Independent Women's Forum - Research Areas > Foreign Policy and International Relations

Kuwaiti Women Determined to Win in a Man's World

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:50:00 EDT

With parliamentary elections less than 24-hours away, Kuwaiti women are determined to win seats based on merit. They serve as a great model for neighboring Saudi Arabia where women don't even have the right to vote.

Whether swathed in Islamic veils or dressed in Western suits, Kuwaiti women are campaigning hard to win parliamentary seats in Saturday's election.

They failed to take any at the last vote in 2006 and once again face an uphill struggle attracting voters in a conservative and male-dominated Gulf Arab state.

"There are a lot of challenges but there is also a positive wave... voters think why not try women? We tried men for years," said Rola Dashti, one of 27 women running against 246 men.

Kuwait's 50-member National Assembly passed a law in 2005 granting women the right to vote and run for office for the first time since its creation in 1962.

Some have suggested introducing a quota for women in the assembly, a system already in place in several Arab countries.

But many women are opposed to such positive discrimination and would prefer to win on merit, even if it takes years.

Hessah Mohammed, another female voter, said: "God willing women will enter the parliament. If there are qualified and capable women ... women will win."

Click here for more.

Women Working to Demine Sudan

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:11:00 EDT

The Washington Post featured a remarkable article on Sudanese women who have taken on a mission to demine their country.

Seven months pregnant Opayi Mary stands half a meter away from a mine made expressly to blow anything over 3 kg to pieces. For her, it's just part of a day's work.
Mary leads an all-female team of deminers working for Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) in one of south Sudan's most dangerous areas: the civil war battlefield Mile 38.

The war, fought over ideology and ethnicity and fuelled by oil, killed 2 million people and displaced 4 million before a peace deal was signed in 2005.

Now, south Sudan's semi-autonomous government, which will hold a referendum on secession in 2011, is trying to rebuild a region where even the most basic infrastructure is lacking.

Clearing the thousands of mines is an important part of efforts to rebuild the devastated region, where mined roads have made travel and transport of goods difficult.

"I was so afraid of my first one," Mary admits. Two years later she is now in charge of her group's safety and for exploding the mines taken from this empty scrubland.

"Now I have taken more than 20. I can even hold them with my hand," Mary grins. She is short and seems all burgeoning bump but walks fast between cordoned off areas.

Under Mary's watch, Joanne Jenty slides a prong into a marked-out area in front of her that she has already wetted. In the hot silence of the bush and on her hands and knees, she is feeling for the side of a mine that she will then delicately unearth.

People used to live along this major trade route but have been slow to return since the war ended, deterred by a lack of infrastructure, worries of a return to fighting and the lines of hidden explosives buried just inches under the earth's surface.

The UN Mine Action Office, which coordinates demining projects run by dozens of groups, says more than 2,000 people have been killed or injured by mines since the end of the war. The cost for farmers and communities is incalculable, it says.

So far, Mary's team and another NPA team have removed 205 antipersonnel mines and 96 anti-tank mines from around the main road that links neighboring Uganda to Juba, the capital of a vast and wild region that still has no large commercial farming or factories.

For Mary, who feels her baby move as she works, the job just has to be done, inch by grueling inch in prickling grass.

"We have to work hard to develop our country, even if it is hard," she said. "We have to clear. For my children and for others."

Mary initially wanted to be a doctor but could not afford the training. But her pragmatic mind has adapted well to clearing contaminated earth.

A WOMAN'S TOUCH

According to Lado Victor, from Norwegian People's Aid, women learn demining techniques as quickly as men but follow procedures more vigorously. The only complication is pregnancy.

Southerners have traditionally raised large families with up to 10 children, and since the war there is a social consensus on the need to repopulate. At any one time, a handful of the 25-woman team are pregnant, Victor explained.

The women used to have in-camp sitters who would look after the babies while they were in the minefields. But the sudden appearance of a rabid dog from the wilderness encouraged NPA to enforce longer maternity leave.

Mary will eventually leave her child with her mother in a nearby town. She admits that especially since she became pregnant for the first time there has been growing pressure on her to stop what many in the traditionally conservative south see as masculine and dangerous labor.

"A lot of people tell my husband he should stop me," she said. "I just don't mind it," she adds.

Click here to read the full article.

What do Muslims say?

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:34:00 EST

A recent Gallup poll did an in depth survey on what Muslims around the world actually think about a variety of issues, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks and radicalism.

The survey, conducted by the Gallup polling agency over six years and three continents, seeks to dispel the belief held by some in the West that Islam itself is the driving force of radicalism.

It shows that the overwhelming majority of Muslims condemned the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001 and other subsequent terrorist attacks, the authors of the study said in Washington.

But the study, which Gallup says surveyed a sample equivalent to 90 percent of the world's Muslims, showed that widespread religiosity "does not translate into widespread support for terrorism," said Mogahed, director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies.

About 93 percent of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims are moderates and only seven percent are politically radical, according to the poll, based on more than 50,000 interviews.

In majority Muslim countries, overwhelming majorities said religion was a very important part of their lives -- 99 percent in Indonesia, 98 percent in Egypt, 95 percent in Pakistan.

But only seven percent of the billion Muslims surveyed -- the radicals -- condoned the attacks on the United States in 2001, the poll showed.

Moderate Muslims interviewed for the poll condemned the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington because innocent lives were lost and civilians killed.

"Some actually cited religious justifications for why they were against 9/11, going as far as to quote from the Koran -- for example, the verse that says taking one innocent life is like killing all humanity," she said.

Meanwhile, radical Muslims gave political, not religious, reasons for condoning the attacks, the poll showed.

But the poll, which gives ordinary Muslims a voice in the global debate that they have been drawn into by 9/11, showed that most Muslims -- including radicals -- admire the West for its democracy, freedoms and technological prowess.

