CELEBRITY IN CHIEF BARRY O WENT TO HOLLYWOOD TO RUB ELBOWS WITH COMEDIAN STEVE MARTIN AND TO RUB AGAINST MARTIN WHILE JIM PARSONS WATCHED, A SEX FANTASY AT LAST FULFILLED.
BUT MAINLY TO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMY BECAUSE HE'S AS DIVORCED FROM REALITY AS THE FANTASY FACTORY IN HOLLYWOOD.
REACHED FOR COMMENT LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON BY THESE REPORTERS, THE DAHLIBAMA DECLARED, "ALL I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS TRIP IS MEET SHREK. I THINK HE'S CUTE AND MAYBE IF HE KISSES ME HE CAN CHANGE ME INTO SOMETHING ELSE -- ANYTHING ELSE."
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
Al Rafidayn reports a young girl was slapped in school for not wearing a veil, slapped by the teacher, and the uproar has the Ministry of Education investigating the incident. Earlier this month, the CEO of Thomson Reuters Foundation, Monique Villas, (at Huffington Post) noted violence against women:
The picture is grim. A perception poll of gender experts by the Thomson Reuters Foundation shows that the rise of political Islam across Arab Spring countries has had a real impact on secularism. Almost three years after popular uprisings toppled autocratic leaders in one of the most conservative corners of the world, three out of five Arab Spring countries rank among the bottom five states for women's rights
Many political gains for women have been lost. In fact, women are struggling to preserve their dignity, and far from progressing, they are now fighting to preserve the rights they had before the Arab Spring.
[. . .]
Life is not much better in Iraq, second-worst country for women's rights in the region, according to the survey.
The experts said that radical Islamisation of society, sectarian violence and a reaction against what many see as western imperialism in the years after the 2003 invasion were all having a devastating impact on women.
The "war on terror" has made widows of 1.6 million Iraqi women, leaving them without income and with few prospects of employment. In Iraq, only 14.5 percent of the entire female population is employed, and women have lost their voice in political circles. Mass displacement has made them vulnerable to trafficking and sexual violence.
The experts said that radical Islamisation of society, sectarian violence and a reaction against what many see as western imperialism in the years after the 2003 invasion were all having a devastating impact on women.
The "war on terror" has made widows of 1.6 million Iraqi women, leaving them without income and with few prospects of employment. In Iraq, only 14.5 percent of the entire female population is employed, and women have lost their voice in political circles. Mass displacement has made them vulnerable to trafficking and sexual violence.
The response from Iraq? The Ministry of Human Rights attacked it. So did the Ministry of Women. The latter insisted the report was "inaccurate" and that Reuters had "no clear-cut knowledge of Iraq and its laws." If you're wondering why the Ministry of Women didn't speak up in support of the young girl slapped, it's because the Minister has stated that women have no rights. She's a chauvinist, a sexist and hateful pig. She attempted to institute a dress code -- for women only -- and she's done nothing to speak out or support Iraqi women who don't wear the hijab.
We've long noted the gender-traitor Ibithal al-Zaydi (see, for example, the February 3, 2012 snapshot). Mufid Abdlulla (Kurdistan Triune) quoted the gender-traitor's most infamous remarks:
I am against the equality between men and woman. If women are equal
to men they are going to lose a lot. Up to now I am with the power of
the man in society: If I go out of my house: I have to tell my husband
where I am going. This does not mean diluting the role of woman in
society but, on the contrary, it will bring more power to the woman as a
mother who looks after their kids and brings up their children.
She's in a position of authority and she's arguing against women's
rights. She's also supposed to represent all women and yet she doesn't.
In Iraq, as in every country, there are women who will never have
children (by choice or due to fertility issues -- of the woman or the
man), there are women who will never marry. And Iraq is a land of
widows. Not only is she harming women's rights but she's even rendering
women invisible.
Back in March, Rania Khalek (Muftah) noted it wasn't always women under attack in Iraq:
Contrary to popular imagination, Iraqi women enjoyed far more freedom
under Saddam Hussein’s secular Ba’athist government than women in other
Middle Eastern countries. In fact, equal rights for women were
enshrined in Iraq’s Constitution in 1970, including the right to vote,
run for political office, access education and own property. Today,
these rights are all but absent under the U.S.-backed government of
Nouri al-Maliki.
