Please read, sign & forward...

The Government of Afghanistan is waging a war upon women. Since the
Taleban 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=20
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, so that 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.

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 misbehaviour. 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.

There are almost no medical facilities available for women, and
relief workers, in protest, have mostly left the country, taking
medicine and psychologists and other things necessary to treat the
sky-rocketing level of depression among 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 peaceful 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
sub-human in the name of right-wing fundamentalist Islam. It is not
their tradition or 'culture', but 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
Taleban.

STATEMENT: In signing this, we agree that the current treatment of
women in Afghanistan is completely UNACCEPTABLE and deserves support
and 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 1999 to be treated as
sub-human 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 Bratt
 >> >> >> 79) 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) Natalie Edwards, Charlottesville VA USA
 >> >> >> 106) Cyndy Williams, Charlottesville, VA USA
 >> >> >> 107) Donna Hall, Lynchburg, Va USA
 >> >> >> 108) Robin Hinkle, Lynchburg, VA USA
 >> >> >> 109) George Vass Venice, FL USA
 >> >> >> 110) Martha Ferris, Moncks Corner, SC USA
 >> >> >> 111) Teresa Smith, Charleston, SC, USA
 >> >> >> 112) Terry Longo, Orlando, FL, USA
 >> >> >> 113) Charlotte Downs, Orlando, FL, USA
 >> >> >> 114) Laura M. Connaughton, Orlando, FL USA
 >> >> >> 115) Ronit Doran, Tel Aviv, Israel
 >> >> >> 116) Iris Berenstein, Johannesburg, South Africa
 >> >> >> 117) Lynne Jeffreys, Johannesburg, South Africa
 >> >> >> 118) Sharon van Heerden, Johannesburg, South Africa
 >> >> >> 119) Lizelle Mc Mahon, Johannesburg, South Africa
 >> >> >> 120) Frik du Toit Suid Afrika
 >> >> >> 121) Glenda Warrin, Cape Town, South Africa
 >> >> >> 122) Andrew le Roux, Cape Town, South Africa
 >> >> >> 123) Nathea Beukes, Cape Town, South Africa
 >> >> >> 124) Johan Wiesner, Toowoomba, Australia
 >> >> >> 125) Retha Wiesner, Toowoomba, Australia
 >> >> >> 126) Leon de Villiers, Toowoomba, Australia
 >> >> >> 127) Leslie Willmers, Cape Town, South Africa
 >> >> >> 128) Wayne Jacobs, Cape Town, South Africa
 >> >> >> 129) Davlynne Lidbetter, Cape Town, South Africa
 >> >> >> 130) Gunnar Blondal, Oslo, Norway
 >> >> >> 131) Magns Blndal, Reykjavik, Iceland
 >> >> >> 132) Alan Hughes, Manston,England
 >> >> >> 133) Claire Page, Rochester, England
 >> >> >> 134) Cathy Smith, London, England
 >> >> >> 135) Joy Ogden, London, England
 >> >> >> 136) Joanne Casemore, London, England
 >> >> >> 137) Natalie Wilkie, London, England
 >> >> >> 138) Sarah Farmer, London, England
 >> >> >> 139) Tiffany Brown, London, England
 >> >> >> 140) Melody Brown, Surrey, England
 >> >> >> 141) Tim Balmford, Oxon, England
 >> >> >> 142) Liz Balmford, Oxon, England
 >> >> >> 143) Martin Haines, Nottingham, England
 >> >> >> 144) Peter Tanner, Colchester, England
 >> >> >> 145) Jamie Tanner, Colchester, England
 >> >> >> 146) Monika Platek, Polish Ass. of Legal Education, POLAND
 >> >> >> 147) Sam Welham, The Children & Armed Conflict Unit, Essex
         Uni, UK
 >> >> >> 148) Marleen Temmerman, International Centre for Reproductive
 >>        Health,Ghent, Belgium
 >> >> >> 149) Robert Crivit, IMAVO, Brussels, Belgium
 >> >> >> 150) Gerry De Mol, Flimnap, Daknam, Belgium
 >> >> >> 151) Jan Van den Bergh, iMerge, Belgium
 >> >> >> 152) Bart Vanhoutte, Webpromis, Belgium
 >> >> >> 153) Johan Vanhee, Brugge, Belgium
 >> >> >> 154) Jan Vandenhende, Brugge, Belgium
 >> >> >> 155) Steven Depuydt, De Haan, Belgium
 >> >> >> 156) Steven Deneir, Oostrozebeke, Belgium
 >> >> >> 157) Jan Baele, Herzele, Belgium
 >> >> >> 158) Benoit Horion, Liege, Belgium
 >> >> >> 159) Karine Lambert, Brussels, Belgium
 >> >> >> 160) Claude Katz, Brussels, Belgium
 >> >> >> 161) Brigitte Bricteux, Brussels, Belgium
 >> >> >> 162) Bottu Jean-Etienne, Brussels, Belgium
 >> >> >> 163) Myriam Janssens, Tisselt, Belgium
 >> >> >> 164) Arne Adams, Antwerpen, Belgium
 >> >> >> 165) Guy Vande waele, Gent, Belgium
 >> >> >> 166) Dirk Van Hove, Bonheiden, Belgium
 >> >> << 167) Nadia Lingier,Bonheiden,Belgium
 >> >> >> 168) Veronique Nowak, Brussels, Belgium
 >> >> >> 169) Sandrine Cogels, Brussels, Belgium
 >> >> >> 170) Carine Vander Elst, Brussels, Belgium
 >> >< << 171) Patricia Colot, Brussels, Belgium
 >> >< << 172) Kathy Brandt, Brussels, Belgium
 >> >< << 173) Beate Gminder, Brussels, Belgium
 >> >< << 174) Mercedes Mar=EDn, Brussels, Belgium
 >><< <<  175) Anna Minett, Brussels, Belgium
 >><< <<  176) Debbie Epstein, Minneapolis, USA
 >><< <<  177) Heidi Roth, Gainesville, FL
 >> >> << 178) Anna Elisa Ordo=F1ez Roth, Bogot=E1, Colombia
 >> >> >> 179) Theresa Finnin,Savannah,Ga,USA,& Bogota, Colombia
 <><><>>  180)  shawn  geer,   Savannah,  Ga,  USA
                  181) annabelle swincinski savannah, ga, usa
                  182) Ellen Sutheimer, Savannah, GA, USA
                  183) Sarah McCormack, Oxford, OH, USA
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 200 names on it, please e-mail a copy of it to :

 [log in to unmask] <<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>

(Send after every 200 names.)

Even if you decide not to sign, please be considerate and do not kill
the petition. Thank you. It is best to copy rather than forward the
petition.

Melissa Buckheit , Brandeis University