Read the complete article here.

All Eyes on Cuba

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:29:00 EST

With yesterday's surprising news that Fidel Castro is stepping down as Cuba's "president" the Wall Street Journal looks back at 49 years of Fidel's rule in a fabulous editorial today:

Fidel's legacy includes ruthless oppression, but less widely appreciated is that he was also an economic incompetent. In January 1959, Cuba had the third highest per-capita GDP in Latin America. Today the island is a malnourished backwater where staples like milk, sugar and eggs are rationed, severe shortages exist in the medical system and electricity is a luxury. Formerly a dependent of the Soviet Union, Cuba now begs at the feet of Venezuela, which gives it as much as $2 billion in aid annually. The nation nonetheless struggles to get by, and young Cubans routinely take their chances with the security police and shark-infested waters rather than face life under the Castro brothers.

More here.

Unmentioned Crisis in Africa

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:19:00 EST

I am truly astonished at how easily society becomes drawn to the latest trivial headlines of Britney Spears' mental breakdowns or how certain Middle Eastern nations banned the celebration of Valentine's Day. Yet it is sad to see how we close our eyes to REAL world disasters like the on- going tragedies people in the African region continue to face.

When was the last time we read about the 5.4 million people who have died in the DR Congo since 1998?

A recent report published by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) states,

The persisting humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) is among the most complex, deadly and prolonged ever documented. The wars of 1996 and 1998 resulted in massive disruption to the social, political and economic fabric of the country.

Rape is used as a weapon of war in Congo. Armed groups rape to terrorize and control women and communities and to humiliate families. It's calculated and it's brutal.

"It was not uncommon to hear accounts of armed groups seizing young women from farms or water points and enslaving them and raping them for one to three months," says Sarah Mosely, who oversees IRC programs for rape survivors in eastern Congo."

An article by the AFP also says,

Kenya, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo have all been in the grip of severe political unrest which has forced hundreds of thousands from their homes and left many women and children vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
"It seems there is a licence to rape when everything falls apart, in the sense that it becomes legitimate to do things that you otherwise never would do... "

I urge you to view the first video titled 5,400,000 to get a better visual understanding of the ongoing crisis men, women, and children cope with on a daily basis in the DR Congo.

The Path to Democracy and Stability in Pakistan

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:52:00 EST

Over at Townhall yesterday, IWF's Michelle Bernard proposed a new strategy for dealing with Pakistan:

It is critical to win the allegiance of the Pakistani people. The U.S. government must be more careful to ensure that the Pakistani people understand that it supports them, and not any particular government or politician. America cannot dictate the form of Pakistan's government or the speed with which it returns to democracy, but Washington should unequivocally support the right of the Pakistani people to choose their own leaders.
We also must ensure that our aid actually goes to help people in need. Military assistance will remain vital so long as the Taliban and al-Qaeda remain threats, but the U.S.-Pakistan relationship must not focus on security alone. Non-governmental organizations, including those which promote the full economic, political, and social advancement of Pakistani women, should take on a greater role, bypassing the Pakistani government and establishing a direct relationship with community and tribal leaders. As some Middle Eastern suffragettes have remarked, half a democracy is not a democracy. Finally, Washington must demonstrate that it has learned humility and is willing to listen to the Pakistani people even as it encourages them to remain on a democratic path.

Read the full article here.

Afghanistan is Still VERY Important

info@iwf.org (Anne Trenolone) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:47:00 EST

Tying-in to the IWF event today here in Washington Securing Afghanistan: The Role of Women, I wanted to highlight an article from the Globe and Mail in Canada, "Being in Afghanistan is Dangerous, not being in Afghanistan is even more Dangerous". It's an Op-ed so it is by no means unbiased, but it illustrates the need for nations such as Canada and the United States and Britain and Norway to not give up on efforts in Afghanistan.

It also illustrates the need for high profile leaders such as the UN Secretary General to call attention to the continuing plights of Afghanistan. It is important to stay engaged in order to help ensure that the same factors that following Soviet withdrawal lead to the creation of the Taliban regime and what became a prime breeding ground for terrorists in central Asia are not repeated. In addition to the event, for those of you not in DC, two new policy briefs on Afghanistan are forthcoming this week.

The Path to Democracy and Stability in Pakistan

info@iwf.org (Michelle D. Bernard) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:57:00 EST

Townhall.com

Who are we fighting in this War on Terror? For many Americans, the War on Terror remains a confusing concept. We are used to wars against countries, not against a group of people brought together by an ideology and hatred of the West. Our enemy is most easily defined by their acts: the attacks of September 11th exemplify the threat they pose. Now, with news that the CIA has concluded that members of al-Qaeda, in concert with allies of Baitullah Mehud, a Pakistani tribal leader, were responsible for the murder Benazir Bhutto, we are reminded that this War on Terror isn't just about the safety of the United States, but the fate of the world.

Another foreign nation is in crisis. Americans should appreciate yet again how fortunate we are to live in a country that is both free and stable. We do not worry about one killer turning our political system upside down.

The contrast today with Pakistan could not be greater. The murder of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was a tragedy on many levels. Her family has lost a wife and mother. Her party has lost its soul and inspiration. Her country has lost an intelligent, courageous woman prepared to lead in difficult times. The rest of us have lost one of the world's leading female politicians-living proof that a woman can run the government of an Islamic nation. Bhutto could have helped turn Pakistanis and Muslims elsewhere away from the failed politics of extremism and terrorism and towards the positive approach of global engagement and leadership.

Bhutto's death was a blow against people of goodwill all over the world. But we must not grow discouraged. To the contrary, the U.S. and its allies must redouble their efforts in the War on Terror and aid Pakistanis as they attempt to advance democracy in their nation.