Prior to the devastating economic sanctions of the 1990s, Iraq’s education system was top notch and female literacy rates were the highest in the region, reaching 87 percent in 1985. Education was a major priority for Saddam Hussein’s regime, so much so that in 1982 Iraq received the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) award for eradicating illiteracy. But the education system crumbled from financial decay under the weight of the sanctions pushing over 20 percent of Iraqi children out of school by 2000 and reversing decades of literacy gains. Today, a quarter of Iraqi women are illiterate, more than double the rate for Iraqi men (11 percent). Female illiteracy in rural areas alone is as high as 50 percent.
Women were integral to Iraq’s economy and held high positions in both the private and public sectors, thanks in large part to labor and employment laws that guaranteed equal pay, six months fully paid maternity leave and protection from sexual harassment. In fact, it can be argued that some of the conditions enjoyed by working women in Iraq before the war rivaled those of working women in the United States.
Prior to the devastating economic sanctions of the 1990s, Iraq’s education system was top notch and female literacy rates were the highest in the region, reaching 87 percent in 1985. Education was a major priority for Saddam Hussein’s regime, so much so that in 1982 Iraq received the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) award for eradicating illiteracy. But the education system crumbled from financial decay under the weight of the sanctions pushing over 20 percent of Iraqi children out of school by 2000 and reversing decades of literacy gains. Today, a quarter of Iraqi women are illiterate, more than double the rate for Iraqi men (11 percent). Female illiteracy in rural areas alone is as high as 50 percent.
Women were integral to Iraq’s economy and held high positions in both the private and public sectors, thanks in large part to labor and employment laws that guaranteed equal pay, six months fully paid maternity leave and protection from sexual harassment. In fact, it can be argued that some of the conditions enjoyed by working women in Iraq before the war rivaled those of working women in the United States.
BBC News has a photo essay entitled 'In Pictures: Women At Risk In Iraq." Umed Sami (Kirkuk Now) reported Sunday that it is Domestic Violence Awareness Week which actually
lasts two weeks and that there are many different actions because there
are "20 women's rights organizations in Kirkuk." From the article:
No to Violence against Women is a women’s rights organization founded by a group of women’s rights activists back in 2010. It is one of the organizations planning to organize a protest rally on November 25 in front of the governor’s office as they protest against the poor conditions of women’s rights and their struggles.
In the meantime, the Kurdistan Women’s Union, a women’s organization affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the party of Kirkuk Governor Najmadin Karim, is a member of the political bureau boycotting the activities of No to Violence against Women and who view their rally as an “opposition against the governor and not demanding the women’s rights.”
Women’s activist Naska Muhammad told Kirkuk Now “The majority of the women’s rights organizations have boycotted the rally as we feel it is more targeted against the governor and it is politically driven.”
No to Violence against Women is a women’s rights organization founded by a group of women’s rights activists back in 2010. It is one of the organizations planning to organize a protest rally on November 25 in front of the governor’s office as they protest against the poor conditions of women’s rights and their struggles.
In the meantime, the Kurdistan Women’s Union, a women’s organization affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the party of Kirkuk Governor Najmadin Karim, is a member of the political bureau boycotting the activities of No to Violence against Women and who view their rally as an “opposition against the governor and not demanding the women’s rights.”
Women’s activist Naska Muhammad told Kirkuk Now “The majority of the women’s rights organizations have boycotted the rally as we feel it is more targeted against the governor and it is politically driven.”
The Kurdistan Regional Government noted
the kick off on Monday and that Monday was International Day Against
Violence Against Women (that's a United Nations day around the world).
KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani addressed a large group of men and
women -- including ministers of government, MPs in the Iraqi Parliament
and the Kurdish Parliament, regional official and diplomats -- in
Erbil. Barzani noted that violence against women is violence against
human rights and the issue is not a 'women's issue' but one for the
entire community to work on. He called for justice which means changing
the laws in the KRG so that the light penalities for husbands killing
wives are eliminated (he noted the KRG law currently mirrors the law for
the rest of Iraq). He noted that they need to address the issue of
child brides and the practice of female genital mutilation. He cited
figures finding that reported violence against women had fallen in 2012
but he stated that the gains were not enough and the community needed to
work harder to address the issue.
