dear salim, I really doubt whether anti-imperialism whether anti-imperialism is synonymous with secular and modern!!!
damodar On 5/6/08, salimtk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > the poeple/ parties who proclaim saddam the champion of anti-imperialism > should realize that this is the society and generations, he has been > preserving intact underneath his iron fist 'modern/ secular' rule > > On 5/6/08, Afthab Ellath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/83710/ > > > > > > *Women Are Being Beheaded for Taking Their Veil Off": Honor Killings On > > Rise in Iraq* > > > > At first glance Shawbo Ali Rauf appears to be slumbering on the grass, > > her pale brown curls framing her face, her summer skirt spread about her. > > But the awkward position of her limbs and the splattered blood reveal the > > true horror of the scene. > > > > The 19-year-old Iraqi was, according to her father, murdered by her own > > in-laws, who took her to a picnic area in Dokan and shot her seven times. > > Her crime was to have an unknown number on her mobile phone. Her "honor > > killing" is just one in a grotesque series emerging from Iraq, where > > activists speak of a "genocide" against women in the name of religion. > > > > In the latest such case, it was reported yesterday that a 17-year-old > > girl, Rand Abdel-Qader, was stabbed to death last month by her father for > > becoming infatuated with a British soldier serving in southern Iraq. > > > > In Basra alone, police acknowledge that 15 women a month are murdered > > for breaching Islamic dress codes. Campaigners insist it is a conservative > > figure. > > > > Violence against women is rampant, rising every day with the power of > > the militias. Beheadings, rapes, beatings, suicides through self-immolation, > > genital mutilation, trafficking and child abuse masquerading as marriage of > > girls as young as nine are all on the increase. > > > > Du'a Khalil Aswad, 17, from Nineveh, was executed by stoning in front of > > mob of 2,000 men for falling in love with a boy outside her Yazidi tribe. > > Mobile phone images of her broken body transmitted on the internet led to > > sectarian violence, international outrage and calls for reform. Her father, > > Khalil Aswad, speaking one year after her death in April last year, has > > revealed that none of those responsible had been prosecuted and his family > > remained "outcasts" in their own tribe. > > > > "My daughter did nothing wrong," he said. "She fell in love with a > > Muslim and there is nothing wrong with that. I couldn't protect her because > > I got threats from my brother, the whole tribe. They insisted they were gong > > to kill us all, not only Du'a, if she was not killed. She was mutilated, her > > body dumped like rubbish. > > > > "I want those who committed this act to be punished but so far they have > > not, they are free. Honor killing is murder. This is a barbaric act." > > > > Despite the outrage, recent calls by the Kurdish MP Narmin Osman to > > outlaw honour killings have been blocked by fundamentalists. "Honor killings > > are not actually a crime in the eyes of the government," said Houzan > > Mahmoud, who has had a fatwa on her head since raising a petition against > > the introduction of sharia law in Kurdistan. "If before there was one > > dictator persecuting people, now almost everyone is persecuting women. > > > > "In the past five years it is has got [much] worse. It is difficult to > > described how terrible it is, how badly we have been pushed back to the dark > > ages. Women are being beheaded for taking their veil off. Self immolation is > > rising -- women are left with no choice. There is no government body or > > institution to provide any sort of support. Sharia law is being used to > > underpin government rule, denying women their most basic human rights." > > > > In August last year, the body of 11-year-old Sara Jaffar Nimat was found > > in Khanaqin, Kurdistan, after she had been stoned and burnt to death. > > Earlier this month, two brothers and a sister were kidnapped from their home > > near Kirkuk by gunmen in police uniforms. The brothers were beaten to death > > and the woman left in a critical condition after being informed that she > > must obey the rules of an "Islamic state". One week ago, a journalist, > > Begard Huseein, was murdered in her home in Arbil, northern Iraq. Her > > husband, Mohammed Mustafa, stabbed her because she was in love with another > > man, according to local reports. > > > > The stoning death of Ms. Aswad led to the establishment of an Internal > > Ministry unit in Kurdistan to combat violence against women. It reported > > that last year in Sulaymaniyah, a city of 1 million people, there were 407 > > reported offences, beheadings, beatings, deaths through "family problems", > > and threats of honor killings. Rape is not included as most women are too > > fearful to report it for fear of retribution. Nevertheless, police in > > Karbala recently revealed 25 reports of rape. > > > > The new Iraqi constitution, according to Mrs. Mahmoud, is a mass of > > confusing contradictions. While it states that men and women are equal under > > law it also decrees that sharia law -- which considers one male witness > > worth two females -- must be observed. The days when women could hold down > > key jobs or enjoy any freedom of movement are long gone. The fundamentalists > > have sent out too many chilling messages. In Mosul two years ago, eight > > women were beheaded in a terror campaign. > > > > "It was really, really horrifying," said Mrs. Mahmoud. "Honor killings > > and murder are widespread. Thousands [of people] … have become victims of > > murder, violence and rape -- all backed by laws, tribal customs and > > religious rules. We urge the international community, the government to > > condemn this barbaric practice, and help the women of Iraq." > > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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