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If you decide not to forward this, please send it back to me. This is anactual petition, and "signatures" will be lost if you drop the line. Pleasetake 3 minutes out of your life to do your part.Madhu, the government of Afghanistan, is waging a war upon women. Sincethe Taliban took power in 1996, women have had to wear burqua and have beenbeaten and stoned in public for not having the proper attire, even if thismeans simply not having the mesh covering in front of their eyes. One womanwas beaten to death by an angry mob of fundamentalists for accidentallyexposing her arm(!) while she was driving. Another was stoned to death fortrying to leave the country with a man that was not a relative. Women arenot 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 totheir homes. Homes where a woman is present must have their windows paintedso that she can never be seen by outsiders. They must wear silent shoes sothat they are never heard. Women live in fear of their lives for theslightest misbehavior. Because they cannot work, those without malerelatives orhusbands are either starving to death or begging the street, even if theyhold Ph.D.s. Depression is becoming so widespread that it has reachedemergency levels. There is no way in such an extreme Islamic society toknow the suicide rate with certainty, but relief workers are estimatingthatthe suicide rate among women must be extraordinarily high: those who cannotfind proper medication and treatment for severe depression and would rathertake their lives than live in such conditions.At one of the rare hospitals for women, a reporter found still, nearlylifeless bodies lying motionless on top of beds, wrapped in their burqua,unwilling to speak, eat, or do anything, but slowly wastingaway.Others have gone mad and were seen crouched in corners, perpetually rockingor crying, most of them in fear. When what little medication that is leftfinally runs out, one doctor is considering leaving these women in front ofthe president's residence as a form of protest. It is at the point wheretheterm "human rights violations" has become an understatement. Husbands havethe power of life and death over their women relatives, especially theirwives, 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 theslightest 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 ofthis transition is the main reason for the depression and suicide; Womenwho were once educators or doctors or simply used to basic human freedomsare now severely restricted and treated as subhuman in the name ofright-wing fundamentalist Islam. It is not their tradition or culture,' butit is alien to them, and it is extreme even for those cultures wherefundamentalism is the rule.Everyone has a right to a tolerable human existence, even if they are womenin a Muslim country. If we can threaten military force in Kosovo the nameof human rights for the sake of ethnic Albanians, citizens of the world cancertainly express peaceful outrage at the oppression, murder and injusticecommitted against women by the Taliban. (See Directions at End)STATEMENT:In signing this, we agree that the current treatment of women inAfghanistan is completely UNACCEPTABLE and deserves action by the UnitedNations and that the current situation overseas will not be tolerated.Women's Rights is not a small issue anywhere, and it is UNACCEPTABLE forwomen in 2001 to be treated as subhuman and as so much property. Equalityand 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,USA2) Mariam Nayiny, Palo Alto,CA,USA3) Sunaina Gulati-Ruh, Palo Alto,CA,USA4) Megan McCaslin, Palo Alto,CA,USA5) Blake Halliana, San