Independent Women's Forum - Halima Karzai

Driving Courage in Baghdad

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:02:00 EST

Here is a Washington Post article about Iraqi women reclaiming their freedoms - including the freedom to drive.

The black-masked militias have vanished from most Baghdad streets, and the car bombings are down to one or two a day. So one recent afternoon, Hadeel Ahmed, a ponytailed college student in jeans, did something few Iraqi women have dared in recent years.

She drove a car.

"It bothers me to have to depend on my brother or father to take me everywhere," the 25-year-old student declared, after finishing a class at al-Riyadh Driving School. "I want to be independent."

Honor Killings in Iraq

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:22:00 EST

The Huffington Post has covered yet another story about the rise of honor killings in Iraq.

Thanksgiving Blasts

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 11:14:00 EST

IWF strongly condemns the terrorist attacks against India's financial capital in Mumbai and outside of the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan. These senseless attempts to create havoc in a prosperous nation like India and a nation long trying to root out terrorism like Afghanistan have been committed by the enemies of both nations and the West.

These inhumane attacks will only further unite India and Afghanistan and the international community to combat terrorism worldwide.

The Princess of the Hospital

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:20:00 EST

This little girl is one of millions in Afghanistan and one of the fortunate ones able to get medical attention.

The Beauty of Democracy

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:36:00 EST

The 2008 U.S. Presidential elections has shattered glass ceilings that previously seemed impenetrable. The candidacy of Senator Hillary Clinton for president and Governor Sarah Palin for vice president, and finally, the election of Barack Obama as President, were all groundbreaking. The world's reaction to President-elect Obama's win proved this to be not only a historical milestone for the U.S., but one for the entire world.

The U.S. has entered a new era and has yet again shown the beauty of democracy, where a government of the people, for the people, and by the people brings a sense of unified success and achievement. This election has shown that in the United States anyone who has the necessary skills and ability can win our nation's highest office, thereby turning dreams into reality for young girls and minorities.

The world saw the beauty and power of people having the right to choose their leader. The campaign was driven by thousands of volunteers who went door to door and made countless phone calls to support their candidate. All of this electioneering was done without the fear of being persecuted.

Many consider President-elect Obama's success as victory for African-Americans, but the world should recognize that all Americans can take pride in what this means for America as a land of opportunity. In Obama's victory speech, he addressed all Americans - "We as a people..." - reminding us and the world that we are all Americans, regardless of race, creed, religion, age, sex, and party affiliation. This sentiment of equality will hopefully trickle down to other nations who oppress their own people based on these factors.

In her acceptance speech at the Independent Women's Forum 2006 Women of Valor Award dinner, Dr. Condoleezza Rice was explicit when she said, "We understand, of course, that different peoples will build democracies that reflect their own cultures...they'll build democracies that reflect their own traditions and their own experiences, just as we in America did." Hopefully those nations who oppress ethnic minorities and women and who closely followed the U.S. elections will be able to see that respect for all is essential for the success and prosperity of their nation.

Women, in particular, are left out of the democratic process in too many parts of the world. Through our work with women in countries transitioning into democracy like Afghanistan and Iraq, IWF has witnessed the role women can play in stabilizing their nation, as women proudly walked out of polls with their index fingers marked blue, celebrating their ability to vote. While those women faced the threat of losing their life for casting a ballot, on January 20, 2009, the international community can see the peaceful transition that will take place in the U.S. between two administrations of different political parties and we will again show the world that we are proud of our peaceful democratic system.

One can hope that the tears of hope brought to the eyes of people in many parts of the world will translate into positive action and encourage many to challenge their own undemocratic governments.

This election has proven to the world that American people are tolerant and beyond divisive ideology. At the same time, we can't help but be moved by the world's jubilation, including those people who live in oppressed nations - who have seen through teary eyes the beauty of democracy.

At day's end, whether they voted for President-elect Obama or not, Americans will stand together behind their president with a common pride, hope, and love for their nation. The American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness will continue as will pride in our democratic process. And hopefully, as people witness how America is increasingly electing women and members of minority groups to high office, they will be inspired to embrace democratic principles.

President-elect Obama may intend just to unify America, but he may also create a new thirst for hope and democracy throughout the world.