All people are entitled to self-government. Throughout history, all people have sought self-government. Unfortunately, however, not all people are ready to build stable and free political systems. This is the ugly truth that we have learned in the Middle East. Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, and other Muslim states have suffered under autocracy. All have taken some moves toward democracy but still face enormous barriers to the practice of liberal democracy in their nations.

For democracy to work, government must be built on respect for the life and dignity of its citizens. People must be willing to work peacefully with other groups and accept defeat in elections. Private mediating institutions are necessary to link individuals and families to communities and the nation.

Washington has long worked with various governments in Islamabad. Since September 11th, the U.S. has provided the Musharraf regime with some $10 billion. For that money, America has won at times reluctant cooperation in the fight against both the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Unfortunately, all of Pakistan has not been fully in the fight.

Many residents of the provinces bordering Afghanistan have welcomed America's enemies as guests. The Pakistani military has been unable--or unwilling--to clear out these safe havens. Even many secular Pakistanis are hostile to America, which they blame for supporting military dictatorships at home. Thus, we should consider a new strategy in Pakistan.

It is critical to win the allegiance of the Pakistani people. The U.S. government must be more careful to ensure that the Pakistani people understand that it supports them, and not any particular government or politician. America cannot dictate the form of Pakistan's government or the speed with which it returns to democracy, but Washington should unequivocally support the right of the Pakistani people to choose their own leaders.

We also must ensure that our aid actually goes to help people in need. Military assistance will remain vital so long as the Taliban and al-Qaeda remain threats, but the U.S.-Pakistan relationship must not focus on security alone. Non-governmental organizations, including those which promote the full economic, political, and social advancement of Pakistani women, should take on a greater role, bypassing the Pakistani government and establishing a direct relationship with community and tribal leaders. As some Middle Eastern suffragettes have remarked, half a democracy is not a democracy. Finally, Washington must demonstrate that it has learned humility and is willing to listen to the Pakistani people even as it encourages them to remain on a democratic path.

Benazir Bhutto won renown as one of the world's most noted female politicians. But, more important, she earned respect as one of her nation's most important leaders, irrespective of sex. The best way to honor her legacy and advance our interests in this War on Terror is for the American people to become true partners of the Pakistani people in order to encourage both democracy and prosperity in their nation. This approach will make us more secure. This commitment also represents America at its generous and democratic best.

Michelle D. Bernard, a lawyer by training, is the president and CEO of the Independent Women's Forum and author of the soon to be released Women's Progress, How Women are Wealthier, Healthier, and More Independent Than Ever Before.

Venezuelans Say, "Viva George W. Bush!"

info@iwf.org (Anne Trenolone) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 13:26:00 EST

Well not exactly, but this kind of irony is what happens when you try to make sense of baited Hugo Chávez logic.

"Whoever votes 'Yes' is voting for Chávez, and whoever votes 'No' is voting for George W. Bush, president of the United States," Chávez told supporters at a huge pro-government rally in Caracas on Friday.
(The Washington Post, December 3, 2007)

It is fairly evident from polls and the like that the United States is not the most popular nation on the world scene these days and neither is our president. But even given the US's and more so George W. Bush's unpopularity the people of Venezuela choose the big, bad, mean United States over a president for life who is empowered to appoint governors and control the Central Bank.

Since 51 percent of voters in Venezuela's Sunday election voted to defeat Chávez's 69 constitutional "reforms", does that mean that a higher percentage of the Venezuelan people support George W. Bush than folks here in the United States. That just goes to show that Chávez 's logic and rhetoric is a bit skewed. As the article notes, it could very well be that this kind of erratic behavior is doing him no favors. Or it could be that the people of Venezuela are smart enough to know, that while not perfect, a democracy with checks and balances on the powers of its leaders is still the best kind of government going on the planet.

Kudos to Venezuelan voters for going to the polls and making their voices heard.

Iraq does have to be won by the Iraqis

info@iwf.org (Anne Trenolone) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:47:00 EST

Besides his "the surge is working" comment from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today, Congressman John Murtha is telling the Iraqi central government what they need to hear. They do need to make progress, build bridges and clean up ministries that are not delivering results and that are hamstringing progress.

Also, in all honesty the folks on the ground—including those Pennsylvania troops Murtha met with last week—do have a desire to come home, but they have an even stronger sense of duty and conviction to get the job done right. They are being empowered to do the job right and the Congress needs to grant them the funding to accomplish this task.

The truth of the matter is the surge is working and has altered for the better the landscape that US diplomats and the US military are responding to.

However, publicized, Congressionally-prescribed timelines are not helpful to military planners and leaders working in a volatile and ever changing Iraq. Developing a sound exit strategy and publicizing it, for all to digest including insurgent groups, are two very different things.

The US cannot afford to repeat past actions that have withdrawn troops from vulnerable neighborhoods and sectors only to have to reclaim them militarily.

All this discussion of the surge and defense funding for military operations is buttressed by a new optimism among the American public regarding Iraq. A new survey out of The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press states:

A growing number [of Americans] says the U.S. war effort is going well, while greater percentages also believe the United States is making progress in reducing the number of Iraqi casualties, defeating the insurgents and preventing a civil war in Iraq.

Americans are becoming more optimistic about progress, but we should all be prepared that progress may not happen as quickly as we would like. The environment in Iraq is so complex and victories come in small quantities one by one, as is being illustrated on the streets of Baghdad daily.

Going back to Congressman Murtha, he makes a point that I am sure many on both sides of the aisle would agree with. Iraq has to be won by the Iraqis. They have to want it and they must seize the momentum ignited by the surge to make political progress toward stability and reconciliation.