Francisco,CA,USA6) Kit Henderson, Sacramento,CA,USA7) Sara Myers, San Francisco,CA,USA8) Ellen Tilden, San Fransisco,CA,USA9) Vanessa Ross, San Francisco,CA,USA10) Jenna Shaw- Battista, SanFrancisco,CA,USA11) Jeanne Racik, Berkeley,CA,USA12) Julie Silas, Oakland,CA,USA13) Renee Longstreet, Tarzana,CA,USA14) Susan Johnson, Encino,CA,USA15) Kenneth Johnson, Encino,CA,USA16) Terri Treas, Los Angeles,CA,USA17) Amy Retzinger, North Hollywood,CA,USA18) Babette Crooms, Los Angeles,CA,USA19) Olivia Kienzel; Santa Barbara,CA,USA20) Sean Dexheimer, Los Angeles,CA,USA21) Elio Chavez, Jr., Pasadena,CA,USA22) Gregory Kastigar, Los Angeles,CA,USA23) Robert Collie, Los Angeles,CA,USA24) Jeff Garvin, Brea,CA,USA25) Tricia Allen, Sherman Oaks,CA,USA26) Joleen Nordstrom, Hollywood,CA,USA27) Theresa Donahoe, Martinez,CA,USA28) Jennifer Horn, Concord,CA,USA29) Roxanne Ryan,Alamo,CA,USA30) Miriam Tyler, San Jose,CA,USA31) John Burns, San Jose,CA,USA32) Kristin Lynn Minick, Fort Worth,TX,USA33) Jeff Neal, Marietta,GA,USA 34) Anna Neal, Marietta, GA,USA35) Frances Murley-FortWorth,TX,USA36) David Murley-London,England,UNITED KINGDOM37) Jillian Dykhouse, Colleyville,TX,USA38) Bonnie Dykhouse,Colleyville,TX,USA39) Nancy Williams, Colleyville,TX,USA40) Georgene Farr, Sterling Heights,MI,USA41) Joanne Arensberg, Riverview,MI,USA42) Luann Ouellette, Vermillion,SD,USA43) Sandie Sullivan, Vermillion,SD,USA44) Troy Nelson, Minneapolis,MN,USA45) Joseph Miller, Minnepolis,MN,USA46) Kathleen Miller, White Bear Lake,MN,USA47) Jerry Marquis, Mpls.,MN,USA48) Julie Stokes, Coon Rapids,MN,USA49) Tracy Ford, Blaine,MN,USA50) Sheila Lawrence, Monticello,MN,USA51) Brenda Kitchen, Westlake Village,CA,USA52) Teresa Burke, Sherman Oaks,CA,USA53) Bruce Ehrlich, Sherman Oaks,CA,USA54) Yllania Francis, Los Angeles,CA,USA55) Drew Hedin, Los Angeles,CA,USA56) Laura Paridon, Laguna Woods,CA,USA57) Jeanie Hagedorn, Des Moines,IA,USA58) Sue Christensen, Des Moines,IA,USA59) Sybil Finken, Glenwood,IA,USA60) Luke Finken, Earth61) Doug Gerace, Lincoln,NE,USA62) Cheryl Gerace,NE,USA63) Sheri Lew,CO,USA64) Raven Grace,Boulder,CO,USA65) Martha M.Mertz,EL,MI,USA66) Colleen R. Cooper,Okemos,MI,USA67) Barbara J. Sawyer-Koch, East Lansing,MI,USA68) Margaret A. Meyers,Okemos,MI,USA69) Mary Helen Espes, Okemos,MI,USA70) Maureen Kirchhoff, Allenspark,CO,USA71) Bart Johnson, Err, FRANCE72) Sharon O'Connor, Olympia,WA,USA73) Nancy Irving, Tbilisi, REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA74) Martha Lindley, Seattle,WA,USA75) Judith Alexander, Woodinville,WA,USA76) Arlene B. Hawkinson, Seattle,WA,USA77) Christine E. Mobley, Bothell,WA,USA78) Trudie Breen,CA,USA79) Catherine Standiford,CA,USA80) Beverly Truett,AZ,USA81) Christine Meehan,AZ,USA82) Janice Gilbert, Valley Center,CA,USA83) Dawna Upchurch, Anchorage,AK,USA84) Roxanna Groves, Olympia,WA,USA85) Lynda Lynde, Helena,MT,USA86) Constance Gelu, University Place,WA,USA87) Jodi Woolett, Tacoma,WA,USA88) Lisa I. Reeves- Lynden,WA,USA89) Amanda James-Bow,WA,USA90) Kelli J. Smith, New Port Richey,FL,USA91) Chris Poirier, Largo,FL,USA92) Mike Carpenter, Palmetto,FL,USA93) Alice Pryor, Melbourne,FL,USA94) Ellen Catano,Manchester,NH,USA95) Bevely Jennings, Cincinnati,OH,USA96) Linda Feely, Norwood,OH,USA97) Sherry Stidham, Norwood,OH,USA98) Brittany Brown,Cincinnati,OH,USA99) Sandy Brown, Cincinnati,OH,USA100) Tim Brown, Cincinnati,OH,USA101) Pat Brown, Cincinnati,OH,USA102) Amy Cregger, Memphis,TN,USA 1103) Kay Emerick, Logan, OH,USA104) Trina Bookman Logan, OH,USA105) Mary Samuelson, St. Louis, MO,USA106) Jeannette Ward, Memphis, TN,USA107) Elisabeth Davis, Memphis, TN,USA108) Rose Klimek, Memphis, TN,USA109) Barbara