Fw: when you have a moment to be an activist

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Human Rights....And the whole world will benefit. If you decide not to forward this, please send it back to me. This is an actual petition, and "signatures" will be lost if you drop the line. Please take 3 minutes out of your life to do your part. And be sure to include other members of your household who are willing to sign. Oprah recently had a show about this atrocity and it was heartbreaking. Petition to the United Nations Background Information: Madhu, the government of Afghanistan, is waging a war upon women. Since the took power in 1996, women have had to wear burqua and have been beaten and stoned in public for not having the proper attire, even if this means simply not having the mesh covering in front of their eyes. One woman was beaten to death by an angry mob of fundamentalists for accidentally exposing her arm(!) while she was driving. Another was stoned to death for trying to leave the country with a man that was not a relative. Women are not allowed to work or even go out in public without a male relative; professional women such as professors, translators, doctors, lawyers, artists and writers have been forced from their jobs and restricted to their homes. Homes where a woman is present must have their windows painted so that she can never be seen by outsiders. They must wear silent shoes so that they are never heard. Women live in fear of their lives for the slightest misbehavior. Because they cannot work, those without male relatives or husbands are either starving to death or begging in the street, even if they hold Ph.D.'s. Depression is becoming so widespread that it has reached emergency levels. There is no way in such an extreme Islamic society to know the suicide rate with certainty, but relief workers are estimating that the suicide rate among women must be extraordinarily high: those who cannot find proper medication and treatment for severe depression and would rather take their lives than live in such conditions. At one of the rare hospitals for women, a reporter found still, nearly lifeless bodies lying motionless on top of beds, wrapped in their burqua, unwilling to speak, eat, or do anything, but slowly wasting away. Others have gone mad and were seen crouched in corners, perpetually rocking or crying, most of them in fear. It is at the point where the term "human rights violations" has become an understatement. Husbands have the power of life and death over their women relatives, especially their wives, but an angry mob has just as much right to stone or beat a woman, often to death, for exposing an inch of flesh or offending them in the slightest way. Women enjoyed relative freedom: to work, to dress generally as they wanted, and to drive and appear in public alone until only 1996. The rapidity of this transition is the main reason for the depression and suicide; Women who were once educators or doctors or simply used to basic human freedoms are now severely restricted and treated as subhuman in the name of right-wing fundamentalist Islam. It is not their tradition or 'culture', but it is alien to them, and it is extreme even for those cultures where fundamentalism is the rule. Everyone has a right to a tolerable human