The Muslim Woman

Women and girls in Iraq live in constant fear of violence as the conflict intensifies and insecurity spirals. Within their own communities, many women and girls stay at risk of death or injury from male relatives if they depict any behavior held to have brought dishonor on the family. Recently, in Bashika, Mosul, hundreds of men beat and stoned a 17-year-old woman named Du’a Khalil Aswad to death, is a gruesome example of collective ‘honour killing’. The woman, a member of the Yezidi religion, which is practiced by Kurds in Northern Iraq, ran away from her family to join an Arab Muslim man with whom she had fallen in love and had metsecretly, but who rejected her. Damned under the ‘honour’ code, for running away, for choosing outside her own community and for being ultimately rejected, Du’a had nowhere to go. For a couple of days, she had put up with a local Yezidi tribal leader but to live in peace was not in her destiny. She got abducted and brutally murdered in front of hundreds of men by her relatives — who stripped her body, beat and kicked her, and killed her by crushing her body with rocks and concrete blocks. The police officials too participated in this disgusting communal murder.

 Stoning: Is it the part of culture in Iraq?

Death by stoning is slow and painful. Islamic code prescribes that ‘the stone should not be so big as to kill the offender with one or two stones’ and ‘nor should it be as small as pebbles’. The Islamic groups resort to every possible method to terrorize Iraqi women. Today, stoning is only practiced in order to suppress its women and those in the lower cast. Also, those impoverished or socially unimportant get punished by stoning.

Silent Killings

There are frequent reports of ‘honor crimes’ in Iraq – particularly, in the predominantly Kurdish north of the country. Most victims of ‘honor crimes’ are women and girls who are considered by their male relatives and others to have shamed their families by immoral behavior. Often grounds for such accusations are flimsy and no more than rumor. What is the situation like? The government’s failure to protect women, and enforce laws against criminals, has created a situation where thousands of women become victims of so-called honor killings. Violence has risen as a result of patriarchal and religious traditions. In the 21st century, for such crimes to be carried out in broad daylight is not only a shame on society as whole, but most of all, it is a shame on a government that is unable to protect women from such inhumane and backward practices. With officials largely silent on the issue frequently deny that it occurs, it is unclear how many more women in the province were stoned to death. The barbaric and violent practice of stoning will continue as long as people will water the cult of Islam, Muhammad, which has put his hands everywhere especially in this inhuman practice of ‘stoning women to death’ and in imposing uncivilized Sharia Law upon human culture. It forces me to ask a question, can women in Muslim countries ever expect to breathe in the air of self approbation?

Clouds of sectarian violence could be anticipated between Muslims and Yazidis in Kurdistan Region. The killing of young girl Du’a Khalil Aswad has ignited sparks in the Province. It’s bad enough that this woman’s male family members murdered her. But not only that, a mob of men viewed this whole event as if it were entertainment. They filmed it with camera phones and jeered and encouraged it. And they did nothing to stop it. Now, in retaliation to the event, women in huge numbers could be seen flocking the streets in Kurdistan Region hence, the government has called for the murderers to be brought to justice. In a statement, the protesters said, We do strongly condemn the killing of women under the pretext of honor and the killing and mutilating of the body of Du’a on April 7, 2007. Taking revenge on women under the pretext of honor is a terrorist act, read a banner carried by the demonstrators. The protesters have urged the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to take strict measures against the perpetrators. Kurdistan Parliament’s Deputy Speaker, Kamal Kirkuki stated that, This crime has touched off a desperate attempt to disrupt the peaceful coexistence between Muslim and Yazidi Kurds, and the majority of those who carried out this crime are now under arrest and will be tried according to law. The incident is the second in a series of sectarian incidents between the Yazidis and Muslims in the area. Last year, a group of Muslim tribesmen attacked several Yazidi buildings in Shekhan, a district east of Mosul, because of honor issues sparked over the fate of a Muslim girl. In the meantime, Kurdish authorities have vowed to follow up on the issue by establishing an investigative committee. There are frequent reports of ‘honour crimes’ in Iraq – in particular in the predominantly Kurdish north of the country. Most victims of ‘honour crimes’ are women and girls who are considered by their male relatives and others to have shamed the women’s families by immoral behavior. While the Kurdish authorities introduced legal reforms to address ‘honour killings’ they have, however, failed to investigate and prosecute those responsible for such crimes. The Kurdistan government, who originally did nothing in reaction to this event, have now stated – after their dirty little secrets were exposed to the world via the internet – that these men will be punished. Hmm… we’ll see! These people- who jeered and encouraged the incident- see themselves as getting rid of another sinning person but how can one pass judgment like that when committing a crime themselves. I say to these people you are a joke; your beliefs are a joke. Image Read