[Techtalk] Agfan Women
Helaine McFerron
helaine_mcferron at hotmail.com
Mon Oct 8 23:33:33 EST 2001
Recently, the editor of Chatelaine (Sally Armstrong, ex Homemaker's
Editor)was interviewed on BCC radio. She had just returned from a trip
to Afghanistan to see the present state of affairs for herself, having been
told the situation had "improved". She stated that the situation has
deteriorated even further, as is detailed in the following message. She
noted that there has been a worldwide outcry against the Taliban's recent
destruction of ancient Buddhist statues, far more vocal than any outcry
against the Taliban's destruction of Afghan women!
With the speed and scope of Email, we can, if we persist, provide not 9,000,
but 9,000,000 signatures to the governments of the free world.
Let's do it!
Subject: Afghani women - 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 a few minutes out of your life to do your part for our sisters
in Afghanistan. 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
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 her
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, 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 waste 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 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 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) Mariam Nayiny, Palo Alto, CA, USA
3) Sunaina Gulati-Ruh, Palo Alto, CA USA
4) Megan McCaslin, Palo Alto, CA USA
5) Blake Hallanan, San Francisco, Ca. USA
6) Kit Henderson, Sacramento, CA USA
7) Kara Myers, San Francisco, CA
8) Ellen Tilden, San Francisco, CA
9) Vanessa Ross, San Francisco, CA
10) Jenna Shaw- Battista, San Francisco, CA
11) Jeanne Racik, B!erkeley, CA
12) Julie Silas, Oakland, CA
13) Renee Longstreet, Tarzana, CA
14) Susan Johnson, Encino, CA
15) Kenneth Johnson, 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) Sean Dexheimer, Los Angeles, CA
21) Elio Chavez, Jr., Pasadena, CA
22) Gregory Kastigar, Los Angeles, CA
23) Robert Collie, Los Angeles, CA
24) Jeff Garvin, Brea, CA
25) Tricia Allen, Shermn Oaks, CA
26) Joleen Nordstrom ~ Hollywood, CA
27) Theresa Donahoe - Martinez,CA
28) Jennifer Horn - Concord, CA
29) Roxanne Ryan - Alamo, CA
30) Miriam Tyler- San Jose CA
31) John Burns- San Jose CA
32) Kristin Lynn Minick- Fort Worth TX
33) Jeff Neal- Marietta, GA
34) Anna Neal- Marietta, GA
35) Frances Murley-Fort Worth, TX
36) David Murley-London, England, UK
37) Jillian Dykhouse, Colleyville, TX
38) Bonnie Dykhouse,Colleyville,TX
39) Nancy Williams, Colleyville, TX
40) Georgene Farr, Sterling Heights, MI
41) Joanne Arensberg, Riverview, MI
42) Luann Ouellette, Vermillion, SD
43) Sandie Sullivan, Vermillion, SD
44) Troy Nelson, Minneapolis, MN USA
45) Joseph Miller, Minneapolis, MN USA
46) Kathleen Miller, White Bear Lake, MN USA
47) Jerry Marquis, Mpls. Mn. USA
48) Julie Stokes, Coon Rapids, MN USA
49) Tracy Ford, Blaine, MN USA
50) Sheila Lawrence, Monticello, MN USA
51) Brenda Kitchen, Westlake Village,
Calif!ornia,USA
52) Teresa 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) Laura 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. Cooper, Okemos, Michigan
67) Barbara J. Sawyer-Koch, East Lansing, MI
68) Margaret A. Meyers, Okemos, Michigan
69) Mary Helen Espes, Okemos, Michigan
70) Maureen Kirchhoff, Allenspark, CO
71) Bart Johnson, Err, France
72) Sharon!O'Connor, Olympia, WA USA
73) Nancy Irving, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia
74) Martha Lindley, Seattle, WA, USA
75) Judith Alexander, Woodinville, WA, USA
76) Arlene B. Hawkinson, Seattle, WA, USA
