zalt

Subject: Whose side are we on in Afghanistan?

Dear SG Friends,

In March, the elected government of Afghanistan, including its nominally more culturally liberal president, passed a law that gives Shiite men the right to demand sex from their wives once every four days -- essentially legalizing the marital rape of Shiite women.

On April 15, a few hundred Shiite women bravely gathered to protest this law. They were met with over 1,000 counter-protesters, some of whom threw stones at them, spat at them and called them whores.

We cannot support sending tens of thousands of troops (and tens of billions of dollars) to Afghanistan to support a religious patriarchal society that permits marital rape and allows for the stoning of those who protest.

I just took action to tell President Obama that if he doesn't have a strategy for our troops to protect the women and girls of Afghanistan, we shouldn't be there. In the meantime, he should do everything he can to pressure Afghan President Karzai to abolish this barbaric law. I hope you'll sign the petition, too.

Please have a look and take action.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/afghan_women_protest/?r_by=3531-1496901-qVBnISx&rc=paste

Thanks! Zalt