<BR>
even go out in public without a male relative;professional women such as<BR>
professors, translators, doctors,lawyers, artists and writers have been forced<BR>
from their jobs and stuffed into their homes. Homes where a woman is present<BR>
must have their windows painted so that she can never be seen by outsiders. They<BR>
must wear silent shoes so that they are never heard. Women live in fear of<BR>
their lives for the slightest misbehaviour. Because they cannot work, those<BR>
without male relatives or husbands are either starving to death or begging on<BR>
the street, even if they hold Ph.D.s. Depression is becoming so widespread that<BR>
it has reached emergency levels. There is no way in such an extreme Islamic<BR>
society to know the suicide rate with certainty, but relief workers are<BR>
estimating that the suicide rate among women must be extraordinarily high: those<BR>
who cannot find proper medication and treatment for severe depression and would<BR>
rather take their lives than live in such conditions. At one of the rare<BR>
hospitals for women, a reporter found still, nearly lifeless bodies lying<BR>
motionless on top of beds, wrapped in their burqua, unwilling to speak, eat, or<BR>
do anything, but slowly wasting away. Others have gone mad and were seen<BR>
crouched in corners, perpetually rocking or crying, most of them in fear. When<BR>
what little medication that is left finally runs out, one doctor is considering<BR>
leaving these women in front of the president's residence as a form of protest.<BR>
It is at the point where the term "human rights violations" has become an<BR>
understatement. Husbands have the power of life and death over their women<BR>
relatives, especially their wives, but an angry mob has just as much right to<BR>
stone or beat a woman, often to death, for exposing an inch of flesh or<BR>
offending them in the slightest way. Women enjoyed relative freedom: to work, to<BR>
dress generally as they wanted, and to drive and appear in public alone until<BR>
only 1996. The rapidity of this transition is the main reason for the<BR>
depression and suicide; women who were once educators or doctors or simply used<BR>
to basic human freedoms are now severely restricted and treated as subhuman in<BR>
the name of right-wing fundamentalist Islam. It is not their tradition or<BR>
'culture,' but it is alien to them, and it is extreme even for those cultures<BR>
where fundamentalism is the rule. Everyone has a right to a tolerable human<BR>
existence, even if they are women in a Muslim country. If we can threaten<BR>
military force in Kosovo in the name of human rights for the sake of ethnic<BR>
Albanians, citizens of the world can certainly express peaceful outrage at the<BR>
oppression, murder and injustice committed against women by the Taliban.<BR>
<BR>
STATEMENT: In signing this, we agree that the current treatment of women<BR>
in Afghanistan is completely UNACCEPTABLE and deserves action by the<BR>
UnitedNations and that the current situation overseas will not be tolerated.<BR>
Women's Rights is not a small issue anywhere, and it is UNACCEPTABLE for<BR>
women in 2000 to be treated as unhuman and as so much property. Equality<BR>
and human decency is a fundamental RIGHT, not a freedom to be granted,<BR>
whether one lives in Afghanistan or elsewhere.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
1) Giuliana D. Black, Daly City, CA, USA<BR>