Attack on Albino's

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:56:00 EST

Last week, the BBC reported a story about a man who attempted to sell his albino wife in Tanzania. According to the article, albino body parts are sought after due to a belief their body parts can make magic potions more effective.

In neighboring Burundi, a 6-year-old albino girl was found dead today with several of her body parts removed - believed to be for the same ritual purposes.

The girl, who was attacked on Sunday, was the sixth person with albinism to be killed in Burundi since September.

Armed attackers broke into the family home and tied up the girl's parents before shooting her in the head, local officials say.

They had been among a group of about 50 people with albinism to have fled to a provincial centre because they feared for her safety.

The head of the Burundi Albinos' Association, Kasim Kazungu, says people with albinism had not suffered any discrimination until other Burundians heard about the lucrative trade in albino body parts in neighbouring Tanzania.

Full story here.

Children Trafficked Forced to Become Soldiers

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:46:00 EST

The conflict in Congo is affecting children severely and the international community needs to be much more vocal about the use of children as soldiers. According to this BBC article, children are being kidnapped by rebel fighters and forced to fight against government forces. This form of human trafficking is all too common in conflict stricken nations.

In the last few months, fighting between the Congolese army and rebels has escalated, and more and more children are being kidnapped to bolster numbers amongst the various militia.

Jean Vierre was one of a group of 10 ambushed some two weeks ago.

He, his six classmates and three teachers were abducted in what appears to be a well-planned attempt to find new recruits.

"When we got to the camps, the rebels told to join the military forces. They took us and threw us in a hole. We were given military outfits and told we had to wear them," explains Jean Claude [not his real name].

Forced recruitment of child soldiers is nothing new in DR Congo, but Save the Children's Beverley Roberts believes the armed militia groups are now targeting entire schools or groups of students.

"We know that they're being used as porters, that's very clear. We have reports of children having to transport arms right now. That's very disturbing," she says.

"Unfortunately also you'll have the children sexually abused in these groups. Those are clearly some of the worst cases and then yes they are used as fighters, they might be trained as fighters - all sorts of uses. I mean you can only imagine."

Austrian Cellar Father Faces Murder Charge

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:51:00 EST

From the BBC:

The Austrian father who allegedly imprisoned and abused his daughter for 24 years has been charged with murdering one of their seven children.

Austrian prosecutors say the charges against Joseph Fritzl carry a prison sentence of 10 years to life.

Mr Fritzl is also charged with slavery and rape. If found guilty, he faces 20 years in jail on those charges.

Mr Fritzl fathered seven children with his daughter Elisabeth, now aged 42, in a cellar at his home in Amstetten, west of Vienna.

Three of them grew up in the cellar - without ever seeing daylight - while three others were brought up by Mr Fritzl's wife.

Now prosecutors have levelled charges at him over the death of the seventh child, a baby born in the underground chamber.

"Despite recognising the baby's life-threatening situation, he deliberately decided not to intervene," prosecutors said in the charge sheet against Mr Fritzl.

He has told police that he took the body of the child and incinerated it in a furnace.

Elisabeth Fritzl disappeared in August 1984, when, police say, her father lured her downstairs, drugged her and handcuffed her before locking her up.

DNA tests have shown Mr Fritzl - who has allegedly told a psychiatrist he was "born to rape" - is the father of Elisabeth's surviving children.

Acid attack on Afghan school girls

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:18:00 EST

This story is a bitter reminder that the enemies of prosperity, democracy, education, human and women's rights are as strong now as they were before. Despite this and similar atrocious acts committed against the advancement of Afghanistan, the Afghan people continue to prove themselves resilient. Their hope for a better Afghanistan continues even as they sacrifice their men, children, and women for a better future.

From the BBC:

Attackers in Afghanistan have sprayed acid in the faces of at least 15 girls near a school in Kandahar, police say.

They say the attack happened shortly before at least six people were killed in a bomb blast near a government building in the city.

Doctors say the six girls were wearing Islamic burkas or veils which provided them with some protection.

Correspondents say the attack is likely to have been carried out by those opposed to the education of women.

A spokesman for the Taleban denied involvement in the attack.

The former Taleban government - ousted from power in 2001 - banned girls from attending school.

'Not safe'

"We were going to school on foot when two unknown people on a motorcycle came close to us and threw acid in our faces," 16-year-old Atifa told the BBC.

