[PEN-L:6924] Fwd: afghan women

[MScoleman@xxxxxxx]

I would urge everyone on pen-l to fill the white house email with messages
about the inhuman treatment being unilaterally inflicted on Afghan women --
messages about same follow.  you can all email Clinton at:
president@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
maggie coleman mscoleman@xxxxxxx
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Forwarded message:
From:	BBERG@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Barbara R. Bergmann)
Sender:	femecon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Reply-to:	femecon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: 96-10-25 14:42:06 EDT

Femecon subscribers may wish to e-mail the President at

            president@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

a message asking him not to send any aid to Afghanistan so long
as severe human rights violations against women continue.
Maybe if they get several hundred messages from us, it will
make a difference.

What follows is a message from the Afghan women's network:

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From:          pam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (pamela collet)
To:            lbrowning@xxxxxxx
Subject:       AFghan women's Network op/ed
Date:          Thu, 17 Oct 96 23:02:19 GMT +5:00
Organization:  Save The Children
Reply-to:      pam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (pamela collet)

Kabul, the largest prison for women in the world

by the Afghan WomenOs Network, Islamabad, Pakistan

Where can we find the words from our hearts to share with the readers the
suffering of the people of Kabul, especially the women and girls?  Kabul has
become the worldOs largest prison for women in the world.  The women and
girls
have been confined to their homes by the military faction known as the
Taliban.
Women are experiencing the gradual death of despair.  They see no future for
themselves or their daughters.

The female population has been ordered to stay at home by the Taliban. They
are
forbidden to work.  Women have always worked in Kabul . They are necessary
for
the functioning of the city.  Most of the teachers in Kabul are women.
Therefore, many boys have no teachers.  Women and girls are  banned from
attending any schools or educational institutions.

Female patients in all hospitals were ordered by the Taliban to go home.
 Women
cannot be treated by male doctors.  Some women doctors and nurses have been
allowed to return to work , but women cannot work with their male colleagues.
Female medical workers must wear a complete covering from head to toe, known
as
the burqa, making it very difficult to treat their patients.

If women have to go out for food,  medicine or other daily needs, they must
 cover
themselves with a burqa and must be accompanied by a male  family member.
 Even
being covered completely is no protection.  One woman was beaten because she
was
not wearing socks.  Another woman who lifted her clothing to jump over a
stream
was beaten  with  a heavy rod by the Taliban.

Some people say that the Taliban have brought peace to Kabul.  Taliban have
put
the women in the prison of their homes.  This is not peace.  Women have no
weapons.  They are being attacked and beaten by Taliban for no reason except
the
fact that they are women.  This is not peace. This is war against women and
girls. Whatever you bring by force cannot mean peace.

We are a group of Afghan women living in exile in Pakistan.    As mothers and
sisters we do not want to see our children soaked in blood.  We do not want
our
daughters to grow up illiterate.  We want to bring peace and human rights to
our
country, especially for women and girls.  Peace means respect  for peopleOs
 human
rights.

We ask all the readers to tell your government, the United Nations and the
international  human rights organizations that Afghan women must have the
right
to work outside their homes, that women and girls must have the right  to
education and that women and girls must be able to leave their homes without
being harassed and beaten.

We need your help to bring the real peace to our homeland, Afghanistan.


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Note: we sent this to Equality Now today who said they would try to
get it placed in NY Times or Washington Post

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