From: sba319-AT-hecky.it.northwestern.edu
Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 23:10:27 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Fwd: Re: Afghan Women's Petition


> 
> 
> I'm not usually a fan of forwards, but I this one seems a little more 
relevant 
> than the usual junk mail... 
> 
> > 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. 
> > 
> > 
> > Recently, the editor of Chatelaine (Sally Armstrong, ex Homemaker's 
> > Editor) 
> > was interviewed on CBC 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! 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 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) Rachel Altork   PA, USA 
> > 2) Corrie Blankenbeckler  PA, USA 
> > 3) Carolyn Viss PA, USA 
> > 4) Willa Obel Il, USA 
> > 5) 
> > 6) 
> > 
> > DIRECTIONS: 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 copy of it to: 
> > sarabande-AT-brandeis.edu <?xml:namespace prefix = mailto 
> > mailto:sarabande-AT-brandeis.edu>. 
> > Even if you decide not to sign, please be considerate and do not kill the 
> > petition. 
> > from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu 
> > mailto:postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu> --- 
> > mailto:postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu></mailto:sarabande 
> > -AT-brandeis.edu></div> 
> > 
> 
> 


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