Women's Rights in Iraq (article)

[amy]

Not that we're trying to do this, and not that it's not natural for rights to decrease in wartime. But I think this is a reminder that what we are doing is bringing war not liberation.

---

It's Hard Being a Woman

*Inter Press Service*

Dahr Jamail and Ali Al-Fadhily

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35718

*BAGHDAD, Dec. 5 (IPS) - Once one of the best countries for women's

rights in the Middle East, Iraq has now become a place where women fear

for their lives in an increasingly fundamentalist environment.*

Prior to the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, Iraqi women

enjoyed rights under the Personal Status Law since Jul. 14, 1958, the

day Iraqis overthrew the British-installed monarchy.

Under this law they were able to settle civil suits in courts,

unfettered by religious influences. Iraqi women had many of the rights

enjoyed by women in western countries.

The end of monarchy brought a regime in which women began to work as

professors, doctors and other professionals. They took government and

ministerial positions and enjoyed growing rights even through the

dictatorial reign of Saddam Hussein and his Ba'ath Party.

"Our rights had been hard to obtain in a country with a tradition of

firm male control," Dr. Iman Robeii, professor of psychology from

Fallujah told IPS in Baghdad. Iraqi women have traditionally done all

the housework, and assisted children with school work, she said. On top

of that about 30 percent of women had been engaged in social activities.

"But a tragic collapse took place after the U.S. invasion of Iraq and

the so-called Islamists seized power to place new obstacles in the way

of women's march towards improvement," she said.

A significant event was the Dec. 29, 2003 decision by the U.S.-installed

Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) to pass a bill which almost cancelled the

Personal Status Law, 45 years after it had been passed.

Under Resolution 137 Iraqi women would rely on religious institutions

for personal matters such as marriage and divorce, as opposed to

recourse to civilian courts that they could access before the invasion.

Women across Iraq saw the IGC move as one of the first hazardous steps

towards implementation of a fundamentalist Islamic law. The bill did not

pass, but the slide into Sharia (Islamic law) had already taken root

through much of Shia-dominated southern Iraq and also some

Sunni-dominated areas of central Iraq.

Resolution 137 was defeated in March 2004. A new Iraqi constitution has

been introduced, but the adoption of the constitution has not helped

protect women's rights.

Yanar Mohammed, one of Iraq's staunchest women's rights advocates,

believes the constitution neither protects women nor ensures their basic

rights. She blames the United States for abdicating its responsibility

to help develop a pluralistic democracy in Iraq.

"The U.S. occupation has decided to let go of women's rights," Mohammed

told reporters. "Political Islamic groups have taken southern Iraq, are

fully in power there, and are using the financial support of Iran to

recruit troops and allies. The financial and political support from Iran

is why the Iraqis in the south accept this, not because the Iraqi people

want Islamic law."

Mohammed believes the drafting of the Iraqi constitution was "not for

the interest of the Iraqi people" and instead was based on concessions

to ethnic and sectarian groups.

"The Kurds want Kirkuk (an oil-rich city they consider the capital of

Iraqi Kurdistan), and the Shias want the Islamic Republic of Iraq, just

like Iran's," she said. "The genie is out of the bottle in terms of

political Islam (by Shias) and the resistance (by Sunnis). America will

tolerate any conclusion so they can leave, even if it means destroying

women's rights and civil liberties.They have left us a regime like the

Taliban."

A woman judge told IPS that she and her female colleagues could not go

to work any more because the current system does not allow for a female

judge.

Iraqi NGO activists have also criticised the new constitution for

depriving women of leadership posts in the country. "The constitution

mentions some rights for women, but those in power laugh when they are

asked to put it to practice," she said. Like the woman judge, she too

did not want to be named.

The key element in the Iraqi constitution that is dangerous for women's

rights is Article 2 which states "Islam is the official religion of the

state and is a basic source of legislation." Subheading A under Article

2 states that "No law can be passed that contradicts the undisputed

rules of Islam."

Under Article 2 the interpretation of women's rights is left to

religious leaders, and it provides for implementation of Sharia law

which can turn the clock back on women's rights in Iraq.

The social environment in Iraq has become acutely difficult for women

already. Many women now fear leaving their homes.

"I try to avoid leaving my home, and when I do, I always cover my face,"

Suthir Ayad told IPS at her house in Baghdad. "Several of my friends

have been threatened or beaten by these Shia militias who insist we stay

home and never show our faces."

In southern Iraq, the situation seems even worse.

