Category: Women’s Rights Matter

Overtures to Taliban endanger women’s rights: activist
— Orzala Ashraf of the Afghans Women’s Network: “It was very disappointing to
hear the president of Afghanistan and most of the speakers this morning not
discussing the importance of women’s rights enough, when it comes to the reconciliation part of Afghanistan’s development”

Taleban-style law for women in Afghanistan is dropped after outcry
— Afghanistan ‘rape’ law puts women’s rights front and center
— President Obama Calls New Women-Oppressing Afghan Law “Abhorrent” — But Suggests It Won’t Change US Mission

Spain: Mother sentenced to 17 years for forced marriage
— “According to the girl her father threatened her that she would be stoned, and that he would throw the first stone.”
—- March 12, 2009: A forced marriage stirs emotions in Spain, Mauritania
—– Selamha Mint Mohammed: “my parents told me they would kill me, burn me or slit my throat”

—– Additional report

(Afghanistan) Hamid Karzai signs law ‘legalizing rape in marriage’
— “President Hamid Karzai has signed a law the UN says legalizes rape in marriage and prevents women from leaving the house without permission”
— ‘Worse than the Taliban’ – new law rolls back rights for Afghan women

(India) Rape victim converts to Islam to marry accused
— “The mother of the accused had approached the victim and put pressure on her for the marriage.”

A Universal Doctrine of Women’s Rights – by Phyllis Chesler and NOW’s Marcia Pappas
“It is time for feminists, both women and men, of all faiths, and of no faith, to stand together for a woman’s right not to be murdered in the name of family honor. Indeed, we welcome men and women of all faiths, including Islam, to stand with us against female genital mutilation/castration, forced veiling, child marriage, arranged marriage, polygamy, and ‘honorcide,’ and in favor of a woman’s right to live as a westerner in the West without being threatened and beaten for refusing to wear hijab, wanting to have non-Muslim friends, wear makeup, attend college, drive her own car, or end an abusive marriage. Muslim and Sikh women have been honor murdered in North America for all these alleged crimes against their religion and their culture.”

Read it all…

Turkey: Eyes gouged out, tongue cut off, remains in a bag. The dirty secret of Turkey’s honour killings
— “There’s a local saying where she’s from — you go to your husband’s house in your wedding dress and you’ll only ever leave in your death shroud.”

(India) Arrests in “honor killing” murder of 16 year old Muslim girl
— “They have confirmed the claims of other accused Asim and Arif that Imrana’s father had asked them to straighten his daughter as one Irfan used to visit her frequently.”
— original reports
http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Villagers-burn-girl-alive-in.5103494.jp
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Lucknow/16-year-old-burnt-in-Gzb-honour-killing/articleshow/4311952.cms

— for having relationship with a boy…

News report
— “Four residents of her village in Ghaziabad, north India, allegedly set
the 16-year-old Muslim girl alight after they suspected her of having a relationship with a boy.”
— “Police claim residents kept a vigil on her house as they noticed the boy
visited her frequently when her father was away. The four men then beat her, doused her with kerosene and set her on fire.”
— Times of India Report: “The victim had screamed for help for about 20 minutes before neighbours arrived only to find her still smoldering”

(Turkey) Today’s Zaman: “Media help escalate honor killings, study reveals”
— Turkish parents blame the “media” for “honor killings,” claim stories are not “impartial”
— “the study also showed that 26.2 percent of the parents and 25.9 percent of the students said they support such killings”