77) Christine E. Mobley, Bothell, WA, USA
78) Trudie Breen, CA, USA
79) Catherine Standiford, CA, USA
80) Beverly Truett, AZ, USA
81) Christine 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) Lisa I. Reeves- Lynden, WA USA
89) Amanda James-Bow, WA USA
90) Kelli J. Smith, New Port Richey, FL USA
91) Chris 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) Linda 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) X-Mozilla-Status: 0009uis, Mo USA
106) Jeannette Ward, Memphis, TN USA
107) Elisabeth Davis, Memphis, Tn USA
108) Rose Klimek, Memphis, TN USA
109) Barbara K. White, Hoquiam, WA, USA
110) Paula J. Eriksen, Palm Harbor, Florida USA
111) Rag!nar Eriksen, 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, Douglasville, GA, USA
116) Jody Hoadley, Powder Springs, GA, USA
117) Hope Howard, Atlanta, GA, USA
118) Cliff Howard, Atlanta, GA, USA
119) Kay Chicoine, Atlanta, GA USA
120) Mark Chicoine, Atlanta, GA USA
121) Paula King, Lexington, KY,USA
122) Sally Weissman,Minneapolis,Mn,USA
123) Susan Abbott, New Brighton, MN USA
124) Rachel 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 Frankman, Sioux Falls, SD USA
130) Susie Kostel, Tabor, SD USA
131) Julie Anderson, Mount Prospect, IL USA
132) Janet Tilden, Fremont, NE USA
133) Debbie Bowman, Kingston Springs, TN, USA
134) Shari Watkins, Franklin, TN, USA
135) Teresa Beck, Columbia, TN USA
136) Amy Stephens, Brentwood, TN, USA
137) Vicki Warren, Lyles, TN, USA
138) Linda Lupo, Westland, MI, USA
139) Cathie McClary, Clinton Twp. MI, USA
140) Diane Catellane, Clinton Twp. MI, USA
141) Judy Mellen, Clarkston, MI, USA
142) Donna Waite, Lake Orion, MI, USA
143) Ann Acton, South Lyon, MI, USA
145) Tami Hall, South Lyon, MI, USA
146) Wendy Belsley, South Lyon, MI, USA
147) Gretel Coombs, East Lansing, MI, USA
148) Mike Jones, Lansing, MI, USA
149) Jeff Jones, Atlanta, GA, USA
150) Marion Jones , Atlanta, GA , USA
151) Pat Scott, Enumclaw, WA, USA
152) Bob Panzer, Houston, TX, USA
153) Pat Panzer, Houston, TX, USA
154) Joe Schwartz, Jacksonville AL USA
155) Stefanie Walfield, Fayetteville, NC, USA
156) Liz Dunkley, Milledgeville, GA, USA
157) Christine 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) Charles Lundquist, Binghamton, N.Y. U.S.A.
161) Tracy Rowe, Hollywood, CA USA
162) Daniel Raphael New York, New York USA
163) Ann Brameier, New York, NY USA
164) Kazuko Tao, Healdsburg, Ca USA
165) Shelley Zavat, Rio Nido, Ca. USA
166) Kendall Smith, Fort Bragg, Ca USA
167) Candi Zizek, Sacramento, California USA
168) Annette Blackwood, West Hartford, CT USA
169) Frank Sentner, West Hartford, CT USA
170) Ann Steadman, Roanoke, VA USA
171) George Steadman, Roanoke, VA USA
172) Elizabeth Byam,Washington, DC USA
173) Mary Dougal,Montclair, NJ USA
174) Kathleen Ennen, Champaign, Il. USA
175) Patricia S. Berky, Baltimore, Md. USA
176) Wahiba Abu-Ras, Old Bridge, NJ. USA
177) Magdi Awad, Old Bridge, NJ USA
178) Melissa Joralemon, NY USA
179) Vida Cofie-Robertson, 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, Turkiye
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) Anna Droste
192) Ersin Takla,Istanbul, Turkey
193) R. Oguz Bozkurt, Istanbul, Turkey
194) Sevda Bozkurt, Istanbul, Turkey
195) Liliana Saban, Strasbourg France
196) Yael Albukrek, London, UK
197) Fabiana Di Porto, Rome, Italy
198) Micaela Pavoncello, Rome Italy
199) Marnie Silver, Toronto, ON, Canada
200) Mike Wilner, Toronto, ON, Cana
201) Judy Shabtai, Toronto,ON, Canada
202) Suzanne McColl, Torontom ON, Canada
203)John Trigiani, Toronto , Ontario, CANADA
204) Jon Gillette, Bognor, Ontario, Canada
205) Helen Kay. Bognor, Ontario, Canada
