What have we done?

[NNN0LHI]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/297771_women02.html

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

U.S. invasion makes life worse for women of Iraq

By KAVITA RAMDAS
GUEST COLUMNIST

The Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq recently issued a frightening report documenting the growing practice of public executions of women by Shiite militia.

One of the report's more grisly accounts was a story of a young woman dragged by a wire wound around her neck to a close-by football field and then hung on the goal post. They pierced her body with bullets. Her brother came running to try to defend his sister. He was also shot and killed. Sunni extremists are no better: OWFI members estimate that no fewer than 30 women are executed monthly for honor-related reasons.

Almost four years into the Bush administration's ill-fated adventure in Iraq, Iraqi women are worse off than they were under the Baathist regime in a country where, for decades, the freedoms and rights enjoyed by Iraqi women were the envy of women in most other countries of the Middle East.

Before the U.S. invasion, Iraqi women had high levels of education. Their strong and independent women's movement had successfully forced Saddam Hussein's government to pass the groundbreaking 1959 Family Law Act, which ensured equal rights in matters of personal law.

Iraqi women could inherit land and property; they had equal rights to divorce and custody of their children; they were protected from domestic violence within the marriage. They had achieved real gains in the struggle for equality between women and men. Iraqi women, like all Iraqis, certainly suffered from the political repression and lack of freedom, but the secular -- albeit brutal -- Baathist regime protected women from the religious extremism that denies freedom to a majority of women in the Arab world.

The invasion of Iraq changed the status of Iraqi women for the worse. Iraq's new colonial power, the United States, elevated a new group of leaders, most of whom were allied with ultraconservative Shiite clerics. Among the Sunni minority, the quick disappearance of their once dominant political power led to a resurgence of religious identity. Consequently, the Kurds, celebrated for their history of resistance to the Iraqi dictator, were able to reclaim such traditions as honor killings, putting thousands of women at risk.

[xultar]

1. When I think of what we fucked up over there I wanna puke. Women used

to be news anchors, reporters, work etc. Women and girls used to go to school and college. Fuck, now, women can't leave the house.

We fucked up ROYALLY!

[ariellyn]

3. I guess that's how imperialists fuck up...."royally". n/t

[xultar]

4. Touche!

[bdamomma]

8. also in Afghanistan women are tormented again by the Taliban

we have much damage to these used to be knowledgable and educated women.

[tblue37]

11. To be fair, though, now NO ONE can safely leave the house in

Iraq. In that sense, at elast, there is a kind of "equality"--a hideous equality, of course.

[DemBones DemBones]

19. Oh, women can leave the house; they just have to be escorted by male relatives

wear modest clothing (no jeans) and wear a hijab. No burquas, yet. But women no longer dare to drive. That's what the riverbend blogger in Iraq says, anyway, and she should know.

[Fierce]

2. Uh, wait. The U.S. caring about women around the world.

Heh. Funny, yet not so funny.

[xultar]

5. We are helpin wimens to go to the dr for some lovin. Thanks Lil Boots

[patrice]

6. It would be interesting to see who profits from murdering these Women.n/t

[stonecoldsober]

7. Surely, this is the price of freedom

:sarcasm:

[mirandapriestly]

9. This must be stopped and Bush & co must be charged with war crimes

It is not "incompetence". They know this is going on and it's what they want -total instability throughout the entire region so that they can gain control of resources and escalate our military.
No one ever says anything about the lives of women over there, we're supposed to think they are all catching up on their college educations. This makes me so mad.

[malaise]

10. IMPEACH

It's the only solution.

[ceile]

12. Are any of our Reps making this an issue of this in any form?

I knew things were bad for us (women) over there (only an idiot would think other wise), but I have yet to hear of any of our leaders bringing up this issue. Or have I just missed it?

[G_j]

13. K&R

[Uncle Joe]

14. Thanks for the post NNNOLHI

Kicked and recommended

[AwakeAtLast]

15. I bring this up every time someone tries to talk to me about "progress" in Iraq

I say, "Progress for who?" Shuts 'em up real quick. :)

Great post. K & R :hi:

[mirandapriestly]

16. Yes, it's all lies, Bush&Co doesn't care about the lives of

Iraqi citizens. Things have never been so bad from what I've read.

[MH1]

17. "but...

Saddam was a brutal dictator!"

"He murdered and tortured people!"

Hmmm.

[w4rma]

20. Yes. This is the undebatable point that proves how bad Iraq has become since the GOP invasion. (nt)

[uppityperson]

18. k&r for humanity and women's basic rights and treatment

[happydreams]

21. Who is "we"? Not to cast asparagus. It's a great post

but I am never using the word "we" when it involves Bush's actions, they are all his own crime.