Guest guest Posted March 16, 2001 Report Share Posted March 16, 2001 If you decide not to forward this, please send it to sarabande@... This is an actual petition, and "signatures" will be lost if you drop the line. Dear Friends: Please do not ignore this e-mail. This is something that we as women and essentially as human beings need to support - I don't know if this is going to help but take 3 minutes out of your life to do your part. Madhu, the government of Afghanistan, is waging a war upon women. Since the Taliban 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 who 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 stuffed into 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 on the street, even if they hold PhDs. 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. When what little medication that is left finally runs out, one doctor is considering leaving these women in front of the president's residence as a form of protest. It is at the point where the terminology "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 1996. The speed 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 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 overseas will 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 Afghanistan or 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 USAF >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, Berkeley, 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 +AH4 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 , Minnepolis, 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, California,USA >52) Burke, Sherman Oaks, CA, USA >53) Bruce Ehrlich, Sherman Oaks, CA USA >54) Yllania Francis, Los Angeles, CA >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) Helen Nenson, Olympia, WA USA >74) Kim Hartley, Olympia, WA. USA >75) Jim Hartley, Olympia, WA. USA >76) Talitha Thalya, Wa. USA >77) Lelelewa Tano Rikiho. Boise, ID USA >78)Shayshoshewa Westin, Boise, ID USA >79) Rae Ann Gustafson, Boise, ID USA >80) Ellen Bencken, Boise, ID USA >81) Rocky Bencken, Boise ID USA >82) Lucia Thornton, Fresno, CA USA >83)a Thelen, Livermore,CA USA >84) Ferioli, Oakland, CA USA >85) Deborah Drysdale, San Francisco, CA USA >86) Judy Olasov, San Francisco, CA USA >87)Lucinda Olasov,Isle of Palms.SC USA >88) H. Mt. Pleasant, SC, USA >89) Sara Saylor Isle of Palms, SC USA >90)Ellen McCully Gastonia NC,USA, >91)Mimi McCully, Gastonia, NC USA >92) Rose Tully, Raleigh, NC USA >93) B. Tully, Raleigh, NC USA >94) Lorraine Welker, Lyon, France >95) Lucie Bouchard, Lyon, France >96) Kaine, Lyon, France >97) Kaine, NYC, USA >98) Pamela Caye, NYC, USA >99) Mandel, NYC, USA >100) e Lackey NYC, USA >101) Aufmesser, Vienna, Austria >102) h Aufmesser, Vienna, Austria >103) Sigrid Weinzinger, Vienna, Austria >104) Heide Weinzinger, Zell am See, Austria >105) Erhard Weinzinger, Zell am See, Austria >106) Doris Steinbichler, Mexico >107) Rara Avis, Barcelona, Spain >108) Auer, Vienna, Austria >109) Timur Hanak-Hammerl, Vienna, Austria >110) f Fuerst, Vienna, Austria >111) f P=F6lzl, Vienna, Austria >112) Wolfgang Sokol, Vienna, Austria >113) Wolfgang Rohorzka, Wiener Neustadt, Austria >114) Ralph A. Hamburger, Vienna, Austria >115) Roland Wagner, Bratislava, Slovakia >116) Rajter, Bratislava, Slovakia >117) Alzbeta Rajterova, Bratislava Slovakia >118) Helena Le Sage, Bratislava, Slovakia >119) Tony Bomber, Cambridge, England >120) Anne Seaman, Chelmsford, England >121) Jan Farndale, Cambridge, England >122) Janet Moody, Limerick, Ireland >123) McMahon >124) Phyl Fitzgerald, Limerick, Ireland >125) Pamela Daly, Dublin, Ireland >126) Eddie kelly Tipperary Ireland >127) Mairead Malone, Clare, Ireland >128) Mags O'Connor, Limerick, Ireland >129) Fiona Bolger, Waterford,Ireland >130) Marie , Offaly, Ireland >131) Mc Carthy, Waterford, Ireland >132] Owen McCarthy, Caherciveen, Ireland >133) Helen Rauch, Clearwater, Fl >134) Diane Rauch, Farmington Hills, MI >135) Shirley , Park, MI >136) Bernadette Dean, Dearborn, MI >137) Marie Hogan, Detroit, MI >138) Angelina Michelini, Livonia, MI >139) Dawn Annette Mills, Tucson, AZ >140) M Vereb, Tucson, AZ >141) Stark, St. Louis, MO >142) Jane Romero, St. Louis, MO >143) Theresa Mastrogiovanni, Kansas City, MO >144) Colleen McGrane, St. Louis MO >145) Lucy Wynkoop, Lacey, WA >146) Swan, Lacey, WA >147) Debbie Harr, Lakewood WA >148) Barbara J. Monda, Olympia WA >149) Casey, Olympia, WA >150) Art Stratton, Olympia, WA >151) Stratton, Olympia WA >152) Patti Kireview, Seattle, WA >153) Patti Grossman, Needham, MA >154) Anita Adelson, Newton, MA >155) Jane Siegel, Newton, MA >156) , Suffern, NY >157) Gloria Goldberg , NY. NY >158) Balaban Orono, Me >159) Cris , Lexington, MA >160) Hartman, Lexington, MA >161) nne O'Brien, Winchester, MA >162) Shaqron , Acton, MA. >163) Barbara Schmitz, Acton, MA >164) Barbara J. Schmitz, Silver Spring, MD >165) Debra K. Udey, Kensingon, MD >166) Marge Gildenhorn, Rockville, land >167) Jill Tanenbaum, Bethesda, land >168) Adam, Greenwood VIllage, CO >169) Clouatre, Vail, CO >170) Filip-, Dillon, CO >171) Barb Fulton, Arvada, CO >172) Jane , Tennessee, USA >173) Rudy, Tennessee, USA >174) Vicky Rudy, Texas, USA >175) Gilbronson Texas, USA >176) Kathleen Loughlin, Ottawa, Canada >177) Max Beaton >178) Bassett >179) Brennan, Ottawa, Canada >180) Marie , Ottawa, Canada >181) Potts, Ottawa, Canada >182) Hawn, Kingston, Canada >192) Pitchers, Oxford Mills, Canada >193) Tyler McCammon, Kemptville, Canada >194) Tim Holmes, Oxford Mills, Canada >195) , Hodge, Kemptville >196) long, Newport Beach, CA, USA >197) Rhonda Gelman Kelley, Pittsburgh, PA, USA >198) Marty Tiani, Pittsburgh,PA USA >199) Salyards, Pittsburgh, PA USA >200) Karina Zoueva, Pittsburgh, PA USA - Moscow, Russia >201) Joan Gauthier, Pittsburgh, PA, USA >202) Gauthier, Pittsburgh, PA, USA >203) Collie , Pittsburgh, PA, USA >204) Rita Levine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA >205) Griffiths, Pittsburgh. PA, USA >206) Murat Aydede, Chicago, IL, USA >207) Stein, Chicago, IL, USA >208) Abner Shimony, Cupertino, CA USA >209) Helen P. , Cupertino, CA USA >210) A. Rottschaefer, Portland, OR USA >211) Marie S. Rottschaefer, Portland, OR USA >212) Alis Mundt, Portland, OR USA >213) ette Copperstone, Portland, OR USA >214) Heller, Portland, OR, USA >215) Dawn Seeberger, Portland, OR, USA >216) Seeberger, Portland, OR, USA 217)Joan Seeberger, Olympia, WA, USA 218) Janet Reinhardtsen, Olympia WA, USA 219) Concie Luna, Kennewick, Washington, USA 220) 221) Marilyn Brotherton, Cartier, Mb. Canada 222) Margaret Carswell, Prince Albert,Sk.Canada 223) ston 224) Florence Lalonde 225) O'Brien 226)Cheryl Hetherington DIRECTIONS: PLEASE USE EDIT /select all /THEN COPY / and then Paste this email onto 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 abande@.... Even if you decide not to sign, please be considerate and do not kill the petition. Thank you Reply -- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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