206) Elizabeth Huyer, Owen Sound, Canada
207) Nikki Huyer, Helsingor, Denmark
208) Lynn Chambers, Toronto, Canada
209) Laura Allen, Toronto, Canada
210) Shirley Hilton, Ingersoll, Canada
211) Rosina Brown, Caledon East, ON Canada
212) Judi MacDonald, Markham, Ontario, Canada
213) Nancy Drewry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
214) Susan Bartlett, Toronto, Ontario Canada
215) Anja Sagan, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
216) Sharon Slater, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
217) Mona Adams, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
218) Paul Adams, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
219) Ruth E. Voetberg, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
220) Jeffrey F. Searle, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
221) Kelly L. Robinson, Dayton, OH, USA
222) Vernon G. Haas, Stewartstown, PA, USA
223) Connie L. Haas, Stewartstown, PA, USA
224) Bassem Youssef, Vienna, VA, USA
225) Leila Youssef, Vienna, VA, USA
226) Peggy D. Hart, Stafford, VA, USA
227) Pat Peebles, Alexandria, VA, USA
228) Olivia White, Dallas, TX, USA
229) Elizabeth Nash, Nottingham, UK
230) Debra Chauhan, Leicester, UK
231) Alison Termie, Leicester, UK
232) Lindsay Termie, Leicester, UK
233) Lesley McNeil, Leicester, UK
234) Francis Cattermole, Leicester, UK
235) Annie Gray, London, UK
237) Ingrid womack, London UK
238) Caroline Bowsher, London, UK
239) Paul Coates, London, UK
240) Giuseppe Anzalone, Hertfordshire UK
241) Clare Anthony, Narrogin, Western Australia
242) Kate Macgregor, Narrogin, Western Australia
243) Tom Dukovcic, Perth, Australia
244) Michael Hall, Melbourne, Australia
245) Suzanne Davis, Melbourne, Australia
246) Michelle Baker, Melbourne Australia
247) Soula Pliatsikouras Melbourne Australia
248) Edward Rossato, Melbourne Australia
249) Sam Rossato, Singleton Australia
250)Bruce Schneider, Maitland Australia
251) Beth Richards, Maitland Australia
252) Denise Wallace Carrara Australia
253) Cherie Bombell, Robina Australia
254) Amanda Aitchison, Sydney Australia
255) Shelley Somerville, Sydney Australia
266) Phil Marnoch, Sydney Australia
267) Katrina Boylan, Sydney, Australia
268) Kate Crossley ,Syd, Aust.
269) Roger Baldwin, Manukau, New Zealand
270) Wayne Tait, Tauranga, New Zealand
271) Mandy Waldin, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
272) Nicki Northcott, Morrinsville, New Zealand
273) Jennifer Reiner, Minneapolis, MN, USA
274) Matthew Chesher, Hackensack, NJ, USA
275) MaryGrace Ribaudo, Hackensack, NJ, USA
276) John Lee, Chicago, Ill, USA
277) Margaret Lee, Chicago, Ill USA
278) Melissa Reed, Kalamazoo, MI USA
279) Nancy DeVries, Scotts, MI USA
280) Julie E. Noland, West Des Moines, IA USA
281) Amy W. Limeres, Chugiak, AK USA
282) George W. McCarthy, Rhinebeck, NY
283) Cindy Cunningham, Los Angeles, CA USA
284) Karin Battat San Francisco CA USA
285) Judy Motoyama, Lodi, CA USA
286) Lisa Hayes, Lodi, CA, USA
287) Marilyn York, Sacramento, CA, USA
288) Eva Townsend, Sacramento, CA, USA
289) Pam Hawkins, Sacramento, CA, USA
290) Ann Edward-Buckley, Sacramento, CA, USA
291) Julie Leung, Sacramento, CA USA
292) Michael Varinsky, Davis, CA USA
293) Tina Dolin, Davis, CA USA
294) Barb Lentz, Reno, Nevada
295) Steve Ashorn, Reno, Nevada
296) E. Davison, Tucson, AZ
297) V.L. Little, Tucson AZ
298) L.Sauer.La Canada, CA
299) Cathy Cole Williams, Glencoe, IL USA
300) Barbara Schon-Lundberg, Glenview, IL USA
301) Claire Purkis, Chicago, IL, USA
302) Helaine McFerron, Chicago, IL, USA
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