Julia Frugoli a écrit dans le message ...
>>>In an effort to spur discussion, I've posted this petition-if you feel so
>>moved, sign and pass it on, but if you don't want to do that kind of thing
>>(I'm not sure it accomplishes much more than awareness-raising, but
there's
>>something to be said for that), I think the issues it raises are ones the
>>newsgroup might be interested in-it can put things in perspective the next
>>time someone scoffs at the need for "women's rights"
>>>>>>=========================================
>>>>THE TALIBAN'S WAR ON WOMEN
>>>>==========================================
>>>>**** Please Sign at the bottom to support and include your town.
>>If you receive this list with more than 50 names on it, please email a
>>copy of it to
>>>>sarabande at brandeis.edu>>>>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
>>>>==========================================
>>TEXT:
>>>>The government of Afghanistan is waging a war upon women.
>>The situation is getting so bad that one person in an editorial of
>>the times compared the treatment of women there to the treatment of
>>jews in pre-holocaust Poland. 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, 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 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.
>>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 are 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' have 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.
>>>>David Cornwell has told me that we in the United States should not
>>judge the Afghan people for such treatment because it is a
>>'cultural thing', but this is not even true. 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. Besides, if we could excuse everything on cultural
>>grounds, then we should not be appalled that the Carthaginians
>>sacrificed their infant children, that little girls are circumcised
>>in parts of Africa, that blacks in the deep south in the 1930's
>>were lynched, prohibited from voting and forced to submit to
>>unjust jim crow laws.
>>>>Everyone has a right to a tolerable human
>>existence, even if they are women in a Muslim country in a part of
>>the world that Americans do not understand. If we can threaten
>>military force in Kosovo in the name of human rights for the sake
>>of ethnic Albanians, Americans 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
>>support and action by the people of the United States and the U.S.
>>Government 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 1998 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 the United States.
>>>> 1) Leslie London, Cape Town, South Africa
>> 2) Tim Holtz, Boston, USA
>> 3) Jennifer Kasper, Boston, MA, USA
>> 4) Ali Noorani, Boston, MA
>> 5) Juli-Ann Carlos, Boston, MA, USA
>> 6) Elaine Alpert, MD, Boston, MA USA
>> 6) Ben Siegel, Boston MA, USA
>> 7) D. Paul Robinson, Columbia, MO, USA
>> 8) Judith Miles, Columbia, MO, USA
>> 9) Cyndy Jones, Columbia, MO. USA
>>10) Eva Orsini, Columbia, MO. USA
>>11) Keith Campbell, Columbia, MO, USA
>>12) Diana Schroeder, Memphis, TN, USA
>>13) Lynda Logan, Memphis, TN , USA
>>14) Jennifer Spiwak, Memphis, TN, USA
>>15) Kimberly Morrison, Memphis, TN, USA
>>16) Stacey Holifield, Memphis, TN, USA
>>17) Amber Ryan, Memphis, TN, USA
>>18) Lisa Jobe Memphis, TN USA
>>19) Haley Williams, Memphis, TN USA
>>20) Richard Treharne, Memphis, TN USA
>>21) Brian Cruz, Memphis, TN USA
>>22) Annie Keazer, Dover, NH USA
>>23) Dan Fisher, Granville, OH US of A
>>24) Jen Skillicorn, Granville, OH, USA
>>25) Katherine Soucy, Granville, OH, USA
>>26) Kathryn Hibbert, Williamstown, MA, USA
>>27) Andra Hibbert, Peacham, VT, USA
>>28) Steven Frost, Monroe, NH, USA
>>29)Julia Frugoli, Huntsville, TX USA
>>30) Charles Harboun , Paris , France
>>>>Julia Frugoli
>>Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology
>>Texas A&M University
>>College Station, TX 77843
>>phone 409-862-3495/2595
>>FAX 409-862-4790
>
