I am planning to have a small rally at the White House on Wednesday 12 Noon at Lafayette Park and the White House Sidewalk, where President Obama and Afghanistan President Karzai will be meeting to discuss a plan to "reconcile" with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
I am concerned about the reports of the reconciliation plan with the Taliban has reportedly included considering allowing some of the Taliban to rejoin the Afghanistan police and security forces, and of course, my main concern is what such a "reconciliation" will mean to the safety and security of the women in Afghanistan.
I am inviting people of all ethnic groups, religions, and views who share our conviction that the Taliban and its supremacist views are against our universal human rights and the commitment to pluralism necessary for religious freedom.
If you are interested, please email me and let me know at usa@realcourage.org
Jeffrey Imm
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)
usa@realcourage.org
301-613-8789
=======================================================
May 12 -- Washington DC White House Protest -- Human
Rights in Afghanistan
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)http://www.realcourage.org/2010/05/no-to-taliban/
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) is planning a public
demonstration to call for human rights in Afghanistan and our opposition
to the ideology of the Taliban.
Our demonstration will be on Wednesday, May 12 from 12 Noon to 2
PM in Washington DC at Lafayette Park and the White House sidewalk.
The demonstration will coincide with Afghanistan President Karzai's and
United States President Obama's meeting on May 12 to plan
"reconciliation" between members of the Taliban and the Afghanistan
nation.
We support efforts to achieve peace, but we also know that peace
without human rights, will only provide more suffering to the most
vulnerable. We seek to keep hope alive for human rights for all in
Afghanistan.
We remain concerned about the false belief that Taliban who allegedly
"renounce violence" against soldiers and tanks, will continue a reign
of terrorism against Afghanistan women, minorities, and other Muslims.
- Afghanistan Taliban Today (Photo: Saeed
Achakzai/Reuters)
R.E.A.L. is deeply concerned about:
-- the perspective among some in Afghanistan that there
is a "good Taliban" and a "bad Taliban" - we believe that those who
continue to accept the Taliban's anti-human rights ideologies do not
offer any "good" for the Afghanistan people or for peace
-- the history of the Taliban ideology in oppressing women, religious
minorities, and Muslims in Afghanistan
-- the reports that reconciliation plans may include allowing
Taliban members "to join the Afghan army or police force"
We call for any "peace" to ensure that women's, minorities', and
Muslims' universal human rights are made a priority in Afghanistan. We
believe that Taliban supremacists are no different than any other
religious or racial supremacists. We urge people of all religions, all
ethnic groups, all genders, and all races to join us in our concern for
a real peace, based on a commitment to human rights in Afghanistan.
- Afghanistan Taliban "Police" Beat Women in Public -
in Kabul - in 2001 - We Must Never Let Afghanistan Return to This
The
Taliban's anti-human rights ideological views are no different than any
other organization that defies our universal human rights. So we ask
President Obama to tell President Karzai "no to reconciliation" with
those who continue to promote the Taliban supremacist ideology. Those
who renounce the Taliban supremacist ideology and who support our
universal human rights are the only ones that America should be
supporting reconciliation policies towards. Support for our
unqualified, universal human rights must be a priority for any peace in
Afghanistan.
We will meet at Lafayette Park at 12 Noon. Our planned goal is
to be there from 12 Noon to 2 PM. I have met with the National Park
Service about the Lafayette Park and White House sidewalk area, and
while I have submitted a permit application earlier this week (and
expect to receive an NPS permit by fax before the event), but we don't require a
permit for less than 25 individuals (backup plan). In addition, we submitted our assembly notification to the Metropolitan DC police of our intent to protest in the
Pennsylvania Avenue blocked off street area between Lafayette Park and
the White House.
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Related articles:
April
7, 2010: New Afghan Strategy: Karzai and Holbrooke Praise Taliban
--- April
2010: Karzai to lawmakers: 'I might join the Taliban' - Afghan leader
made threat twice at closed-door meeting, witnesses say
--- April
2010: Afghanistan: Rights Experts Have Doubts about Reconciliation with
Taliban
--- August
2009: Afghanistan Exit Strategy: Buying Off the Taliban? VP Biden Says
Only 5 Percent of Taliban are "Incorrigible," 70 Percent "are in it only
for the money"
--- March
2009: Obama Ponders Outreach to Elements of Taliban
--- October
2008: Afghanistan President Karzai Offers Taliban's Mullah Omar Safe
Passage and Taliban Positions in Afghanistan Government
--- September
2007: Taliban unveils hardline Afghan constitution as "Constitution of
the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" where "where women would remain
veiled and uneducated, 'un-Islamic thought' would be banned and human
rights would be ignored if 'contrary with the teachings of Islam'"
--- September
2007: Afghanistan President Karzai Offers to Meet with Taliban's Mullah
Omar and Offer Taliban Political Power
--- February
2007: Afghan assembly grants immunity for war crimes
May
6, 2010: Afghanistan: Woman dies in Taliban suicide bombing of Afghan
government offices
-- Afghanistan:
Kandahar woman's rights activist Roona Tahrin gets death threats from
Taliban, children see her "dead" in their dreams
-- Afghan
Woman Murdered as She Leaves Work
-- Afghanistan:
Women's rights are being forgotten
-- Kandahar's
street without women
-- A Year Ago - April
13, 2009: Afghan Woman Politician and Women's Rights Activist Killed in
Kandahar
-- Afghans
Question 'Good Taliban' Times Ahead
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Logistics and Map:
If you are taking the Washington DC subway (Metro), you should
exit at the Farragut West (Orange/Blue Lines), Farragut North (Red
Line), or McPherson Square (Orange/Blue Lines) metro
stops.
FARRAGUT WEST METRO STATION to WHITE HOUSE Walking Directions:
1. Exit station through 18TH & I (EYE) ST NW entrance. 2. Walk
approx. 1 block S on 18th St NW. 3. Turn left on Pennsylvania Ave NW. 4.
Walk approx. 3 blocks SE on Pennsylvania Ave NW.
FARRAGUT
NORTH METRO STATION to WHITE HOUSE Walking Directions: 1. Exit
station through CONNETICUT AVE & K ST NW entrance. 2. Walk a short
distance S on Connecticut Ave NW. 3. Walk straight on 17th St NW. 4.
Walk approx. 1 block S on 17th St NW. 5. Turn left on I St NW. 6. Walk a
short distance E on I St NW. 7. Turn right on Connecticut Ave NW. 8.
Walk approx. 1 block S on Connecticut Ave NW. 9. Bear right on Jackson
Pl NW. 10. Walk approx. 1 block S on Jackson Pl NW. 11. Turn left on
Pennsylvania Ave NW. 12. Walk approx. 1 block E on Pennsylvania Ave NW.
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