Women's Rights in Afghanistan

Petition to United Nations

Dear Friends:
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 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 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 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, who cannot find proper
medication and treatment for severe depression and would
rather take their lives than live in such conditions, has
increased significantly.

There are almost no medical facilities available for women.
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. One doctor is considering, when what little
medication that is left finally runs out, leaving these women
in front of the president's residence as a form of protest.

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, dress generally as
they wanted, and 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 in 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 so much as property. Equality and human decency is a
RIGHT not a freedom, whether one lives in Afghanistan or elsewhere.

1) Suzanne Dathe, Grenoble, France
2) Laurence COMPARAT, Grenoble,France
3) Philippe MOTTE, Grenoble, France
4) Jok FERRAND, Mont St Martin, France
5) Emmanuelle PIGNOL, St Martin d'Heres, FRANCE
6) Marie GAUTHIER, Grenoble, FRANCE
7) Laurent VESCALO, Grenoble,FRANCE
8) Mathieu MOY, St Egreve, FRANCE
9) Bernard BLANCHET, Mont St Martin, FRANCE
10) Tassadite FAVRIE, Grenoble, FRANCE
11) Loic GODARD, St Ismier, FRANCE
12) Benedicte PASCAL, Grenoble, FRANCE
13) Khedaidja BENATIA, Grenoble, FRANCE
14) Marie-Therese LLORET, Grenoble,FRANCE
15) Benoit THEAU, Poitiers, FRANCE
16) Bruno CONSTANTIN, Poitiers, FRANCE
17) Christian COGNARD, Poitiers, FRANCE
18) Robert GARDETTE, Paris, FRANCE
19) Claude CHEVILLARD, Montpellier, FRANCE
20) gilles FREISS, Montpellier, FRANCE
21) Patrick AUGEREAU, Montpellier, FRANCE.
22) Jean IMBERT, Marseille, FRANCE
23) Jean-Claude MURAT, Toulouse, France
24) Anna BASSOLS, Barcelona, Spain
25) Mireia DUNACH, Barcelona, Spain
26) Michel VILLAZ, Grenoble, France
27) Pages Frederique, Dijon, France
28) Rodolphe FISCHMEISTER, Chatenay-Malabry, France
29) Francois BOUTEAU, Paris, France
30) Patrick PETER, Paris, France
31) Lorenza RADICI, Paris, France
32) Monika Siegenthaler, Bern, Switzerland
33) Mark Philp, Glasgow, Scotland
34) Tomas Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden
35) Jonas Eriksson, Stockholm, Sweden
36) Karin Eriksson, Stockholm, Sweden
37) Ake Ljung, Stockholm, Sweden
38) Carina Sedlmayer, Stockholm, Sweden
39) Rebecca Uddman, Stockholm, Sweden
40) Lena Skog, Stockholm, Sweden
41) Micael Folke, Stockholm, Sweden
42) Britt-Marie Folke, Stockholm, Sweden
43) Birgitta Schuberth, Stockholm, Sweden
44) Lena Dahl, Stockholm, Sweden
45) Ebba Karlsson, Stockholm, Sweden
