To President Karzai: withdraw new Shia family law

We, the undersigned, ask you to withdraw the Shia family law that would strip Afghan women and girls of their basic rights.  We are joining together with women's rights and human rights activists and organizations throughout the world to express our outrage over this abhorrent law.

Afghan women leaders in Parliament in the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission, and in non-profit organizations have been fighting the proposed law.

We beseech you to help ensure this law is not published that strips women and girls of their basic human rights and is in violation of the basic principles of Afghan's consititution for women's equality.

Withdraw the draconian law that would restrict women from leaving their homes, working, going to school and obtaining medical care without their husbands' permission. The law also includes provisions that grants child custody only to men and revokes women's rights to refuse sex with their husband.