Wait for it: I would hope the indignation and outrage from all sides is right around the corner

info@iwf.org (Anne Trenolone) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:40:00 EST

Charlotte commented on the editorial out in the London Telegraph which was probably drafted before the people of Khartoum took to the streets today calling for the execution of Gibbons, ie the Teddy Bear Teacher. The entire situation has become downright dumbfounding. It also illustrates the malleability of uneducated crowds to the suggestions of hard-line religious leaders which is unfortunate for those Muslims who are working to bring the true teachings of the Quran to light and practice within Islam.

God help us if word gets around Sudan that the Teddy Bear is named after US President Theodore Roosevelt. In the current environment it seems anything is fair game.

But there is more than one story out in the media these days involving what could be termed unjust punishment that is in no way in accordance with the alleged "crimes" that have been committed. The two cases both involve women and actions that would in most cases not even be punishable offences on about half the planet.

The two cases vary greatly in that one involves a violent crime and one could easily be cited as a cultural misunderstanding. However, both cases do involve strict interpretations of Islamic teachings and the enforcement of these interpretations under sovereign law. While these interpretations are not embraced by all Muslim communities or cultures, they are still very much on the books in countries like Saudi Arabia and Sudan, illustrated this week by ongoing coverage in the media of a gang-rape victim and a teddy bear wielding school teacher. The punishment in both cases is unacceptable for a man and it is unacceptable for a woman, especially women without malice of intent.

The first case involves a Saudi woman who was raped in 2006. The unidentified woman's plight has drawn international criticism after an appeal increased her 90-lash sentence to 200 lashes and six months' jail.

The men found guilty of the attack were sentenced to two to nine years in prison. The woman, the victim, was convicted of violating Saudi law by not having a male guardian with her at the mall. The Associated Press explains the situation this way:

Under Saudi Arabia's strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, women are not allowed in public in the company of men other than their male relatives. Also, women in Saudi Arabia are often sentenced to flogging and even death for adultery and other crimes.

The women's husband also a Saudi has been quoted as saying:

"From the outset, my wife was dealt with as a guilty person who committed a crime," said her 24-year-old husband. "She was not given any chance to prove her innocence or describe how she was a victim of multiple brutal rapes."

The Saudi government has sought to distance itself from this case as a product of a judge, the judicial and courts system and not of the ruling government per se. Word now is that the case is going to be reviewed. Let's hope the review goes better than the appeal.

Second out of Sudan and here via Reuters is the Teddy Bear incident:

Gibbons, of the private Unity High School in Khartoum, was arrested Sunday after one of her pupils' parents complained [news reports filed after this one have since revealed that the school's office assistant, Sara Khawad, not a parent, had complained to the education authorities—leading to the teacher's arrest], accusing her of naming the bear after Islam's chief prophet. "Muhammad" is a common name among Muslim men, but connecting the Prophet's name to an animal could be seen as insulting by many Muslims.

If found guilty of inciting hatred and insulting religion Gibbons could face up to 40 lashes and six months in prison.

But here again as in the Saudi husband's defense of his wife; even people in Sudan intimately involved with the incident, see the prosecution of the offense as excessive. As first quoted by Reuters and here from the London Evening Standard a quote from the mother of one of Gibbons' students:

"I'm annoyed ... that this has escalated in this way," his mother said. "If it happened as Mohammad said there is no problem here - it was not intended."

And from The Christian Science Monitor:

"I didn't complain and neither did any of the other parents," said one Sudanese mother whose 7-year-old son had hosted the bear for a weekend. "Anyway, she didn't name the bear - it was the class. Really, we think she is a good teacher."

But the other side says this, according to news reports leaflets distributed in Khartoum read:

"What has been done by this infidel lady is considered a matter of contempt and an insult to Muslims' feelings and also the pollution of children's mentality as an attempt to wipe their identity."

Both cases are being watched closely. The teacher has been sentenced to 15 days in jail and deportation. My opinion is that deporting those who are working toward positive change in Sudan is hardly the right direction for that country.

Many have likened this case to the Muhammad cartoon controversy that erupted international discord. But I was reminded of the case of Micheal Fay. These women's punishments make Michael Fay's four cane lashes after being convicted of vandalism in Singapore in 1994 look like some exotic spa treatment (a link for those who may not remember the Fay-Singapore incident).

In regards to that case:

The official position of the United States government was that while it recognized Singapore's right to try and punish Fay with due process of law, it deemed the punishment of caning to be excessive for a teenager committing a non-violent crime.

Here is what the US has had to say about the two above cases.

Even with the Annapolis conference on the horizon on Monday, White House spokesman Dana Perino condemned the Saudi court action:

I don't think it matters if you're a female or a male. I think that the situation is very discouraging and outrageous. There is an appeals process and we hope that the verdict changes. It is certainly not consistent with the judicial reforms that the Saudis have said that they would undertake.

While the blogosphere and the cable news channels have latched on to both stories, and Ms. Perino commented from the White House, the US State Department has noted the events but not taken any solid stance on either. On the Saudi Case:

We have expressed our astonishment at such a sentence. I think that when you look at the crime and the fact that now the victim is punished, I think that causes a fair degree of surprise and astonishment. But it is within the power of the Saudi Government to take a look at the verdict and change it.

And this as a follow-on, both from State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack:

This is a part of a judicial procedure overseas in the court of a sovereign country. That said, most would find this relatively astonishing that something like this happens.

Regarding the Teddy Bear Incident McCormack had this to say:

We are following the situation of the British teacher closely and with concern.

But official positions of the State Department are not limited to only what Sean McCormack has to say in the daily briefings. Note this excerpt from the State Department's latest country reports on human rights practices:

Saudi Arabia 2006
The following significant human rights problems were reported: no right to peacefully change the government; infliction of severe pain by judicially sanctioned corporal punishments; beatings and other abuses; inadequate prison and detention center conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention, sometimes incommunicado; denial of fair public trials; exemption from the rule of law for some individuals and lack of judicial independence; arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, and correspondence; and significant restriction of civil liberties—freedoms of speech and press, including the Internet; assembly; association; and movement.