K. White, Hoquiam,WA,USA110) Paula J. Eriksen, Palm Harbor, FL,USA111) Ragnar Eriksen, Palm Harbor, FL,USA112) Marilyn King, CLEARWATER, FL,USA113) Barbara Stiner,Oldsmar, FL,USA114) Jac'line Weisgerber,Clearwater,FL,USA115) Charlotte Beadles, Douglasville, GA,USA116) Jody Hoadley, Powder Springs,GA,USA117) Hope Howard, Atlanta,GA,USA118) Cliff Howard, Atlanta,GA USA119) Kay Chicoine, Atlanta,GA,USA120) Mark Chicoine, Atlanta,GA,USA121) Paula King, Lexington,KY,USA122) Sally Weissman,Minneapolis,MN,USA123) Susan Abbott, New Brighton,MN,USA124) Rachel Fine, St. Louis Park,MN,USA125) Deb Harley,Eden Prairie, MN,USA126) Barb Handahl,Faribault, MN,USA127) Ann Olson,Chamberlain,SD,USA128) Deb Hunt,Sioux Falls,SD,USA129) Anne Frankman, Sioux Falls,SD,USA130) Susie Kostel, Tabor,SD,USA131) Julie Anderson, Mount Prospect,IL,USA132) Janet Tilden, Fremont,NE,USA133) Debbie Bowman, Kingston Springs,TN,USA134) Shari Watkins, Franklin,TN,USA135) Teresa Beck, Columbia,TN,USA136) Don Hill, Nashville,TN,USA137) Suzanne Supplee, Reistertown,MD,USA138) Mina Dillard-Gits, Agoura Hills,CA,USA139) Negrita Jayde, Venice,CA,USA139) Gregory Hines, Venice,CA,USA140) Laurie Fierstein, New York,NY,USA141) Cecelia Casey, New York,NY,USA142) Shana Deane, New York,NY,USA143) Lynn Neal ,Newark,DE,USA144) Rosemary Lane, Bear,DE,USA145) Andrea Arena, Newark,DE,USA146) Rick Neidig, Wilmington,DE,USA147) Lisa Dill, Wilmington, DE, USA148) Donna Staring, Newark,DE,USA149) V.C. Hernandez, Miami,FL, USA150) G.L. Gonzalez, Miami, FL, USA151) K. Casey, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA152) A. Lewis, Dallas, TX, USA153) S. Shepard, Chicago, IL, USA154) S. Arthur, Memphis, TN USA155) C. Lee, Knoxville, TN USA156) A. Toland, Dallas, TX USA157) F. Lidji, Dallas, TX USA158) M. Howell, NYC, NY159) PPHooks, MD, USA160) Hunter Armistead, Nashville TN, USA161) Susan Tinney, Nashville TN, USA162) David Ribar, Nashville TN, USA163) E. Michael Harrington, Franklin TN, USA164) Abigail B. Burke, Nashville TN, USA165) Angela Shedd, Nashville TN, USA166) Charlotte A. Reichley, Nashville, TN, USA167) Elizabeth Gardner, Nashville, TN, USA168) Claire M. Carrico, Nashville, TN, USA169) Jeanie M. Taylor, Nashville, TN, USA170) Sherry P. Armistead, Nashville, TN, USA171) Rebecca Walsh, Hartford, CT, USA172) Susan Durham, Nashville, TN , USA173) Melanie Collett, Atlanta, GA, USA174) Priscilla Miosi, Marietta, GA, USA175) Melisa Baltes, Powder Springs, GA, USA176) Vanessa Lynch, Millburn, NJ177) Felicia Bebelman, Norwalk, CT, USA178) Manjula Henderson, Gainseville, Florida, USA179) Jack Nugent,Venice, FL USA180) Dolores Collins, Sagamore Beach, Fl. USA181) Sheila Bickerton, San Leandro, CA USA182) Theresa Schexnayder, San Leandro, Ca USA183) Cecilia Canales, OP, Fremont, Ca, USA184) Mary Peter Traviss, O.P., San Francisco, CA185) Jeanne Hagelskamp, S.P., San Francisco, CA186) Christina Buckowski, Glendale, CA USA187) Kathleen A Quiroz, Monitors, CA USA188) Shari Young Kuchenbecker, Los Angeles, CA189) Joan C. Heffner, Las Vegas, NV190) Faye Duncan Daniel, Las Vegas, NV191) Roger Duncan, CA192) Larry Hambright, San Diego, CA, USA193) Mary Jacobson, Escondido, CA,USA194) Phil Burton Jr., Great Falls, MT. USA195) Jerry Dunn, Great Falls, MT USA196) Sandra Castillo, Chicago, IL, USA197) Lisa Mendelson, Arlington, VA USA198) Marion Mendelson, Venice, FL USA199) Barry Prizant, Cranston, RI200) Laurie Lennon, Boston, MA USA201) Heather Thompson, MA USA202) Christine Gallagher, Haddonfield, NJ, USA203) Kirsten Fullerton, Abington, PA USA204) Kyle Samuels, Seattle, WA USA205) Richard Kraus, Sydney, NSW Australia206) Claudia J Nicholson, Sydney, NSW Australia207) Nancy