existence, even if they are women in a Muslim country. If we can threaten military force in Kosovo the name of human rights for the sake of ethnic Albanians, citizens of the world can certainly express peaceful outrage at the oppression, murder and injustice committed against women by the Taliban. STATEMENT: In signing this, we agree that the current treatment of women in Afghanistan is completely UNACCEPTABLE and deserves action by the United Nations and that the current situation overseaswill not be tolerated. Women's Rights is not a small issue anywhere, and it is UNACCEPTABLE for women in 2001 to be treated as subhuman and as so much property. Equality and human decency is a fundamental RIGHT, not a freedom to be granted, whether one lives in Afghanistanor elsewhere. 1) Giuliana D. Black, Daly City, CA, USA 2) m Nayiny, Palo Alto, CA, USA 3) Sunaina Gulati-Ruh, Palo Alto, CA USA 4) McCaslin, Palo Alto, CA USA 5) Blake Hallanan, San Francisco, Ca. USA 6) Kit , Sacramento, CA USA 7) Kara Myers, San Francisco, CA 8) Ellen Tilden, San Francisco, CA 9) Ross, San Francisco, CA 10) Jenna Shaw- Battista, San Francisco, CA 11) Jeanne Racik, B!erkeley, CA 12) Silas, Oakland, CA 13) Longstreet, Tarzana, CA 14) , Encino, CA 15) , Encino, CA 16) Terri Treas, Los Angeles, CA 17) Amy Retzinger, North Hollywood, CA 18) Babette Crooms, Los Angeles, CA 19) Olivia Kienzel; Santa Barbara, CA 20) Dexheimer, Los Angeles, CA 21) Elio Chavez, Jr., Pasadena, CA 22) Kastigar, Los Angeles, CA 23) Collie, Los Angeles, CA 24) Jeff Garvin, Brea, CA 25) Tricia , Sherman Oaks, CA 26) Joleen Nordstrom ~ Hollywood, CA 27) Theresa Donahoe - ez,CA 28) Horn - Concord, CA 29) Roxanne - Alamo, CA 30) Miriam Tyler- San CA 31) Burns- San CA 32) Lynn Minick- Fort Worth TX 33) Jeff Neal- Marietta, GA 34) Neal- Marietta, GA 35) Frances Murley-Fort Worth, TX 36) Murley-London, England, UK 37) Jillian Dykhouse, Colleyville, TX 38) Bonnie Dykhouse,Colleyville,TX 39) , Colleyville, TX 40) ne Farr, Sterling Heights, MI 41) Joanne Arensberg, Riverview, MI 42) Luann Ouellette, Vermillion, SD 43) Sandie Sullivan, Vermillion, SD 44) Troy , Minneapolis, MN USA 45) ph , Minneapolis, MN USA 46) Kathleen , White Bear Lake, MN USA 47) Jerry Marquis, Mpls. Mn. USA 48) Stokes, Coon Rapids, MN USA 49) Ford, Blaine, MN USA 50) Sheila Lawrence, Monticello, MN USA 51) Kitchen, Westlake Village, Calif!ornia,USA 52) Burke, Sherman Oaks, CA, USA 53) Bruce Ehrlich, Sherman Oaks, CA USA 54) Yllania Francis, Los Angeles, CA USA 55) Drew Hedin, Los Angeles, CA USA 56) Paridon, Laguna Woods, CA USA 57) Jeanie Hagedorn, Des Moines, IA USA 58) Sue Christensen, Des Moines, IA USA 59) Sybil Finken, Glenwood, IA USA 60) Luke Finken, Earth 61) Doug Gerace, Lincoln, NE USA 62) Cheryl Gerace, NE 63) Sheri Lew, CO 64) Raven Grace, Boulder, CO 65) Martha M.Mertz, EL, Michigan 66) Colleen R. , Okemos, Michigan 67) Barbara J. Sawyer-Koch, East Lansing, MI 68) Margaret A. Meyers, Okemos, Michigan 69) Helen Espes, Okemos, Michigan 70) Maureen Kirchhoff, spark, CO 71) Bart , Err, France 72) Sharon!O'Connor, Olympia, WA USA 73) Irving, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia 74) Martha Lindley, Seattle, WA, USA 75) Judith , Woodinville, WA, USA 76) Arlene B. Hawkinson, Seattle, WA, USA 77) E. Mobley, Bothell, WA, USA 