Under Sudan, following references to the genocide in Darfur, accompanied by the heading "Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment" is this:

Sudan 2006
In accordance with Shari'a (Islamic law), the Criminal Act provides for physical punishments, including flogging, amputation, stoning, and "crucifixion"—the public display of a body after execution. Under the interim constitution, the government officially exempts the 10 southern states from Shari'a law, though some judges in the south reportedly still observed it. Northern courts routinely imposed flogging, especially for production of alcohol.

These reports are required by statute and use internationally recognized human rights as a baseline.

It is well known what is going on in regards to these issues. These two cases have only brought these issues more closely in focus for America and the world. It is unfortunate that those who would seek to live through Islam as a religion of peace are continually hamstrung by unreasonable and irrational responses that only make the divide amongst cultures and peoples broader, deeper and more vehemently held. It would be my hope that a response from those who do seek to live as Muslims in peace join the chorus of outrage and condemn these actions.

Es la economia estupida! Not to mention that whole President for life deal

info@iwf.org (Anne Trenolone) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:15:00 EST

There are rumblings near the Equator. It seems Hugo Chavez may have finally reached the end of his people's tether in his quest to turn Venezuela into a modern socialist utopia. News out of Venezuela this morning—which has been percolating over the last month—reports that a key general, and Chavez's own ex-wife, are opposed to the reforms ensconced in the constitutional vote set for December 2. Also, just this afternoon, students and protesters have taken to the streets of Caracas and other cities to oppose the changes and urge voters to reject the amendments. From The New York Times:

"Chávez is delirious if he thinks we're going to follow him like sheep," said Ivonne Torrealba, 29, a hairdresser in Coche who supported Mr. Chávez in every election beginning with his first campaign for president in 1998. "If this government cannot get me milk or asphalt for our roads, how is it going to give my mother a pension?"
Despite an oil-fueled economy that has lifted purchases of goods like cellphones and cars, economic concerns related to shortages of basic foods and rising inflation are weighing on voters. So are fears over measures that would greatly enhance Mr. Chávez's power, like abolishing his term limits and easing expropriations of private property.

Protesters argue the proposed amendments would do away with key freedoms in the country, such as freedom of speech. Chavez counters that he needs these tools to steer the country toward socialism (see utopia above). To read up on the issue follow these links to stories from Bloomberg and the Associated Press.

Venezuelan students, police clash

Venezuelans March Across Caracas to Protest Chavez Constitution

Yes, There are Still Women in Afghanistan and Iraq: And They Still Need Our Support

info@iwf.org (Anne Trenolone) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 16:37:00 EDT

On the international side of things here at IWF we have for quite some time been working on issues related to the rights of women in Iraq and in Afghanistan.

Last night on the Fox News Channel, on Hannity & Colmes to be exact, these women and their rights crept slowly and quietly into the 2008 presidential campaign dialog.

During a joint interview with Fred Thompson and Jeri Thompson, she offered these words:

"The one thing that I might express if I have the opportunity and since you are allowing me to do that, is that it does seem surprising to me that there isn't more coverage of women's rights in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Iran."

I would agree it is a topic that has faded into the background a bit. Social and political barriers facing women in Iraq remain today and in many ways are exacerbated by the ongoing conflict surrounding them. Traditional ideas about the role of women in society predominate. An ongoing struggle remains as religious extremists attempt to curtail women's roles and rights in society.

And in Afghanistan even with the legal barriers removed requiring women to wear the Burqa and with young girls attending school, challenges remain. The Taliban and its supporters have focused on the destruction of schools in an effort to deter attendance and push girls back into their homes. Some girls' schools in more dangerous provinces have even gone back underground. But what I would add is that women in Afghanistan are far from being victims. They are a vibrant, reticent group. And while they may still navigate their society with an abundance of caution under the cover of their blue burqas, they are out on the streets, they are working, they are making money and they are striving to improve their lives and the lives of their families. Is this strive to improve their lives the picture of progress we may have envisioned as westerners (particularly western women), where women throw off their burqas, embrace jeans and t-shirts on the streets and defy anyone to get in their way, no...but it is a start. As I have said on this blog before, change will come slowly.

Click here to reach the video link to the second portion of a three part interview posted on foxnews.com and hear these comments first hand or click here for the transcript.

*As a note, I inserted the text marked (inaudible) on the transcript because essentailly, it's easier to transcribe a few sentences than an entire interview :)

On Iraq Coverage, Don't Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater

info@iwf.org (Anne Trenolone) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:20:00 EDT

So we're talking about Iraq today. Well, Iraq is something I definitely have some opinions on and with all the Britney Spears coverage, SCHIP, Rush Limbaugh and-yes-Princess Diana coverage over the last few days on the news channels it hasn't really been at the top of the news feeds, though the papers have as always been plugging along on Iraq stories as Stanley Kurtz and apparently some others have noted.

But I am going to have to take issue with Stanley Kurtz on The Washington Post's series on IEDs.

I don't think this series is some kind of concerted effort by the Post to look backward at only the bad things happening in Iraq and somehow dismiss any progress during the last few months. Note this from the introduction to the four part series:

"The number of IED attacks declined in Iraq late this summer after five more U.S. brigades took the field as part of a troop "surge" ordered by the White House. American casualties from IEDs also dropped. Throughout Iraq, more than half of all makeshift bombs are found before they detonate."

If massive aerial bombing in World War II-reaching its final culmination in the release of the atomic bomb-was one of the lasting tactics of that brutal war, the rise of improvised explosive devices (IED's or roadside bombs as they are also known) have been a, if not the, defining tactic of the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a topic worthy of detailed coverage and defeating this weapon will have far reaching consequences beyond Iraq.