"I want to ask the government why they cannot protect us, we girls want to study but the government is not helping us. We want better security."

She said the attack took place on Wednesday morning outside the Mirwais Nika Girls High School.

Officials say that two attackers used a toy gun to spray the acid and fled as soon as people came to the assistance of the girls.

Atifa said she did not know why anyone would have attacked her and the others.

"I don't know why they did it," she said. "Kandahar is not safe. But we can't stay at home, we want an education."

The BBC's Ian Pannell in Kabul says the incident has shocked ordinary Afghans.

Nato-led forces in Afghanistan condemned the attack as cowardly.

Female Genital Mutilation

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:25:00 EST

Cosmetic procedures like labiaplasty and vaginoplasty, done to improve the female genitalia's cosmetic appearance are the latest trend for Western women and are typically done to enhance the woman's self-esteem. These procedures of choice are a stark contrast to what millions of young girls and women endure in societies where it is culturally mandatory for a much more invasive and life threatening procedure known as female genital mutilation.

Female genital mutilation (also known as female circumcision) is classified into four types by the World Health Organization (WHO) and each involves the removal or alteration of the female genitalia. These types include the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia-which is scraped off by a non professional, for example, with a piece of broken glass, a tin lid, a razor or another sharp cutting tool. Annually, an estimated two million girls are affected and an estimated 135 million have already undergone the ritual. Many women who have been tightly sewn have to be cut and restitched after giving birth to a child.

The practice causes a range of severe sexual, psychological, and health ramifications. According to the WHO, long term physical consequences can include: recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections, cysts, infertility, the need for later surgeries, and an increased risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths.

While illegal in many countries, the practice still occurs regularly without interference from authorities. FGM is carried out in over 25 countries in Africa, with Somalia and Sudan performing the most severe types. It is also practiced in Asia, the Middle East, and has reportedly been carried out by immigrant communities in Western nations-including the United States.

The practice is frequently carried out without anesthetics and is most commonly performed on girls who are between four and eight years old. In some cases the girls are as young as newborns. FGM occurs primarily because of cultural and/or religious customs and traditions. In some cultures, unless a girl undergoes the procedure, she is not considered an adult or woman. Further justification by FGM advocates are that it makes women clean, promotes virginity and chastity, and guards young girls from sexual frustration by deadening their sexual appetite.

Fatima Ali was circumcised at age 13 in Egypt and experienced grave complications which included severe pain years later during childbirth. She refuses to allow her two daughters to undergo the procedure despite facing criticism in her village. She has stood her ground saying, "I don't care what everyone thinks. I was really harmed, and I didn't want this for my daughters. When I talk about my experience, many become convinced."

Awareness groups are trying to spread the word on FGM's effects and highlighting how the practice is internationally recognized as a violation of girls' and women's human rights. Several African women's organizations have discussed the detrimental effects of female circumcision to the governments of African nations who have in turn made the practice illegal.

Involving locals in educational programs on the health, social, and legal ramifications of FGM is central to curbing the practice. Local initiatives that raise awareness about the dangers of female genital mutilation are a viable solution for societies where cultural background and sensitivity is necessary in discouraging parents from the practice. In some cultures where several girls are initiated in groups as part of a passage to womanhood or marriage and where celebrations and festivities occur, locals, such as physicians, religious leaders, and women who have undergone the procedure have succeeded in FGM eradication by informing communities of its dangers and by continuing to initiate girls into womanhood during similar festivities but without the practice of female genital mutilation.

The progress being made on raising awareness is increasing and should encourage the international community to support the grassroots work of locals who are adamantly working to eliminate the practice. By spreading knowledge about this life threatening procedure through educational programs, counseling, and by involving local law enforcement to ensure adherence to laws, we can help stop this practice.

U.S. Student Detained in Iran

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:29:00 EST

Esha Momeni has been detained in Tehran's notorious Esvin prison since mid-October on charges of being a threat to Iran's national security.

Click here for full story.

Stoning of a 13-year-old

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:18:00 EST

IWF strongly condemns the barbaric stoning of Asha Dhuhulow, a 13 year old Somali girl who was buried up to her neck in front of hundreds of people while stones were hurled at her head. She was dragged out of the hole three times to confirm her death.