78) Trudie Breen, CA, USA 79) Standiford, CA, USA 80) Beverly Truett, AZ, USA 81) Meehan,AZ,USA 82) Janice Gilbert, Valley Center, CA, USA 83) Dawna Upchurch, Anchorage, AK USA 84) Roxanna Groves, Olympia, WA USA 85) Lynda Lynde, Helena, MT USA 86) Constance Gelu, University Place, WA USA 87) Jodi Woolett, Tacoma, WA USA 88) I. Reeves- Lynden, WA USA 89) -Bow, WA USA 90) Kelli J. , New Port Richey, FL USA 91) Poirier, Largo, Fl USA 92) Mike Carpenter, Palmetto, Fl USA 93) Alice Pryor, Melbourne FL USA 94) Ellen Catano, Manchester NH USA 95) Bevely Jennings, Cincinnati OH USA 96) Feely, Norwood,OH USA 97) Sherry Stidham, Norwood OH USA 98) Brittany Brown, Cincinnati OH USA 99) Sandy Brown, Cincinnati, Oh USA 100) Tim Brown, Cincinnati, OH USA 101) Pat Brown, Cincinnati, OH USA 102) Amy Cregger, Memphis, TN USA 103) Kay Emerick, Logan, OH USA 104) Trina Bookman, Logan, OH USA 105) son, St. Louis, Mo USA 106) Jeannette Ward, Memphis, TN USA 107) beth , Memphis, Tn USA 108) Rose Klimek, Memphis, TN USA 109) Barbara K. White, Hoquiam, WA, USA 110) a J. sen, Palm Harbor, Florida USA 111) Rag!nar sen, Palm Harbor, Florida USA 112) MARILYN KING, CLEARWATER, FL, USA 113) Barbara Stiner,Oldsmar,FL,USA 114) Jac'line Weisgerber,Clearwater,FL,USA 115) Charlotte Beadles, ville, GA, USA 116) Jody Hoadley, Powder Springs, GA, USA 117) Hope , Atlanta, GA, USA 118) Cliff , Atlanta, GA, USA 119) Kay Chicoine, Atlanta, GA USA 120) Mark Chicoine, Atlanta, GA USA 121) a King, Lexington, KY,USA 122) Sally Weissman,Minneapolis,Mn,USA 123) Abbott, New Brighton, MN USA 124) Fine, St. Louis Park, MN, USA 125) Deb Harley,Eden Prairie, MN,Usa 126) Barb Handahl,Faribault, MN,USA 127) Ann Olson,Chamberlain S.D.USA 128) Deb Hunt,Sioux Falls S.D.USA 129) Anne man, Sioux Falls, SD USA 130) Susie Kostel, Tabor, SD USA 131) , Mount Prospect, IL USA 132) Janet Tilden, Fremont, NE USA 133) Debbie Bowman, Kingston Springs, TN, USA 134) Shari Watkins, lin, TN, USA 135) Beck, Columbia, TN USA 136) Amy s, Brentwood, TN, USA 137) Vicki Warren, Lyles, TN, USA 138) Lupo, Westland, MI, USA 139) Cathie McClary, Clinton Twp. MI, USA 140) Diane Catellane, Clinton Twp. MI, USA 141) Judy Mellen, ston, MI, USA 142) Donna Waite, Lake Orion, MI, USA 143) Ann Acton, South Lyon, MI, USA 145) Tami Hall, South Lyon, MI, USA 146) Belsley, South Lyon, MI, USA 147) Gretel Coombs, East Lansing, MI, USA 148) Mike , Lansing, MI, USA 149) Jeff , Atlanta, GA, USA 150) n , Atlanta, GA , USA 151) Pat , Enumclaw, WA, USA 152) Bob Panzer, Houston, TX, USA 153) Pat Panzer, Houston, TX, USA 154) Joe Schwartz, ville AL USA 155) Stefanie Walfield, Fayetteville, NC, USA 156) Liz Dunkley, Milledgeville, GA, USA 157) Dunkley, Milledgeville, GA, USA 156) Mike Dunkley, Milledgeville, GA, USA 157) Randy Parsons, Eatonton, Ga. 158) Bonita Platner, Kirkwood, NY. USA 159) Ralph Platner, Kirkwood, NY. USA 160) Lundquist, Binghamton, N.Y. U.S.A. 161) Rowe, Hollywood, CA USA 162) Raphael New York, New York USA 163) Ann Brameier, New York, NY USA 164) Kazuko Tao, Healdsburg, Ca USA 165) Zavat, Rio Nido, Ca. USA 166) Kendall , Fort Bragg, Ca USA 167) Candi Zizek, Sacramento, California USA 168) Annette Blackwood, West Hartford, CT USA 169) Sentner, West Hartford, CT USA 170) Ann Steadman, Roanoke, VA USA 171) Steadman, Roanoke, VA