"My cousin in Basra was beaten savagely by some of the Mehdi Army (the

militia of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr) because she tried to attend

university," said a woman who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Now she

never leaves her home unless fully covered, and then only to shop for food."

[Samurai Drifter]

Yeah, the populace's situation is so much worse now than it was then.

The term "we're bringing war, not liberation" can only really be said in earnest by someone who didn't appreciate the difficulty of the Iraqi peoples' position. Also, liberation most often has to be brought through war.

[Belial]

Yeah, the populace's situation is so much worse now than it was then.

The term "we're bringing war, not liberation" can only really be said in earnest by someone who didn't appreciate the difficulty of the Iraqi peoples' position. Also, liberation most often has to be brought through war.

I'm pretty sure the Iraqi people where doing a lot more breathing and living under Saddam Hussein.

[darkon]

I'm pretty sure the Iraqi people where doing a lot more breathing and living under Saddam Hussein.

They were. But there were minorities being incredibly oppressed. Now we have everyone in the midst of an ugly, nasty war and sadly the Hussein days don't look that bad in retrospect. Hopefully in a few years everything will be sorted out.

...

:laugh:

[Siendra]

Yeah, the populace's situation is so much worse now than it was then.

The term "we're bringing war, not liberation" can only really be said in earnest by someone who didn't appreciate the difficulty of the Iraqi peoples' position. Also, liberation most often has to be brought through war.

Wow.

I mean, just..... WOW.

That's by far and large the single stupidest thing ever posted in SD&D on this site.

[margot]

Yeah, the populace's situation is so much worse now than it was then.

The term "we're bringing war, not liberation" can only really be said in earnest by someone who didn't appreciate the difficulty of the Iraqi peoples' position. Also, liberation most often has to be brought through war.

I don't understand how you can even make that point? It says right in the article women had many more rights until the war.

[Oban-Chan]

It makes sense. When you're worried about some religious fanatic launching an IED at you, you're not going to be concerned with women's rights. This further proves the selfishness of U.S. involvement in Iraq. We enter with the suppossed intention of "helping" citizens without realizing the casualties or devastation it's doing to their population.

[Gundampilotspaz]

Yeah, the populace's situation is so much worse now than it was then.

The term "we're bringing war, not liberation" can only really be said in earnest by someone who didn't appreciate the difficulty of the Iraqi peoples' position. Also, liberation most often has to be brought through war.

I agree with you dude, don't listen to these freaks.

Woman in Iraq now have JUST as much freedom as woman in the western world! In fact, this article proves that with this:

"My cousin in Basra was beaten savagely by some of the Mehdi Army (the

militia of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr) because she tried to attend

university," said a woman who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Now she

never leaves her home unless fully covered, and then only to shop for food."

How can they not enjoy that?!

[Samurai Drifter]

I'm pretty sure the Iraqi people where doing a lot more breathing and living under Saddam Hussein.

I'm pretty sure... not.

And come on, radical muslims practically rule the middle east. Women are never going to get a fair deal over there. Connecting it with the US occupation is ridiculous.

[margot]

I'm pretty sure... not.

And come on, radical muslims practically rule the middle east. Women are never going to get a fair deal over there. Connecting it with the US occupation is ridiculous.

Under this law they were able to settle civil suits in courts,

unfettered by religious influences. Iraqi women had many of the rights

enjoyed by women in western countries.

The end of monarchy brought a regime in which women began to work as

professors, doctors and other professionals. They took government and

ministerial positions and enjoyed growing rights even through the

dictatorial reign of Saddam Hussein and his Ba'ath Party.

[Samurai Drifter]

The man was mass-murdering his own people, I think that qualifies as worse than women suffering rights violations that will probably be eventually corrected.

[amy]

SD and GPS, I agree with you in that I definitely don't read this as the US in ur iraq repressin ur womenz.

I read it as the US' bad strategies regarding Iraq occupation inspiring even more fundamentalism than was already there. It's natural that the other side (can you imagine I just typed "enemy" myself) would become more radical in their moral positions, as a way to defend their culture.

[Gundampilotspaz]

SD and GPS, I agree with you in that I definitely don't read this as the US in ur iraq repressin ur womenz.

I read it as the US' bad strategies regarding Iraq occupation inspiring even more fundamentalism than was already there. It's natural that the other side (can you imagine I just typed "enemy" myself) would become more radical in their moral positions, as a way to defend their culture.

I was being completely sarcastic....

[amy]

haha oops i was really talking to sd, just skimmin through to see if anyone agreed with him XD