"The stoning was totally irreligious and illogical," said her sister, who asked not to be named. "Islam does not execute a woman for adultery unless four witnesses and the man with whom she committed sex are brought forward publicly."

It has actually been determined that the young girl was a victim of a gang rape and the Islamic militiamen in her town accused her of adultery and sentenced her to be stoned. Now she lays murdered -- having been victimized twice.

Stoning is a grave and serious violation of International Human Rights Law. Stoning breeches the International Convention of Civil and Political Rights (1966). Somalia acceded to the convention in 1990.

Stoning is not mentioned anywhere in the Quran and is considered by many respected Muslim scholars to be un-Islamic. Many Muslim states such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Tunisia, Algeria and others have banned death by stoning. Despite calls for abolition from around the globe, stoning still occurs in several countries, either under law or by the community.

This act must be condemned by the entire international community and action should be taken to protect women throughout the world who are falling victim to stoning. Pressure must be placed on the Somali government to have all those with a hand in this gruesome act to be prosecuted.

Coping with FGM in the U.S.

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:14:00 EST

The Washington Post has written an excellent piece on female genital mutilation and how immigrant women in the U.S. are coping with this devastating and horrific 2000 year old tradition.

The stories stretch back to villages in North and West Africa, where tribal traditions include various rites to protect family honor. For generations, mothers there have passed on the practice of genital circumcision to their daughters, believing it will make them respectable and chaste for marriage.

The stories leap to present-day America, where foreign-born victims of forced circumcision have been allowed to apply for political asylum since a landmark immigration ruling in 1996, but where, in the past year, some immigration courts have been trying to narrow the grounds on which they can receive legal sanctuary.

Only a few hundred women have sought or won such asylum claims. A handful live quietly in the Washington area, working in hospitals and offices and beauty salons. All carry deep physical and mental wounds.

"I was 7. They put a large fabric on the floor. There were about 50 other girls there, too. The people danced and beat drums. The grown-ups held me down. My mother was screaming, but they beat her and held her away. Then they cut me and I was bleeding. It hurt and I was crying and bleeding and crawling. I crawled for a whole week."

One African-born Tahirih client described how relatives accused her of bringing a curse on the family by refusing to circumcise her daughter, then tried to kidnap the girl and exorcize her to remove the curse. Another client said the day her husband died, his tribe planned to force her to marry his brother and circumcise her daughter. She said she barely escaped with help from relatives.

Even when such women obtain legal sanctuary in the United States, experts say they often feel isolated and depressed -- separated from the families and cultures that raised them, and unable to find confidantes in a new foreign society.

Full article.

Child Trafficking Bust by FBI

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:01:00 EDT

Read about the most recent FBI child prostitution/sex trafficking breakup that has led to the rescue of over 40 children in 29 U.S. cities.

Groper goes to jail

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:21:00 EDT

Sexual harassment in Egypt has been an ongoing phenomenon for years and violators haven't received any serious repercussion for their actions until just this week. A man in Cairo, Egypt has been sentenced to three years imprisonment for groping a passerby from his van. The verdict received a rather pleasing response from women's rights activists in Egypt who believe the verdict has set an example so that other men can think twice before sexually harassing a woman.

A survey released this year by the Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights found that 98 percent of foreign women in Egypt and 83 percent of Egyptian women had experienced some kind of sexual harassment. But few women had attempted to file charges, citing a lack of confidence in the police and the judicial system. Women often decide not to report harassment out of concern for their reputations, activists say.

While no laws in Egypt specifically ban harassment, cases can be brought under various existing laws, Ms. Ostaz said. "The problem is that women aren't taking advantage of the laws we have," she said. "Unless we insist on our rights, and say no, and at least ask for help, or get him to the police station, things won't change."

Click here for the full the New York Times article.

Escaping Servitude in Seattle, WA

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:52:00 EDT

Although rarely heard about, bringing young girls to the United States as child brides is a common practice. Girls as young as 14 and 15 are married to men three to four times their age and brought into the country as a relative or spouse but have documents forged for authorities declaring they are 18 or older. Many of these young girls are deprived of an education and even from learning English. Once they arrive, they are used as domestic slaves by the husband and his family. Living in the West, we recognize the inhumanity of such a scenario but for someone sold by their family to a man who lives in a developed country, they consider themselves to be blessed and fortunate.

