On May 23rd 2001 the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan confirmed that all Hindus will be required to wear a strip of yellow cloth sewn onto a shirt pocket in order to identify themselves.

They claim that the measure is for their "protection". The world has faced this before, in 1939 the world was required, at great cost, to rid itself of Hitler's tyranny, it is not hard to spot his child. Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to relive it.

The Taliban's record on respecting other religions gives great cause for concern that their ultimate aim, upon which they are intent, is "religious cleansing". They have already demonstrated their disdain and intolerance for other religions and traditions by the desecration and destruction of the ancient Buddhist statues, our collective heritage, within the Afghanistan.

Whatever your religion, or even if you have none, we hope that you will agree that this fundamentally wrong. Remember, "All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing".

Please add your voice.

This is not an urban legend... see the ABC News site at: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/afghanistan010522_hindu.html

"The Taliban, one of the world's most isolated and controversial regimes, is considering a proposal to make Hindus wear identity labels to separate them from the majority Muslim population in Afghanistan."

Petition:

To The Secretary General, Security Council and General Assembly of the United Nations.

We the undersigned are appalled by the decision of the Taliban government of Afghanistan to require all Hindus to wear a piece of yellow cloth sewn onto a shirt pocket in order to identify themselves.

An individual's communion with God, however they find him, is a matter of personal conscience and must not be the subject of intimidation or persecution. The right of everyone to worship as they wish is
fundamental and inalienable.

The United Nations was founded in order to defeat Hitler and his henchmen who required the same from another religion with all it's
horrific consequences. It is completely unacceptable that nearly 60 years later history is repeating itself. We ask the following:

1. That the Taliban government is made aware in the strongest possible terms that the world will not countenance this perversion of human rights.

2. That prior to the United Nations and/or it's constituent members granting recognition of the Taliban government this obscene policy is reversed.

3. That the United Nations widen the terms of the trade sanctions currently in force.

You may sign the Petition online at www.petitionpetition.com under Human Rights category.

There is an email petition circulating online that orginated from the UK. We will forward all online signatures made to the abovementioned site to the originator of this petition.

best regards
Barbara Anello,
acting chair
DAWN Ontario: DisAbled Women's Network Ontario
http://dawn.thot.net

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