2) Mariam Nayiny, Palo Alto, CA, USA<BR>
3) Sunaina Gulati-Ruh, Palo Alto, CA USA<BR>
4) Megan McCaslin, Palo Alto, CA USA<BR>
5). Blake Hallanan, San Francisco, Ca. USA<BR>
6) Kit Henderson, Sacramento, CA USA<BR>
7) Kara Myers, San Francisco, CA<BR>
8) Ellen Tilden, San Fransisco, CA<BR>
9) Vanessa Ross, San Francisco, CA<BR>
10) Jenna Shaw- Battista, San Francisco, CA<BR>
11) Jeanne Racik, Berkeley, CA<BR>
12) Julie Silas, Oakland, CA<BR>
13) Renee Longstreet, Tarzana, CA<BR>
14) Susan Johnson, Encino, CA<BR>
15) Kenneth Johnson, Encino, CA<BR>
16) Terri Treas, Los Angeles, CA<BR>
17) Amy Retzinger, North Hollywood, CA<BR>
18) Babette Crooms, Los Angeles, CA<BR>
19) Olivia Kienzel; Santa Barbara, CA<BR>
20) Rebecca Longworth, New York, NY<BR>
21) Kelly J. Williams, Chester, VA<BR>
22) Audrey W. Bunch, Elizabeth City, NC<BR>
23) Frances G. Shannonhouse, Elizabeth City, NC<BR>
24) Sharolyn M. Herring, Elizabeth City, NC<BR>
25) Michael W. Christol, Owensboro, Ky<BR>
26) Damon K. Christol, Louisville, Ky<BR>
27) Wendy D. Patton, Owensboro, Ky<BR>
28) Judy W. Christol, Owensboro, Ky<BR>
29) John Cole, Evansville, IN<BR>
30) Donna Owen, Los Angeles, CA<BR>
31) Elizabeth Carbe', Los Angeles, CA<BR>
32) Jean-Pierre Durand, Los Angeles, CA<BR>
33) Rich Eames, Los Angeles, CA<BR>
34) David Witham, Long Beach, CA<BR>
35) Otmaro Ruiz, Santa Clarita, CA<BR>
36) Robin Wright, Chatsworth, CA<BR>
37) Maria Martinez, Chatsworth, CA<BR>
38) Robert Kyle, Altadena, CA<BR>
39) Leslie Baker, Los Angeles, CA<BR>
40) Joe Weinroth. Los Angeles, CA<BR>
41) Bob Chambers, Northridge, CA<BR>
42) Deborah Beck, Santa Monica, CA<BR>
43) Patty Mattson, Hurst, Texas<BR>
44) Michael J. McCaffry, Rohnert Park, CA<BR>
45) Alice Yucht, Highland Park, NJ<BR>
46) Janice Levetan, Atlanta, GA<BR>
47) Debbie Adelman, Marietta, GA<BR>
48) Harriet Granfield, NYC, NY<BR>
49) Bara S. Rosenheck, West Orange, NJ<BR>
50) Enid Handler, Pittsboro, NC<BR>
51) Gabrielle Falk<BR>
52) Sabine Schipper, Haddonfield,NJ<BR>
53) Helen Fenwick, West New York, NJ<BR>
54) Matt Marks, Nottingham, UK<BR>
55] Claire Thacker, Leeds, UK<BR>
56) Claire Malcolm, Newcastle, UK<BR>
57) Carolyne Redmond, Newcastle, UK.<BR>
58) Megan Hitchin, London, UK<BR>
60) Kathleen Smith, London, UK<BR>
61) Kathryn Nunn,Milton Keynes UK<BR>
62) Daphne Williams, Milton Keynes, UK<BR>
63) Pauline Barnes, Milton Keynes, UK<BR>
64) Elizabeth Nash, Notthingham, UK<BR>
65) Zoe Bennett Moore, Cambridge, UK<BR>
66) Chris Wright, Cambridge, UK<BR>
67) Penny Flynn, Cambridge, UK<BR>
68) Laurence Biggs, Codicote, Herts, UK<BR>
69) Eleanor Smith, Codicote, Herts, UK<BR>
70) Nick Scott , Ryde , Isle of Wight , UK<BR>
71) Craig Fullard, Tipton, West Midlands, UK<BR>
72) Annette Dent, Sedgley, West Midlands. UK<BR>
73) Fr Allan Buik, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent.UK<BR>
74) Wendy Draper, Radlett, Herts, UK<BR>
75) Thurston Riehl, Georgetown, Guyana<BR>
76) Revd. Russ Naylor<BR>
77) Revd Wesley Fairhurst<BR>
78) Revd Alistair Newton<BR>
79) Revd. Michael Williams<BR>
80) Lisa Cooper Newcastle-under-Lyme UK<BR>
81) Jeremy Cooper Newcastle-under-Lyme UK<BR>
82) Ian W Wildgoose Bakewell UK<BR>
83) Kathy Wildgoose Bakewell UK<BR>
84) Sue James Ballina Austrlia<BR>
85) Richard James Ballina Austrlia<BR>
86) Troy Donockley York UK<BR>
87) Terri Donockley York UK<BR>
88) Mick Phythian, York, UK<BR>
89) Jane Phythian, York, UK<BR>
90) Robert Ashby, London, UK<BR>