The Associated Press has just covered the story of an Afghan girl in Seattle, WA escaping servitude.

Five Seattle-area immigrants from Afghanistan enslaved a teenage girl they brought to the U.S., with some forcing her to do chores and one - her 37-year-old husband - beating and sexually assaulting her, according to a federal indictment unsealed this week.

The girl is from an impoverished single-parent home in Afghanistan, and she was informally adopted by another family there that forced her to marry at age 13 in 2005, Emily Langlie, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office, said Thursday. The girl's husband is Mohammad Atahee, a friend of the adoptive family; U.S. officials don't recognize the marriage.

Full story here.

Alleviating Poverty by Investing in Women

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:15:00 EDT

While tomorrow is World Poverty Day, poverty is not an issue that should only be highlighted for one day. Christine Grumm has written an excellent piece in the Christian Science Monitor on the importance and necessity of investing in women globally to help alleviate poverty. This undoubtedly requires continued investment, devotion and perseverance by the international community.

Those familiar with the issue of poverty might know that although women perform two-thirds of the world's unpaid labor and grow more than half the world's food, they represent 70 percent of those living in poverty.

But what is just coming into focus is that women represent an underutilized resource in alleviating that poverty. When government and philanthropic dollars are invested in financially disadvantaged women, the potential impact is vast.

Research shows that investing in women's education and leadership in Africa can increase agricultural yields by more than 20 percent there. It is estimated that for every year beyond fourth grade that girls attend school, their wages rise 21 percent. And in 2001 the United Nations reported that eliminating gender inequality in Latin America would increase national output by 5 percent.

On top of that, evidence from micro-credit lending indicates that women have superior repayment rates, invest more productively, and are more risk-averse than men in similar situations.

A hallmark of this work - and key to its effectiveness - is empowering women living in poverty to help direct funding, and to take leadership in the programs it makes possible.

Click here for full article.

"Breaking the Veils: Women Artists of the Islamic World"

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:54:00 EDT

An art exhibit in Hattiesburg, Mississippi called "Breaking the Veils: Women Artists of the Islamic World," hopes to break stereotypes of women in the Muslim world. The exhibit features work by 52 women from 21 countries.

The two-month event combines town and gown, partnering the University of Southern Mississippi's College of Arts and Letters, City of Hattiesburg and Hattiesburg Convention and Visitors Bureau.

As its name suggests, the exhibit seeks to counter an image of women in the Islamic world as cloistered and voiceless. Mark Rigsby, Southern Miss Museum of Art assistant director and exhibit curator, said visitors will see self-taught and formally educated artists, expressing themselves in a rich assortment of media, including painting, drawings and photography.

Sayre, an assistant professor in the International Development program who has studied Middle Eastern economics extensively, played a central role in bringing the exhibit to the university.

Sayre states that the diversity of artwork may surprise viewers accustomed to other visual representations of the Islamic world.

"We may think we have an understanding of the Islamic world through images we see on CNN, but by taking those images as a uniform picture, we are actually stereotyping and misunderstanding."

One common misunderstanding, he said "is that there is a lack of freedom in the Islamic world; that women have a uniformly sheltered existence. While that describes the experience of some - for instance the Taliban in Afghanistan which has some of the severest restrictions on forms of expression - it doesn't apply to, say, Tunisia, where women outnumber men in universities seven to five."

Sayre believes the exhibit will help people gain a deeper understanding of women's diverse and complex lives in an Islamic world that ranges from Morocco in the west to Indonesia in the east.

"By observing their rich forms of artistic expression, we get a sense of their breadth of their experiences," he said.

To read more about the exhibit, participants and the overall experience of those who attended, click here.

IWF Podcast: Child Brides

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:24:00 EDT

Allison Kasic and Halima Karzai discuss the problem of child brides.

DC-area teen slave finally gets justice

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:35:00 EDT

The DC Examiner has covered a story of a Germantown, Maryland couple who smuggled a young Nigerian girl 12 years ago into the U.S. using their daughter's passport. Typical of the inhumanity and abuse trafficked victims endure, the young girl was subjected to rape and forced labor by the couple. Such stories are a reminder of why individuals living in the U.S. should gain greater knowledge about human trafficking and highlights the fact that victims are in places we least expect them.