46) Jessica Carlsson, Vaxjo, Sweden
47) Sara Blomquist, Vaxjo, Sweden
48) Magdalena Fosseus, Vaxjo, Sweden
49) Charlotta Langner, Goteborg,Sweden
50) Andrea Egedal, Goteborg, Sweden
51) Lena Persson, Stockholm, Sweden
52) Magnus Linder, Umea ,Sweden
53) Petra Olofsson, Umea, Sweden
54) Caroline Evenbom, Vaxjo, Sweden
55) Asa Pettersson, Grimsas, Sweden
56) Jessica Bjork, Grimsas, Sweden
57) Linda Ahlbom Goteborg, Sweden
58) Jenny Forsman, Boras, Sweden
59) Nina Gunnarson, Kinna, Sweden
60) Andrew Harrison, New Zealand
61) Bryre Murphy, New Zealand
62) Claire Lugton, New Zealand
63) Sarah Thornton, New Zealand
64) Rachel Eade, New Zealand
65) Magnus Hjert, London, UK
67) Madeleine Stamvik, Hurley, UK
68) Susanne Nowlan, Vermont, USA
69) Lotta Svenby, Malmoe, Sweden
70) Adina Giselsson, Malmoe, Sweden
71) Anders Kullman, Stockholm, Sweden
72) Rebecka Swane, Stockholm,Sweden
73) Jens Venge, Stockholm, Sweden
74) Catharina Ekdahl, Stockholm, Sweden
75) Nina Fylkegard, Stockholm, Sweden
76) Therese Stedman, Malmoe, Sweden
77) Jannica Lund, Stockholm, Sweden
78) Douglas Bratt79) Mats Lofstrom, Stockholm, Sweden
80) Li Lindstrom, Sweden
81) Ursula Mueller, Sweden
82) Marianne Komstadius, Stockholm, Sweden
83) Peter Thyselius, Stockholm, Sweden
84) Gonzalo Oviedo, Quito, Ecuador
85) Amalia Romeo, Gland, Switzerland
86) Margarita Restrepo, Gland, Switzerland
87) Eliane Ruster, Crans p.C., Switzerland
88) Jennifer Bischoff-Elder, Hong Kong
89)Azita Lashgari, Beirut, Lebanon
90)Khashayar Ostovany, New York, USA
91)Lisa L Miller, Reno NV
92)Danielle Avazian, Los Angeles, CA
93) Sara Risher, Los Angeles, Ca.
94) Melanie London, New York, NY
95) Susan Brownstein , Los Angeles, CA
96) Steven Raspa, San Francisco, CA
97) Margot Duane, Ross, CA
98) Natasha Darnall, Los Angeles, CA
99) Candace Brower, Evanston, IL
100) James Kjelland, Evanston, IL
101) Michael Jampole, Beach Park, IL, USA
102) Diane Willis, Wilmette, IL, USA
103) Sharri Russell, Roanoke, VA, USA
104) Faye Cooley, Roanoke, VA, USA
105) Celeste Thompson, Round Rock, TX, USA
106) Sherry Stang, Pflugerville, TX, USA
107) Amy J. Singer, Pflugerville, TX USA
108) Milissa Bowen, Austin, TX USA
109) Michelle Jozwiak, Brenham, TX USA
110) Mary Orsted, College Station, TX USA
111) Janet Gardner, Dallas, TX USA
112) Marilyn Hollingsworth, Dallas, TX USA
113) Nancy Shamblin, Garland. TX USA
114) K. M. Mullen, Houston, TX - USA
115) Noreen Tolman, Houston, Texas - USA
116) Judy Bechtel, Merced, CA - USA
117) Delores Iliff, FL, USA
118) Nicole Propper, FL, USA
119) Bonnie LaChance, FL, USA
120) JoAnn Blades, FL, USA
121) Pam Blades, FL, USA
122) Louise Campbell, FL, USA
123) Marcy DeSanto, FL, USA
124) Donald Blades, FL,USA
125) Tom LaChance, FL, USA
126) Craig Huff, GA, USA
127) Karen Huff, FL, USA
128) Heather Huff, GA, USA