Iraq's Human Rights Ministry also had an event.
Compare the photos. Even if you can't read Arabic, you'll note many
things. For example, the Baghdad turnout? Not that impressive in terms
of numbers. The KRG photo displays ten packed rows of attendees (and
the photo cuts off with the impression that there are rows not displayed
in the photo). In Baghdad, they take up about six rows -- with a lot
of empty spaces. In the KRG, you see shiny, healthy hair on the heads
of men and women. In Baghdad, most women have their hair covered.
(Four brave women on the second row do not cover their hair.) Nouri's
Prime Minister of Iraq. Did he address the gathering?
Nope.
He couldn't be bothered with the topic.
Ibithal al-Zaidi was present. Declaring she (now) believes in equality
between the sexes -- based on the law and religions. Whatever.
How important was the event?
They don't even bother to finish the press release -- it cuts off before the end of the release.
Nouri should have been present. By refusing to show up for the Baghdad
event, let alone speak at it, he made clear that violence against women
does not qualify as a serious issue to him.
We're not done with the KRG yet. Al Mada reports that KRG President Massoud Barzani issued a statement decrying violence against women saying it was inhumane and against the basic principals of humanity. He noted the sacrifices and actions Iraqi women had taken part in to create a better Iraq and called for rights to live safely and free from oppression, discrimination and violence.
We're not done with the KRG yet. Al Mada reports that KRG President Massoud Barzani issued a statement decrying violence against women saying it was inhumane and against the basic principals of humanity. He noted the sacrifices and actions Iraqi women had taken part in to create a better Iraq and called for rights to live safely and free from oppression, discrimination and violence.
Let's drop back to September for Joel Brinkley's San Francisco Chronicle profile of the Iraq Ambassador to the US, Lukman Faily:
Yes, the Middle East is aflame, as Faily put it. And Iraq is in deep
trouble, like most of the region. Almost daily, 20, 30, 50 or more
people die in terrorist attacks that generally involve Sunnis killing
Shiites or vice versa. Eighty-three people died in attacks Sunday
through Tuesday, bringing the total dead so far this year to more than
3,800.
But Faily said his government is not asking the United States to return troops to Iraq. No, he said Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki yanked him from his position as ambassador to Japan and sent him to America a few months ago to carry the message: We need help with governance.
But Faily said his government is not asking the United States to return troops to Iraq. No, he said Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki yanked him from his position as ambassador to Japan and sent him to America a few months ago to carry the message: We need help with governance.
Falih Hassan Fezaa (Rudaw) notes the interview today and points out:
He stated in no certain terms that daily life in Iraq is deteriorating, lacking in clean water, a workable budget, modern technology and efforts to fight corruption.
Based on Mr Faily’s statements, I had thought that Baghdad’s Islamist rulers had finally realized their failures, and were looking to America for help.
But then, when Maliki visited Washington earlier this month, he reportedly asked for more weapons, instead of help with things like water and electricity. This is a dysfunctional government with no real military capabilities.
More than 10 years since the 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, the Shiite Islamists in Baghdad have failed to govern, while the Kurds have succeeded in carving out an autonomous and historic safe haven for themselves in the midst of Iraq’s sea of violence. These are parallel tales of failure and success.
The editorial board of the Gulf News observes, "It is abundantly clear that the Nouri Al Maliki government has failed Iraqis miserably. It has done nothing to address the root causes of the unrest, especially when it comes to complaints of discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities."
Violence continued today. Al Mada notes there was a wave of assassinations and assassination attempts. National Iraqi News Agency reports 1 person shot dead in Khalis, preacher and Iman Rakan Hussein al-Naimi was injured by gunfire in a Rilkaif assassination attempt. Sheikh Ghadanfar al-Mahdawi survived (without injury) an attempted assassination "between Baqbua and Muqdadiyah," a Falluja sticky bombing claimed the life of 1 police officer, 1 police officer was shot dead in Baghdad, a Falluja roadside bombing claimed the life of 1 police officer and left two more injured, and the corpses of Sheikh Adnan al-Ghanem and Sheikh Kadhim al-Jubouri were discovered in Basra. All Iraq News adds that the Mayor of Shuqiara Sufla Village, Jasim Mohammed al-Jubouri, was assassinated.
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