tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35315805.post1312015142684397477..comments2024-01-12T18:27:33.795-05:00Comments on Exercise in Futility: UPDATED: My E-mail to the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs re: Rand Abdel-QaderTommykeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14751182125861177379noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35315805.post-59188684089858495582008-05-14T15:40:00.000-04:002008-05-14T15:40:00.000-04:00Tommy, it's really lovely to come across your blog...Tommy, it's really lovely to come across your blog and see you do more than just complain about these crimes.<BR/><BR/>Some other suggestions for people who might want to act:<BR/><BR/>1. Write to your congressional representatives and the president about your concerns and tell them you want some meaningful portion (25% or more?) of our aid to such countries to be tied to concrete, measurable, sustainable improvements in human rights. We are part of the problem, because we fund some of these regimes.<BR/><BR/>2. While you're at it, ask what is being done to enforce all the international human rights agreements and covenants some of these countries have signed with us. Last time I looked, Jordan, for example, was in violation of 17 of them, just on dishonor killings alone. Where is the enforcement, and why are we consistently choosing partners that don't hold up their ends of the bargain?<BR/><BR/>3. I'm wondering how bad it has to get before the international community does for the women of the world what it did for blacks in South Africa during apartheid. Economic sanctions worked very well in that situation. We boycotted companies that did business with South Africa, and that went a long way toward breaking the scourge of apartheid.<BR/><BR/>Ellen R. Sheeley, Author<BR/>"Reclaiming Honor in Jordan"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35315805.post-71430038456002454732008-05-14T10:10:00.000-04:002008-05-14T10:10:00.000-04:00Very good letter.Very good letter.tina FCDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10037896362034609151noreply@blogger.com