Kraus, Glen Allen, VA, USA208) Sarah Kraus, Charlottesville, USA209) Charles Staples, Richmond, VA USA210) Marsha Summers, Richmond, VA USA211) Sarah Spooner, New Orleans, LA USA211) Zoya Craig, Westport, CT USA212) Brittany Butler, New York, NY USA213) Ivette Delgado, New Haven, CT USA214) Sarah Lemagie, New Haven, CT USA215) Kathy Simpson, Tacoma, WA USA216) Aaron Key, Bellevue, WA USA217) Molly Christensen, Tacoma, WA USA218) Liz Nodolf, Auburn, WA USA219) Brea Drennan, Auburn, WA USA220) Carrie VanHaecke, Boulder, MT USA221) Christina David, Boulder, MT USA222) Laura Llewellyn, Boulder, MT USA223) Brady Smith, Boulder, MT USA224) Terry Lynn Minow, Boulder MT USA225) Kay Unger, Missoula, MT USA226) Janet Sunderland, Overland Park, KS USA227) Amy Lewis, Santa Fe, NM USA228) John West, Fbg, TX USA229) Dyan L Roessler, Fbg, Tx, USA230) Buck Tilford, Colorado Springs, CO, US of A231) Martine Couture, Calgary, Alberta, Canada232) Jeannie Graham, Calgary, Alberta, Canada233) Alana Etherington, Toronto, Ontario, Canada234) Christine Anderson, Alexandria, VA. USA234) Dennis Smith, Alexandria, VA. USA235) Laurence Neve, Alexandria. VA. USA236) T R Wilcox, Victoria. Australia237) Pauline Hewitt, Australia238 Paul Hewitt, Australia239) Chris Bagshaw, Derbyshire, UK240) Avril Lancashire, Yorkshire, UK241) Pat Moon, Lancashire, UK242) Steve Moon, Lancashire,UK243) Pam Roberts, Lancashire, UK244) Les Wynne, Lancashire, UK245) Annette Wynne. Lancashire, UK246) Lawson Dicks, Lancashire, UK247) Sheena Dicks, Lancashire, UK248) Helena Dicks, Bristol, UK249) Rachel Chen, London, UK250) Eddie Pang, Hong Kong.251) Christopher Tan, Singapore252) Che-peng Man, HK253) Hitan Shah , UK254) Joshna Shah, Kenya255) Hina Gudka, UK256) Oscar Damen, Kenya257) Frank Powell, Kenya258) Jeff Rorabaugh, Atlanta, GA USA259) Lori Waycaster, Atlanta, GA USA260) Kevin Waycaster, Atlanta, GA USA261) Terry Moore, Atlanta, GA USA262) Fred D. Tucker, Waleska, GA USA263) Sabine Yepes, Ball Ground, GA, USA264) Evelyn R. Waggoner, Colorado Springs, CO, USA265) Leigh A. Westin, Colorado Springs, CO, USA266) Michael R. Fisher, Tampa, FL, USA267) Ian M. Davis, Chapel Hill, NC, USA268) Kyle Bruckmann, Chicago, IL, USA269) Robert Piotrowicz, Szczecin, Poland270) Jason Seizer, Munich, germany271) Ernest Stedman, Jacksonville, Oregon272) Lillian Stedman, Jacksonville, Oregon273) Lewis Gibbs, San Diego, CA274) Sheila Gibbs, San Diego, CA275) Antonius Diendorfer, San Diego, CA, USA276) Steven Bruppacher, Zuerich, CH277) Pervin Tataroglu, Zurich, CH278) Isabelle Müller, Zurich, CH279) Astrid Seyfried, Zurich CH280) Mélanie Dawes, Zurich, CH281) Nicky Hill, Luton, GB282) Peter Brown UK283) Jane Bindloss AUSTRALIA284) Fiona Bricknell AUSTRALIA285) Linda Elliott, AUSTRALIA286) Neil Roth, London, ENGLAND287) Hilary Adrian, London, UK288) Geoff O'Shea, London, UK289) Alison Parker, London, UK290) Theresa Quealy, London, UK291) Arlene Slevin, London, UK292) Caoibhe Bailie, Belfast, NI293) Joanne Armstrong, Belfast, NI294) Amanda Craig, Belfast, UK295) Burney Bannerman, Swindon, UK296) Jon Dowling, Bristol, UK297) James Rowland, Bristol, UK

298) Kay Mansell

299) Nimmi Ragavan, Bristol, UK1) COPY this email on to a New Message (instead of a Forward)2)Sign the bottom, and3)Send it to everyone on your distribution lists.4)If you receive this list with more than 300 names on it, pleasee-maila copy of it to: sarabande <<sarabande><<<sarabande>>Even if you decide not to sign, please be considerate and do not killthe petition. Elizabeth Gardner, SLP The John F. Kennedy Center forHuman Development Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203 Voicemail:(615) 343-1725