129) Franki Silcox GA, USA
130) Karin Horn, TX, USA
131) Lara Nelson, OH, USA
132) Beth Pilous, OH, USA
133) Sarah Clare, OH, USA
134) Carla Roth, OH, USA
135) Jenny Zukowski, MI, USA
136) Amanda Silic, MI, USA
137) Heather Gilroy, MD, USA
138) Kat Carrion, MD USA
139) Michelle Stryjewski, MD USA
140) Elizabeth H Stevens, OR, USA
141) Alice Stevens, OR, USA
142) Tyler R. Monzie/ OR/ USA
143) Allea Martin, OR, USA
145) Jose Tancuan, Or, USA146) Akia Woods, OR USA
147) Bernie Gardent, OR, USA
148) Leslie Hall, OR, USA
149) Susan J. Woods, OR, USA
150 [Cegelnik, Dixie] , OR, USA
151 Susan Amburgey, OR, USA
152 Cindy Harboldt, OR, USA
153 Richard Rehm, CA, USA
154. Lyn Lindsay, CA, USA
155. Alma Gilligan, CA, USA
156. Maureen Lechwar, CA, USA
157. Leslie Morales, CA, USA
158. Marci Marcantonio, CA, USA
159. Jill Haskins, CA, USA
160. Jacqueline Gouly, CA, USA
161. Janet Talbott, CA, USA
162. Manjula Subbiah, CA, USA
163. Susan Duncan, CA, USA
164. Blanca E. Reynoso, CA, USA
165. Ruth C. Reynoso, Ca, USA
166. Phyllis H. Rawlins, Anaheim, CA, USA
167. Lori Rice, Naples, Italy
168. Mina Giovannitti, Las Vegas, USA (Turkey)
169. Fred Giovannitti, Las Vegas, USA
170. Noelle Brunelle, NV, USA
171. Kimberly A. Karl, NV, USA
172. Alana Segall, NV, USA
173. Mark Leonard, NV, USA
174. Nancy Leonard, NV, USA
175. Troy Leonard, NV, USA
176. Robert Mock AZ. USA
177. Patty Flanigan AZ, USA
178. William A Towne III, AZ, USA
179. Ellen J. Matheson, Los Angeles, CA, USA
180. Theresa Leets, Los Angeles, CA, USA
181. G. Ahou Soomekh, Los Angeles, CA, USA
182. Ronith Herman, El Paso, TX
183. Lauren R. Stein, PA, USA
184. Michelle F. King, PA, USA
185. Jere' Webb, CA, USA
186. Kim Anderson, CA USA
187. Kirsten Hinsdale, VA, USA
188. Ronald David, Wash, DC
189. Cheryl Barnes, Buffalo, NY
190. Dawne David, Wash DC, USA
191. Madhu Dutta New Delhi, India
192. Madhu Sen New Delhi, India
193. Alokparna, VA USA
194. Anjali Dasgupta, MS USA
195. Tilottama Brahmachari, NJ, USA
196. Chandrima Datta Ray, MS, USA
197. Jaydip Datta Ray, MS, USA
198. MarIa Florencia Vidano, MA, USA
199. Matteo Dufour,Genova, Italia
200. Francois Dufour, Lugano, Switzerland
201. Francesco Ricasoli, Firenze, Italia
202. Lena Larsson, Stockholm, Sweden
203. Katarina Wigle, Stockholm, Sweden
204. Petter ?berg, Stockholm, Sweden
205. Per-Anders Stensson, Uppsala, Sweden
206. Malin MArtensson, Uppsala, Sweden
207. Maria Carlstedt208. Eli Cathrine Wilhelmsen, Uppsala, Sweden
209. AnnaMaria Billing, Uppsala, Sweden
210. Christina Molnar, Uppsala, Sweden
211. Christina Bergmark, Stockholm, Sweden
212. Katarina Mimmi SpAng, Stockholm, Sweden
213. M"rta Terese M-rnvik, Stockholm, Sweden
214. Sofi HAkansson, Malm-, Sweden
215. ?sa Grogarn Sol, G-teborg, Sweden
216. Anders Jonsson, G-teborg, Sweden
217. ?sa Ericsson, G-teborg, Sweden
