[BioNews] (no subject)

[Rickards, Olga]

Situation of Women in Afghanistan:

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 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

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 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 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 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.

SIGNED:

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 VAUSA

106) Cyndy Williams, Charlottesville, VAUSA

107) Donna Hall, Lynchburg, Va USA

) Robin Hinkle, Lynchburg, VA USA

109) George Vass Venice, FL USA

110) Martha Ferris, Moncks Corner, SCUSA

111) Teresa Smith, Charleston, SC, USA

112) Terry Longo, Orlando, FL, USA

113) Charlotte Downs, Orlando, FL, USA

114) Laura M. Connaughton, Orlando, FLUSA

115) Ronit Doran, Tel Aviv, Israel

116) Iris Berenstein, Johannesburg,South Africa

117) Lynne Jeffreys, Johannesburg, SouthAfrica

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, SouthAfrica

122) Andrew le Roux, Cape Town, SouthAfrica

123) Nathea Beukes, Cape Town, SouthAfrica

124) Johan Wiesner, Toowoomba, Australia

125) Retha Wiesner, Toowoomba, Australia

126) Leon de Villiers, Toowoomba,Australia

127) Leslie Willmers, Cape Town, SouthAfrica

128) Wayne Jacobs, Cape Town, SouthAfrica

129) Davlynne Lidbetter, Cape Town,South Africa

130) Gunnar Blondal, Oslo, Norway

131) Magnzs Blvndal, Reykjavik, Iceland

132) Dagbjort Reginsdottir,Hafnarfjordur, Iceland

133) Jshann Guplaugsson, Reykjavmk,Iceland

134) Mikael Tal Gretarsson, Reykjavik,Iceland

135) Marika Rvnkkv, Reykjavik, Iceland

136) Valva Pitursdsttir, Reykjavmk,Iceland

137) Arnfrmpur Henr}sdsttir, Kspavogur,Iceland

138) Anna Karmna Sigurpardsttir,Reykjavmk, Iceland

139) Linda Viparsdsttir, Reykjavmk,Iceland

140) Anna Marma Einarsdsttir, Reykjavmk,Iceland

141) Vigdms ^srarinsdsttir, Reykjavmk,Iceland

142) Erla ^urmpur Pitursdsttir, Reykjavmk,Iceland

143) Berglind Rut Hilmarsdsttir,Reykjavmk, Iceland

144) Elina Margret Ingolfsdottir,Reykjavmk, Iceland

145) Helga Sol. Olafsdottir, Reykjavik,Iceland

146) Kristjana Sigmundsdsttir, Selfoss,Iceland

147) ^orlakur Helgason, Selfoss, Iceland

148) ^orgeir Helgason, Reykjavik, Iceland

149) Ingibjvrg Elsa Bjvrnsdsttir,Reykjavmk, Iceland

150) Anna Ragna Magnzsardsttir, Reykjavmk,Iceland

151) Guprzn V. Skzladsttir, Reykjavmk,Iceland

152) Vigdms Hjaltadsttir, Reykjavmk,Iceland

153) Astrid Kvnig, Vienna, Austria

154) Ludwig Kvnig, Vienna, Austria

155) Eva Sadik, Vienna, Austria

156) Rossmanith Michaela, Vienna, Austria

158) Seyfert Stefan,Vienna,Austria

159) Lisa Cahill, MA, USA

160) Robin Goodman Thomas MA, USA

161) Martine Gaechter Canning MA, USA

162) Cheryl Canning Quast, Cape Cod, MA,USA

163) Renee Dickinson, Orlando, FLUSA

164) Diana Rose, Tampa, FL USA

165) Geni Sidoti, Duxbury, MA USA

166) Pamela Sousa, Pembroke, MA USA

167) Rachel M. Roffman, Jamaica Plain, MA, USA

168) Pamela A. Olcott, Gainesville, FL, USA

169) Jane Burman-Holtom, Gainesville, FL, USA

170) Baina Masquelier, Sydney, AUSTRALIA

171) Peter Rudd; Menlo Park CA (USA)

172) Ewa Witkowska, Walnut Creek, CA (USA)

173) Elizabeth Trachtenberg, Berkeley, CA (USA)

174) Olga Rickards, Roma (Italia)

PLEASE COPY and PASTE 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 the following

address:

sarabande@brandeis.edu (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, USA

 

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Olga Rickards
Centro di antropologia molecolare per lo studio del DNA antico
tel. +39-6-72594334, fax +39-6-2023500, email rickards@uniroma2.it
web: http://www.uniroma2.it/biologia/centri/rickards/antrodna.htm