Although the series is not a bed of roses in its description of a complex issue it does include reporting on "heartening developments":

"We've saved a lot of lives," Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England said in an interview last month. "We've had people killed and injured, but we've probably saved five or 10 times that number of people by preventing attacks, or capturing and killing [insurgents], or getting caches of weapons, or disabling them."

I might also note that the author of the series Rick Atkinson is an solid reporter and historian who has earned his chops covering not only this conflict but his continuing trilogy on World War II is excellent-and it seems the people who give out Pulitzer Prizes for History agree with me. If you aren't familiar with his book on the North Africa Campaign, An Army at Dawn, and his just released on the invasion of Italy, The Day of Battle, they are worth a look.

Atkinson also wrote The Long Gray Line, a chronicle of the 1966 class of West Point and wrote an account of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, In the Company of Soldiers, where he was embedded with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division then lead by one Major General David H. Petraeus, who everyone is very familiar with these days. If I recall correctly, it is from Atkinson's book where I learned of the General's penchant for pop tarts. But I digress.

Atkinson's series obviously took time and effort and the Post also obviously shelled out some bucks on it, so you can't really fault them for hyping it accordingly. Because much as we don't like to think about it sometimes, media is a business after all. Most other four-part, in-depth series would probably receive the front page treatment as well.

Detailed reporting that doesn't merely skim the surface of the real challenges in Iraq and that takes the time to relay the complexities of the situation the military and those working on the ground face every day is hard to come by. Don't discourage it when it does show up.

I think the bigger problem here is that certain folks may be intimidated by a four part series and as much as we American's talk about wanting in-depth, solid reporting, we don't always read it when it is available. We have other things on our minds. So as far as Post coverage on Iraq and its editorial placement, I just want to say, don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. And if you didn't read the IED series, give it another chance. This new fangled thing called the internet makes it oh so easy to do.

I would also applaud Atkinson on making the effort to ask senior officials "to review the [article's] findings for accuracy and security considerations." Because when you publicize explicitly even the little things that places like JIEDDO (the Joint IED-Defeat Organization), and soldiers have discovered to combat and thwart IED attacks, they don't work anymore because terrorists and insurgents watch and read the news too.

Rally the Diplomacy

info@iwf.org (Anne Trenolone) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:36:00 EDT

As the situation in Burma, also known as Myanmar following the military junta that installed the current government there, has intensified over the past few days; it has erupted as front page news here in the United States. In reality current events are the product of a frightened government that has systematically used repression for years to instill fear in the Burmese populace.

Over the past year and indeed over the summer and in particular over the preceding months these peaceful demonstrations, lead by monks no less, have grown quietly larger and larger. Now as these demonstrations have focused more clearly the attention of the world on Burma, the military government has begun to crackdown on opposition leaders not only through suppression and violence against protestors in the streets, but through raids and arrests.

The US and the EU has responded with a condemnation of violence and a plea for peaceful dialogue. Still a full-court-press of diplomacy needs to be put into action to help urge leaders and neighbor countries especially China to weigh in on these actions. Both China and Russia also need to be encouraged to take diplomatic action including using their seat on the UN Security Council for positive change.

There may be progress on these points, US Envoy Christopher Hill is working to encourage China to act. I would venture a guess that Russia may be next on his list. Given the fact that China and Russia have both dug in their heels on the Burma issue for quite some time now, this particular diplomatic mission is by no means a slam dunk. Still, every effort at persuasion should be used at this critical time.

New at IWF

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:26:00 EDT

In her latest Charlotte's Web column, Charlotte Hays talks Iraq:

"We obviously didn't go into Iraq with the goal of creating an Al Qaeda stronghold there. But Al Qaeda came. And now we have it almost within our grasp to deal a devastating blow to America's number one enemy. It may actually be easier to fight Al Qaeda in Iraq than along the Pakistani border because in Iraq we don't have to worry about inadvertently toppling General Pervez Musharraf's shaky regime.

"That the U.S. has turned a corner in the fight with Al Qaeda in Iraq was one of the conclusions one might take away from what General David Petraeus said in two days of measured testimony on Capitol Hill. And are our representatives rolling in glee over the prospect of a potential victory against Al Qaeda?"

For the answer, check out her article here.

Cultures do not change like the weather

info@iwf.org (Anne Trenolone) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:47:00 EDT

Today The New York Times returns to the subject of female genital mutilation and efforts in Egypt to outlaw the practice and make it culturally unacceptable as well. Both are tough battles to fight. Indented portions are excerpted from the article:

KAFR AL MANSHI ABOU HAMAR, Egypt - The men in this poor farming community were seething. A 13-year-old girl was brought to a doctor's office to have her clitoris removed, a surgery considered necessary here to preserve chastity and honor.

The girl died, but that was not the source of the outrage. After her death, the government shut down the clinic, and that got everyone stirred up.

"They will not stop us," shouted Saad Yehia, a tea shop owner along the main street. "We support circumcision!" he shouted over and over.

"Even if the state doesn't like it, we will circumcise the girls," shouted Fahmy Ezzeddin Shaweesh, an elder in the village.

It pains me in the year 2007 to even be writing on this subject. Something I first learned about in college and was shocked and appalled by then. As an aside that was around about 1996 when Egypt first ordered the practice stopped.

While I applaud the efforts of all those in Egypt working to bring an end to female genital mutilation-and yes, shockingly PC New York Times you should call it that upon your first reference and in your photo captions and everywhere else even if those who "support" it call it female circumcision. Yes, the times has a solid record of covering this topic and bringing the issue to light, but repetition of this inane description of this barbarism as "female circumcision" in a country that is not struggling against the cultural barriers inherent elsewhere only seeks to inoculate readers from the true brutality of this practice.