218. Elna F leide Selle, Bergen, Norway
219. Brynjar Stautland, B mlo, Norway
220. Berte Figenschou Amundsen, Trondheim, Norway
221. Marte M rkved-Romstad, Oslo, Norway
222. Kjersti Forbregd, Trondheim, Norway
223. Inger Margrethe Torgersen, Oslo, Norway
224. Lisbeth Skogstrand, Oslo, Norway
225. Ragnhild Skogstrand, Stokmarknes, Norway
226. Hanne Husaas, Lier, Norway
227. Helena Wikstr-m, Lund, Sweden
228. Kimberly Rapport, Ca, USA
229. Kristie Bennett, San Jose, CA, USA
230. Debi Di Bias, Santa Monica, CA, USA
231. Whitney Allen, San Francisco, CA USA
232. Kaaren Shalom, Los Angeles, CA USA
233. Gretchen German, Los Angeles, CA USA
234. Susan Peretz, Los Angeles, CA USA
235. Caryn West, Los Angeles, CA. USA
236. Heather Juergensen, Los Angeles, CA USA
237. Camryn Manheim. Los Angeles, CA USA
238. Julianne Williams, Los Angeles, CA USA
239. Jenna Elfman, Los Angeles, CA USA
240. Rachel Smith, Los Angeles, CA USA
241. Matthew Ian Glass, Los Angeles, CA USA
242. Bret R. Howey, Los Angeles, CA USA
243. Tammy Terrenzi, Los Angeles, CA USA
244. Jocelyn Jones Watkins. Santa Monica, Calif, USA
245. Irene Dirmann, Clearwater Florida USA
246. Robin Karfo, Santa Monica, CA, USA
247. Monica Larissa Hershaft, Los Angeles, CA USA
248. Adrian Ursu. Los Angeles, CA USA
249. Tim Capaldi, Detroit, MI USA
250. Marisa Ozburn, Chicago, IL
251. Kristina Boos, Detroit, MI USA
252. Anne Monday, Detroit, MI USA
253. Tiffany Reese, Detroit, MI USA
254. Kim Huston, Detroit, MI USA
255. Denise LaPlante, Detroit, MI USA
256. Piper Paton Smith, Roseville, MI USA
257. Yvette Beebe, Northville, MI USA
258. Jody Harris, Redford, MI USA
259. Pat Kovach, Brighton, MI USA
260. Karyn Anderson, Singapore
261. Steve Schafer, MI USA
262. Sue Schafer, MI USA
263. Elizabeth T. LaBelle MI USA
264. Robert A. LaBelle MI USA
265. Faye M. Woodley, CO USA
266. Dan Woodley CO, USA
267. Dani Watkins CO, USA
268. Donna Royster CO, USA
269. Chuck Pitte CO, USA
270. Twila Eberly CO, USA
271. Sandy Reavey CO, USA
272. Carolee Laughton, CO, USA
273. Jeffrey Adams, CO, USA
274. Susan Conder, CO, USA
275. Kathryn Haley, CO, USA
276. Gloria Haley, CO, USA
277. Samatra Doyle, CO, USA
278. Janet Neary, CA, USA
279. Kelly Metzler, CA, USA
280. Elizabeth Anderson, MN, USA
281. Rinda West, IL, USA282. Richard Kroth, IL, USA
283. Heather Driscoll, Chicago, IL, USA
284.Mariluz Adler, Venice,CA,USA
285. Marisol Adler, Venice,CA, USA
286. Petra Matouschek, Pasadena, CA, USA
287. Alina Wolff, Vienna, AUSTRIA
288. Angelika Brudniak, Vienna, AUSTRIA
289. Marie-Theres Holler, Vienna, AUSTRIA
290. Barbara Peretti, Salzburg, AUSTRIA
291. Susanne Gordon-Oberhofer, Salzburg, Austria
292. Karin Pernegger, Nantes, France
293. David Michael Clarke, Nantes, France
294. Heidi Nikolaisen, Bergen, Norway
295. Lise Johansen, Tromso, Norway