USA 172) Byam,Washington, DC USA 173) Dougal,Montclair, NJ USA 174) Kathleen Ennen, Champaign, Il. USA 175) S. Berky, Baltimore, Md. USA 176) Wahiba Abu-Ras, Old Bridge, NJ. USA 177) Magdi Awad, Old Bridge, NJ USA 178) Joralemon, NY USA 179) Vida Cofie-on, NJ USA 180) Sema Gurun, NY, USA 181)Sahika Yildirim, UB, Mongolia 182) Ayse Taylan, Istanbul, Turkiye 183) Kemal Gencay, Istanbul, Turkiye 184) Vehbi Gencay, Ankara, Turkiye 185) N. Suzan Kincal, Ankara, Türkiye 186) Handan Tezel, Ottawa, Canada 187) Ayse Senatalar, Istanbul, Turkiye 188) Zeynep Ilsen Onsan, Istanbul, Turkiye 189) Jak Kornfilt,Istanbul, Turkiye 190) Ilona Kornfilt,Istanbul,Turkiye 191) Droste 192) AHMET CULLU, Istanbul, Turkey 193) Adnan Arduman, Istanbul, Turkey 194) Eda Arduman, Istanbul, Turkey 195) Kamil Sukun, Istanbul, Turkey 196) Krespin, Fairfield, CT, USA 197) Hayim Krespin, Fairfield, CT USA 198) Maia Sevilla-Sharon, New York, NY, USA 199) Jessie Gleckel, Seattle, WA USA 200) Spinazola, Seattle, WA, USA 201) Kelsen Young, Seattle, WA, USA 202) Robyn Hampton, Helena, MT, USA 203) Lynn Hamilton, Havre, MT, USA 204) Miles Hamilton, Havre, MT, USA 205) Hamilton, Havre, MT USA 206) Lucas Hamilton, Havre, MT, USA 207) Judy Bricker, Havre, MT, USA 208) Hammonds, Havre, MT, USA 209) Hammonds, Apple Valley, CA, USA 210) Salimé Samii, Houston, TX, USA 211) Kianoosh Samii, San Francisco, CA 212) Haleh Bridi, Paris, France 213) Masserat Amir-Ebrahimi, Tehran, Iran 214) Azadeh Kian-Thiebaut, Paris, France 215) Panthea Kian-Tzourio, Paris, France 216) Robyn Norton, Sydney, Australia 217) Aleksandra Natora, Sydney, Australia 218) Fitzgerald, Sydney, Australia 219) Ursula Oldfield, Sydney, Australia 220) Helle Henriksen, Sydney, Australia 221) Ingrid Ridley-, Sydney, Australia 222) Sharon Silverman, Chicago, Illinois 223) France Lubelchek, Northbrook, Illinois 224) Judi Nudelman, Austin, Tx 225) Stephan, Lake Geneva, WI 226) Nanny Laverde-Stephan, Denver, CO 227) Shepherd, Denver, CO 228) Chick, Denver, CO 229)Stacey Dean, Denver, Co 230)Cheryl Parks, Coldwater, MI 231)Phyllis Snider, Elkton, MI 232) Kathy Tomson, Coldwater, MI 233) Dawn Bracy, Quincy, MI 234) Ann Smoker, Coldwater, MI 235) Nicki Luce, Coldwater, MI 236) Karmen , Bronson, MI 237) , Bronson, MI 238) Rosenau, Bronson, MI 239) Beth Ferguson, Coldwater, MI 240) Stacie , Athens, MI 241) Parkison, Winchester, MA 242) Frye, Ann Arbor, MI 243) Lesley Kolar, Palatine, IL 244) Steve Poole, Palatine, IL USA 245) Robin Gillette, Springfield, Mo. USA 246) Ande Ryneveld, Fair Grove, MO,USA 247) Willde, Fair Grove, MO, USA 248)Cassandra ,Springfield, Mo, USA249) Deskin, Springfield, Mo, USA250)Enid Emerson, Springfield, MO, USA251)Vaughn Emerson, Springfield, MO, USA 252)Kenton Wagner, Waynesville, Mo , USA

253)Nanette Olsen, Izmir, Turkiye

254)Kurtis Olsen, Izmir Turkiye

255) Hamilton, Waynesville, MO USA

256) Hamilton, Columbia, MO USA

257) , St. Louis, MO USA

258) Ian Andersen, St. Louis, MO USA

259) Pool, St., MO USADIRECTIONS: PLEASE COPY this email on to a new message, sign the bottom and forward it to everyone on your distribution lists. If you receive this list with more than 300 names on it, please e-mail a copy of it to: sarabande@... Even if you decide not to sign, please be considerate and do not kill the petition.