A Nigerian man was sentenced to more than eight years in prison Tuesday on charges that he smuggled a teen into the country so that he and his wife could use the girl as their slave.

George Udeozor, 52, had fled to his native Nigeria after police raided his Germantown home in 2001, authorities said. He and his wife, Adaobi Stella Udeozor, a Montgomery County physician, were accused of smuggling the girl in from their native country by using their daughter's passport in 1996. They told the girl that they planned to adopt her.

Instead, they held her as a slave, prosecutors charged. She was ordered to cook and clean and to baby-sit for the Udeozors' six children. The girl also was forced to work in Adaobi Udeozor's Optimum Care Medical Clinic. The girl, unidentified in court papers, also was repeatedly raped by George Udeozor, officials alleged.

After years of abuse, the girl called police in 2001, according to court records. George Udeozor fled the country, leaving his estranged wife to face trial on her own. She was sentenced to more than seven years in prison. Both Udeozors were ordered to pay the girl more than $110,000 each as restitution.

George Udeozor was extradited from Nigeria in February and pleaded guilty shortly thereafter.

Andrea Powell, is the executive director of the Fair Fund, a D.C.-based anti-trafficking group. She said that up to 30 women are rescued from the sex trade every month, Powell said. And sex workers are only a fraction of those smuggled, Powell said.

"The problem is these people don't just walk down the street asking for help," Powell said. "One of the challenges in the District is that there is no specific law to address trafficking."

Udeozor is at least the third person convicted of human smuggling in the D.C. region in the past six months, Powell.

New film on human trafficking

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:26:00 EDT

A new "rockumentary" called Call+Response exposes the dehumanizing effects of human trafficking. The film targets a younger audience and features celebrities working to raise awareness about human trafficking.

Amb. Mark Lagon calls it, "a superb outreach tool, especially to young people". The film's popularity in its opening week will determine the length of its screening schedule and its potential to reach a broader audience. To maximize its viability and ensure it is shown in the most theaters possible, film makers encourage you to buy tickets online.

The film's producer and director, Justin Dillon, mobilized the music industry to draw attention to the dehumanizing nature of trafficking. All the money earned will go towards funding field projects to address forms of trafficking.

Click here for the trailer and make an effort to see this movie with friends and family.

Releasing Nationally:

OCT 10: SAN FRANCISCO, PORTLAND, SEATTLE, REDWOOD CITY, LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY, SAN JOSE, AUSTIN, DENVER, ATLANTA, NASHVILLE, BOSTON, WASHINGTON DC,
OCT 17: SAN DIEGO, DALLAS, MINNEAPOLIS, CHICAGO

DC theatres:

E Street Cinema: October 9, 13, 14, 15 & 16
Arlington Cinema ‘N' Drafthouse: October 10-16

FOR MORE INFORMATION & TICKETS GO TO WWW.CALLANDRESPONSE.COM

Suspected "Mother" of female suicide bombers captured

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:53:00 EDT

From AFP:

Iraqi forces arrested on Tuesday a woman suspected of heading up the recruitment of female suicide bombers in Iraq, including that of a teenager caught at a market recently with explosives strapped to her waist.

"Ibitisma Odwan was arrested by our forces," defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said.

He said police had caught the 38-year-old woman dubbed "Mother Fatima" in Hommadi village in Baquba's east side after a tip-off.

"The Al-Qaeda woman was responsible for training girl suicide bombers," Askari said, adding that she had been directly involved in the training of 15-year-old Rania Ibrahim.

Rania, who claimed she was drugged and tricked by her husband and two women into wearing an explosives belt, was arrested in late August at the crowded central Baquba market carrying 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of explosives.

Her shocking case threw the spotlight on Al-Qaeda's methods in the recruitment of young women to their cause.

Baquba, the capital of Diyala province, is one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq. Insurgent groups and Al-Qaeda have continued launching attacks there despite a massive military crackdown by US and Iraqi forces.

A number of attacks there, especially suicide bombings, have been carried out by women.