Female genital mutilation has absolutely nothing in common with the general term circumcision which Americans and western audiences most notably relate to the practice of removing the foreskin of an infant male, a relatively painless procedure that almost all males are subjected too the world over. Female genital mutilation inappropriately called "female circumcision" is an invasive process with long-term health effects, many of them severe. It is the genital equivalent of a frontal lobe lobotomy. Female genital mutilation has been linked to:

Severe and recurrent pain, backache, post operative shock, hemorrhage, damage to other organs, acute urine retention, tetanus and septacaemia. HIV and Hepatitis B transmission may also occur when simultaneous operations are performed on a group of girls.

Long term effects can include difficulties with sexual intercourse, menstrual problems, kidney infection, chronic infection of the uterus and vagina, infertility, acute problems during labor and child birth (and lets remember that the majority of women subjected to female genital mutilation are having babies in areas where assisted births are rare and hospital births even rarer), incontinence, prolapses, chronic vulval abscesses, and sexual dysfunction.

And these are only the physical, not the psychological effects.

Still as I rail on about this practice here in my comfortable office in the United States of America which affords me all kinds of protections-both cultural and legal-from such actions as these; I can understand logically the battle that advocates in Egypt face and that the way they structure their argument (on this point I would direct folks back to my September 11 post on this subject of packaging an argument) will have an effect on their ability to bring an end to this practice. The way to end female genital mutilation may not be the most in-your-face, over-the-top assault on the practice but a measured and structured campaign to change attitudes and actions. The article explains this delicate situation well:

At first, Ms. Assaad and a group of intellectuals who together created a task force simply lectured their neighbors, essentially calling the practice barbaric.

"At the beginning we preached and said this is wrong," she recalled. "It didn't work. They said, ‘It was done to our mothers and grandmothers, and they are fine.'"

She and her colleagues sounded like out-of-touch urban intellectuals, she said. But over time, they enlisted the aid of Islamic scholars and health care workers, hoping to disperse misconceptions - like the idea that cutting off the clitoris prevents homosexuality - and relate to people's lives.

"Circumcision is a very old custom and has absolutely no benefits," Vivian Fouad, who helps staff the national hot line, said to a caller wondering what to do with her own daughter. She continued: "If you want to protect your daughter, then you have to raise her well. How you raise your child is the main factor in everything, not mutilating your daughter."

This question as to how to bring about change among all actors in a community in regards to "tradition" and especially the norms associated with the place and actions of women is not confined only to Egypt and not only to efforts to bring an end to female genital mutilation. Other norms rooted in "tradition" or even just practice, such as women wearing burqas in public in Afghanistan-while no longer legally obligatory-may take longer to be embraced in daily life than in statute. Cultures change slowly:

But as the men in this village demonstrated, widespread social change in Egypt comes slowly, very slowly. This country is conservative, religious and, for many, guided largely by traditions, even when those traditions do not adhere to the tenets of their faith, be it Christianity or Islam.

For centuries Egyptian girls, usually between the ages of 7 and 13, have been taken to have the procedure done, sometimes by a doctor, sometimes by a barber or whoever else in the village would do it. As recently as 2005, a government health survey showed that 96 percent of the thousands of married, divorced or widowed women interviewed said they had undergone the procedure - a figure that astounds even many Egyptians. In the language of the survey, "The practice of female circumcision is virtually universal among women of reproductive age in Egypt."

Though the practice is common and increasingly contentious throughout sub-Saharan Africa, among Arab states the only other place where this practice is customary is in southern Yemen, experts here said. In Saudi Arabia, where women cannot drive, cannot vote, cannot hold most jobs, the practice is viewed as abhorrent, a reflection of pre-Islamic traditions.

To read the article in its entirety and without my commentary click here.

Al Qaeda's Travel Agent

info@iwf.org (Charlotte Hays) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 09:11:00 EDT

Senator Joseph Lieberman's essay on the role of Syria as al Qaeda's travel agent is today's must-read:

Responsible air carriers should be asked to stop flights into Damascus International, as long as it remains the main terminal of international terror. Despite its use by al Qaeda and Hezbollah terrorists, the airport continues to be serviced by many major non-U.S. carriers, including Alitalia, Air France, and British Airways.

Next time people talk about negotiating with hostile regimes, maybe we should remember that airport. I'm sure they'll stop terrorist travel if we ask them.

Afghanistan's prevalent yet forgotten population

info@iwf.org (Halima Karzai) — Thu, 17 May 2007 15:42:00 EDT

Sadly, in addition to being known as the world�s leading opium producer, Afghanistan is also known as the world's capital of widows.

"There are two million war widows in Afghanistan, and their plight is easy to forget in Hamid Karzai's capital, where Western-style shopping malls, bars and French restaurants are opening up for wealthy foreign aid workers and Afghan expatriates."

"Kabul, it is said, is the widows' capital of the world. As many as 50,000 women ... live in the city, and many make their home in the abandoned buildings that dot the suburbs, often living in horrific conditions. In a nation with a fractured infrastructure and, at £125 a year, one of the lowest per-capita incomes in the world, many widows are left without relatives able to take them in or offer even modest financial support."

Comfort for ex-pats and foreigners is dandy, but when assistance is readily available by the Afghan government for those who struggle day-to-day, success can only then begin to be measured.

From the You Can't Make This Stuff Up Dept.

info@iwf.org (Charlotte Hays) — Thu, 17 May 2007 10:30:00 EDT

"Hmmm, what could possibly be the worst form of terrorism?" asks the American Thinker. "Slamming hijacked planes into buildings, killing thousands? Spreading hatred of unbelievers; capturing and beheading them? Declaring holy war on all unbelievers? Nope.

"According, to the foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference decided Islamophobia the worst form of terrorism and called for practical steps to counter it. All agreed, 'It is something that has assumed xenophobic proportions,' they said in unison.