91) Richard Paterson, Caerphilly, UK<BR>
92) Caroline Eayrs. Wrexham, UK<BR>
93) Madeleine Eayrs. New York, USA<BR>
94) Marina Bissone. Paris, FRANCE<BR>
95) Daisy Meyrick, Manchester, UK<BR>
96) Sophie Wilcox, Manchester, UK<BR>
97) Pippa Dalton, London, UK<BR>
98) Peter Kennedy, Nairobi, Kenya<BR>
99) Patricia Kennedy, Nairobi, Kenya<BR>
100) Caroline Mather, Nairobi, Kenya<BR>
101) Sally Mullens, Shimoni, Kenya<BR>
102) Steve Mullens, Shimoni Kenya<BR>
103) Jennie Koornhof, Wilderness, South Africa<BR>
104) Anton Koornhof, Wilderness, South Africa<BR>
105) Otto L. Kossar, Sedgefield, South Africa<BR>
106) Barbara Borgman, Gainesville, FL<BR>
107) Carolyn Shaffer, Miami, Florida<BR>
l08) Elizabeth Shaffer,Albuquerque,NM<BR>
109)Cheryl Kyle, San Francisco, CA<BR>
110) Karen Royce, Greenwich, CT<BR>
111) Barbara Oppedisano, Cos Cob, CT<BR>
112) Kathleen Burgweger, Cos Cob, CT<BR>
113)Miriam Mennin, Cos Cob, CT<BR>
114) Maureen Baker, Rockland, Maine<BR>
115) Victor O'Beirne, Rockland, ME<BR>
116) Alexandra Caponigro, Cushing, ME<BR>
117) John Paul Caponigro, Cushing, ME<BR>
118) Sarah Szwajkos, West Rockport, ME<BR>
119) Alicia dePatsy, Newcastle, ME<BR>
120) dominic dePatsy, Newcastle, ME<BR>
121) Kathy Tayman, Portland, ME<BR>
122)Jennifer Hutchins, Portland, ME<BR>
123)Heather Hutchins, Portland, ME.<BR>
124) Angela Milardo, Boston, MA<BR>
125) Melanie Pursel, Bowie, MD<BR>
126) Katherine Thompson, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.<BR>
127) Tanya Marshall, County Durham, UK.<BR>
128) Tony Edwards County Durham UK<BR>
129) Peter Scargill, Northumberland UK<BR>
130) Jonathan Farmer, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.<BR>
131) Joan Hankin, Co. Durham UK<BR>
132) Matthew Ellis, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK<BR>
133) Brian Hankin, Co. Durham UK<BR>
134) Julie Hankin, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK<BR>
135) Fiona Kay, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK<BR>
136) Warren Cowell, London, UK<BR>
137) Mikey Benn, London UK<BR>
138) Laurie Gordon, Quibec,Canada<BR>
139) Krassy Halatchev, Quibec,Canada<BR>
140) Norman Birman, Montrial,Quibec,Canada<BR>
141) Charlotte Birman, Montrial,Quibec,Canada<BR>
142) Myrna Moffat, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada<BR>
143) Sarah Moffat, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada<BR>
144) Don Moffat, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada<BR>
145) David Bird, Baie d'Urfe, Quebec, Canada<BR>
146) Ngaio Richards, Beaconsfield, Quebec, Canada<BR>
147) Margaret Craig-Bourdin, Ontario, Canada<BR>
148) Janelle Kennedy, Vegreville, Alberta, Canada<BR>
149) Josie Stephens, Antigonish, Nava Scotia, Canada<BR>
150) Gerald Trites, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR>
151) Christian Bellavance, Toronto, Canada<BR>
152) Philippe Bourdin, Toronto, Canada<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
COPY text of this email on to a new message, put your<BR>
name at the bottom of the names list and forward it to<BR>
everyone on your distribution lists. If you receive<BR>
this list with more than 300 names on it, please<BR>
e-mail a copy of it to:<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><U>mailto:sarabande@brandeis.edu<BR>
sarabande@brandeis.edu</U></FONT> <<BR>
Even if you decide not to sign, please be considerate and do not kill<BR>
the<BR>
petition. Thank you!<BR>
<BR>
</TT>
</BODY>
</HTML>