Child Brides: One Family's Burden Becoming Another Man's Wife

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:20:00 EDT

Throughout the world, marriages are greeted with celebration, from wedding cakes and party favors to fine clothes and flower bouquets. Yet when a member of the wedding party is still a child, the occasion is cause for concern, not applause. Children's rights activists estimate that there are more than 50 million girls under the age of 18 who are married throughout the world. From the girls as young as 14 married off at the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Texas to ones sold off because of poverty in Africa, over 100 million young girls will be married as children in the next decade.

These children are known as child brides. While marriage under the age of 18 is unlawful in many countries, according to the United Nations Population Fund, child marriage is practiced in a quarter of all nations. Because it is virtually impossible to eliminate the tradition, millions of girls worldwide endure and undergo traumatic psychological and physical abuse by becoming a child bride, in some countries as early as 4 and 5 years old.

Many children are forced into marriage due to poverty, family pressure, and culture. Often they are compelled to marry men several times their age who have had many sexual partners, exposing them to severe health risks.

The practice, prevalent in relatively high numbers in South Asia and West Africa, and to a lesser degree, in Latin America and the Caribbean, is a serious violation of human rights. It forces children to take on responsibilities for which they are physically and psychologically unprepared. Further many are forced to marry and have no control over the choice of their husband.

At almost 77 percent, Niger has the highest recorded percentage in the world of marriages that occur before girls reach the age of 18. Researchers at the Population Council have indicated that "approximately one out of seven girls in the developing world (excluding China) marries before their fifteenth birthday." In Amhara, Ethiopia, over 50 percent of girls are married before the age of 15.

There are many reasons for this practice. Many cultures place great importance on the girl's "purity," referring to her virginity. Young marriage eases the fear of potential illicit relationships. Early marriages are also used as a social alliance or transaction between families. Some families marry off their girls to help ease the effects of poverty. This however, contributes to an ongoing cycle of poverty. Compared to unmarried girls, child brides tend to remain in poverty.

Child brides' access to education is either eliminated or reduced, and in developing countries, they face health complications leading to death from premature pregnancy, child bearing, and are exposed to the increased likeliness of contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Young brides are also vulnerable to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse by their husband and/or relatives.

In some cultures, girls who escape abuse by running away become prey to honor killings. Their male relatives perceive the woman's decision to flee as a shame to the family. Other times, these escaped child brides can fall prey to or are lured into the sex trade by people who offer them safety and better living conditions.

Attempting to improve and curb early marriage for girls is a mission that requires education not only for children on the harms caused by early marriage but for their parents as well. Education has proved to decrease child marriage in many societies. For example, in India, secondary education has reduced child marriages by up to two-thirds.

Advocating for an end to child marriage on a grassroots level by engaging local communities and the implementation of existing laws designed to prevent the marriage of children must be made a priority. Perhaps the greatest key to changing this practice which is deeply entrenched in many cultures is engagement among nations and continued development, particularly focusing on young girls who are already married.

If it's not one thing, it's always another

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:32:00 EDT

The ludicrous restrictions Saudi women may have to worry about now is going out in public exposing only one eye for fear that their eye makeup will "seduce" men.

The BBC reports:

A Muslim cleric in Saudi Arabia has called on women to wear a full veil, or niqab, that reveals only one eye.

Sheikh Muhammad al-Habadan said showing both eyes encouraged women to use eye make-up to look seductive.

The question of how much of her face a woman should cover is a controversial topic in many Muslim societies.

The niqab is more common in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, but women in much of the Muslim Middle East wear a headscarf which covers only their hair.

Sheikh Habadan, an ultra-conservative cleric who is said to have wide influence among religious Saudis, was answering questions on the Muslim satellite channel al-Majd.

The Sheikh needs more than a lesson or two in Islam 101 - even God hasn't ordained women to cover their faces and actually prohibits it when Muslim women make their pilgrimage to the Kabba in Mecca. It's unnerving to even ponder what other type of ignorance will be breed within such Wahabi misogynists.

Banning the ban on driving

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:20:00 EDT

Saudi women have again defied laws set by the Saudi authorities that oppress women and have no basis in Islam (like many of their laws) - a ban on driving.

AFP reports a 20 year old Saudi women and her friend were injured in a car crash while out for a joy ride.

The driving ban was formally established in 1990. Recently, Saudi women activists have lobbied for a lift on the ban while some activists have also challenged authorities by taking to city streets in their cars.