296. Jeff Rechenbach, Cleveland, Ohio USA
297. Susan C. Pisha, Portland, OR USA
298. Ms. Charlie M. Clint, Portland, OR USA
299. Beverly Wilson Thornburg, Denver, CO USA
300. Sue Lowe, Austin, TX USA
301. Cheyenne Weaver, Austin, TX USA
302. Christine Walsh, Seattle, WA USA
303. Olivia Vlcek, Seattle, WA USA
304. Jenny Sayward, Seattle, WA USA
305. Diane Ste. Marie, WA USA
306. Jane Langenes, Seattle, WA USA
307. Sharon Chambers, Seattle, WA USA
308. Jackie Jackman, Ill, USA
309. Marcia Patience, Chicago, IL USA
310. K. Heaton, Kansas, USA
311. T. L. Essig, Lees Summit, MO USA
312. Erica Bourgeois, Vancouver, BC Canada
313. Nicci Bergunder, Vancouver, BC Canada\
314. Chief Kim Baird, Tsawwassen, BC Canada
315. Leah George-Wilson, North Vancouver, BC Canada
316. Stefany Mathias, Vancouver, BC Canada
317. David DeLeary, Toronto, ON, Canada
318. Debra Goldblatt, Toronto, ON, CANADA
319. Kelly Lamb, Toronto, ON, Canada
320. Carla Roblin Pryce, Toronto, ON, Canada
321. Theresa Taylor, Toronto, ON, Canada
322. Leah Taylor Roy, Boston, MA, USA
323. Jan-Marie Gundacker, Bradley Beach, NJ, USA
324. Jane Wyker, Rye, NY US
325. Barbara Berdon, NY, USA
326. Carol Rickard, Longboat Key, FL, USA
327. Sally C. Mahofski, Sarasota, FL, USA
328. Katharine Graham, Manchester, MA, USA
329. Thaddeus Beal, Somerville, MA USA
330. Vreni Blatter, Olten, Switzerland
331. Christoph Blatter, Olten, Switzerland
332. Marcel Hermans, Amsterdam, Netherlands
333. Cornelia Blatter, Amsterdam, Netherlands
334. Shauna Church, Brooklyn, NY, USA
335. Jill Enfield, NYC, NY, USA
336. Barbara Bell, NYC, NY, USA
337. Betsy Chory, Los Angeles, CA USA
338. Dody Dorn, Los Angeles, CA USA
339. Rica Linders, los Angeles, CA USA
340. Lisa Str?beck, Tol?ga, Sweden
341. Gitte Villesen, Copenhagen, Denmark
342. Kirsten Stoltmann, Chicago, USA
343. Pipilotti Rist, Z?ich, switzerland
344. Tobias Rehberger, Germany345. Jan-Willem Poels, NM USA
346. Afua Osei-Bonsu, London, England
347. Carlos,Schaffer, Mexico City, Mexico
348. Joanne S. Buzaglo, Philadelphia, PA
349. Edward Ciaccio, Little Neck, NY, USA
350. Sandra Biondi, Woodbury, NY, USA
351. Ruth Menter, Atlanta, GA, USA
352. Lisa Kianoff, Birmingham, AL, USA
353. Liz Reed, Birmingham, AL, USA
354. Cameron Vowell, Birmingham, AL, USA
355. Amanda Vaughan, Auburn, AL, USA
356. Suzanne Martin, Birmingham, AL USA
357. Hillary Olsen, Birmingham, AL USA
358. Matthieu Goethals, Gent, Belgium Europe
359. Floriane Cardon, Lages, SC, Brasil
360. Serkan Catalpinar,Ankara, TURKIYE
361. Halldor Arason, Akureyri Iceland
362. Brett Collins, New Zealand
363. Lila Sax, Germany
364. Daria Brankin, New Zealand
365 Jillian Brankin, Canberra, Australia
366 Andrew Boyd, Christchurch, New Zealand (www.andrewboyd.co.nz)
367

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