"'This campaign of calumny against Muslims resulted in the publication of the blasphemous cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a Danish newspaper and the issuance of the inflammatory statement by Pope Benedict XVI," they said. During a speech in Germany last year, the Pope quoted a 14th Century Christian emperor who said the Prophet had brought the world only 'evil and inhuman' things. The Pope's remarks aroused the anger of the whole Islamic world."

Violence Against Women: When Feminists Look the Other Way

info@iwf.org (Charlotte Hays) — Sun, 13 May 2007 15:36:00 EDT

Christina Hoff Sommers has an important article in the Weekly Standard on the curious refusal of U.S. feminists to make the plight of women in Islamic societies a priority:

"[M]any feminists are tied up in knots by multiculturalism and find it very hard to pass judgment on non-Western cultures. They are far more comfortable finding fault with American society for minor inequities (the exclusion of women from the Augusta National Golf Club, the 'underrepresentation' of women on faculties of engineering) than criticizing heinous practices beyond our shores. The occasional feminist scholar who takes the women's movement to task for neglecting the plight of foreigners is ignored or ruled out of order."

Can't find a token female? What a drag!

info@iwf.org (Charlotte Hays) — Thu, 10 May 2007 09:53:00 EDT

The proposed panel was on postcolonial identity and diaspora communities in Pakistan, Germany, and Japan. Tres chic! However...

"The program committee for the next annual meeting for the American Historical Association liked the idea, too. There was just one little problem: The scholars involved are all men. 'Since the AHA has a standing commitment to gender diversity on panels, the Program Committee has decided to require you to find a female participant, perhaps to serve as chair or a second commentator for your session,' said the notification the panel organizer received. Unless an acceptable additional participant is added, 'we will be forced to reject your panel.'

"The response stunned Manan Ahmed, the organizer, who is preparing for his dissertation defense at the University of Chicago. After venting via e-mail with colleagues and joking about proposing that the panelists all appear in drag..."

Fight Censorship in Venezuela

info@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) — Tue, 08 May 2007 11:54:00 EDT

The Human Rights Foundation has launched a new project to protect freedom of press in Venezuela and oppose the government censorship of Radio Caracus Television. Here's some background on the station:

"Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) was launched on November 15, 1953 and was the third television network to begin operations in Venezuela. From the airing of Venezuela's first ever television soap opera, (telenovela) Camay, in 1954, to today's hugely popular comedy show Radio Rochela, RCTV's programming has always interpreted, reflected, and depicted the customs of contemporary Venezuela and been central to that nation's idiosyncratic cultural framework.
"Since its founding, RCTV has frequently been at loggerheads with government agencies and the Venezuelan presidency. RCTV's independence is illustrated by how many presidents in Venezuela have clashed with the network and its executives in the past, over criticism of government inefficiency and corruption."

Now the government is shutting them down:

"On June 14, 2006, the Venezuelan president declared that he was not going to renew the licenses of certain television stations, particularly those controlled by the 'oligarchy' that oppose the government. On January 10, 2007, the president declared that RCTV's months in operation were numbered and nothing would stop him from not renewing RCTV's operating license. The license is set to expire on May 27, 2007. (This date is based on the last license issued, which, according to the government, was issued on May 27, 1987. According to Marcel Granier, the president of RCTV, the license is actually not supposed to expire until 2020.)
"RCTV has been broadcasting since 1953 and is one of Venezuela's oldest and largest independent media companies. Many journalists have been targeted, and silenced, by the Venezuelan government due to their critical commentary of the administration. The president and his supporters accuse RCTV of being both 'fascist' and 'coup-plotters.'

To put that in U.S. terms:

"The Chávez administration shutting RCTV down by removing its license would be the equivalent of the Bush administration ordering CBS to stop broadcasting 'a morally deplorable, unambiguous act of dictatorial control.'

Check out their website and petition here.

Equal Opportunity Fashion-Crackdown in Iran

Thu, 03 May 2007 10:05:00 EDT

As I noted in an earlier post, the Persian fashion-brigade recently launched an assault against women daring to don skimpier, shorter, brightly-colored garments as summer sets in.

But now, as Reuters reports, the police are forbidding barbers to provide haircuts "in the style of Hollywood" or pluck the eyebrows of their male customers. Particular offensive to Islamic values, it would appear, is the spiking of "hair in the Khorusi (rooster) style" and the use of makeup by men.

"Metrosexuality" is out, and violators may be fined, lashed and imprisoned.

It would appear men (and roosters) are not exempt from the mullahs' monomania.

When It's Okay to Beat Your Wife

info@iwf.org (Charlotte Hays) — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:52:00 EDT

"I'm not normally a fan of speedy divorce - or of divorce at all, for that matter," writes Kathryn Jean Lopez. But here, writes Lopez, is a divorce that should have been granted:

"In a German case in which a Muslim, Moroccan-born 26-year-old mother of two was petitioning for an expedited divorce from a man who had beaten her and threatened her life, Judge Christa Datz-Winter denied the woman's request, a woman who already had a restraining order on her husband after police were called last May because he attacked her. The reason for the injudicious divorce denial? The Koran, the judge said, instructs that 'men are in charge of women.' She explained further that the couple hails from a 'Moroccan cultural environment in which it is not uncommon for a man to exert a right of corporal punishment over his wife.'"

Sharia in Germany? Yes, you read that right. KLo adds:

"Clearly, Datz-Winter's was a reprehensible ruling. But it's also one that highlights real problems we face all over the world. It's at the heart of this war we're in. It's at the heart of struggles by so-called moderate Muslims who would never dream of beating their wives or condoning anyone who would engage in or justify such brutality.

"The ruling epitomizes the struggle that nations - East and West - are facing as they weigh issues of multiculturalism and sharia-law (Islamic law) influences. And it shows that some nations have taken multiculturalism too far."