The Muslim Woman

Violence in Iraq has escalated refugee crises, which is also creating instability in the province. The dislodged women, children and youth are becoming more susceptible to exploitation and abuse. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, tens of thousands of Iraqis are fleeing the country every month and majority of the displaced are women and children. Carolyn Makinson, executive director of the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children asserted, ‘the rampant insecurity within Iraq and the lack of humanitarian assistance in neighboring countries, puts women and children at great risk of abuse. There are already reports of Iraqi women and young girls forced into prostitution or sex to survive and children forced into labor and other forms of exploitation’. Syria and Jordan are apparently, becoming inundated with the influx of refugees and so have placed certain restrictions on the services provided to them. Education for children is becoming a major cause, firstly, because of the lack of accommodation and secondly, the high affordable prices of private schools. Syria allows Iraqi refugee children to attend public school but families often cannot afford the supplies and school uniforms their children need. Scores of refugee families are experiencing financial crunch. Generally, they cannot legally work and have no way to support themselves and their families. Women who cannot provide for their families are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. To guarantee protection of Iraqi refugees and internally displaced Iraqis and to help ease the great strain on countries receiving refugees, the United States and international community must significantly increase its funding for humanitarian assistance programs and regular monitoring of the allocated funds is too required. Image Read

Syrian law contains provisions that discriminate against women and facilitate violence against them. Under the law, some forms of violence against women can be carried out with near impunity. For instance, men can escape punishment or receive reduced sentences if they kill a female member of the family with whom they are committing ‘adultery’ or other ‘vicious sexual relations’. Isn’t it fueling illegitimate relationships then? The scale of violence against women in Syria remains poorly documented for a number of reasons including social restrictions, seclusion, bad education, poverty, etc. However, some general findings postulated: 1. In 56% cases, women were punished for ‘disrespect’ and cursing. 2. 14% for neglecting their household duties. 3. Husbands beat their wives in 49% of such cases, used insults in 38%, andused silent treatment in 8.4%. 4. 67% of women had been punished in front of their families. 5. 52% were insulted. 6. 87% were battered. We may also go to the extent of saying that the religion itself is conditioning obstacles regarding interactions between the genders. True, Islam limits interaction between sexes and calls for modesty in dress and conduct but isn’t it carried to far? A woman in Islamic countries is not suppose to drive, cannot talk to man other than her husband, they have no voice of their own, just living a life of drudgery like that of a slave, moving in accordance with her ‘shuahar’ as if they are no more like a puppet. There have been serious flaws in the administration of justice in Syria, lack of legal and other safeguards to protect the rights of native women have made the men hawk upon them. The need of the hour is to grant the UN bodies that are operating within the nation, greater attention in combating the problems that are specific to women rights. Only then, the respect and promotion of women’s human rights would become an irreversible reality, at the same level as men’s human rights. Image Read

“During the war we lost everything. We even lost our honor.”, says Umm Hiba , an Iraqi women in Damuscus and daughter of a teenage daughter who dances at nightclubs and is a prostitute.Several Iraqi women who had to flee to neighbouring Syria after the men in their family were either killed or kidnapped. Bereft of jobs and armed militia knocking at their doors, they had no other option.

In Syria, the reason of survival drove them to the oldest profession of the world. These women find work at casinos or openly solicit clients on the streets. Syria, though committed to help, seems overwhelmed by the Iraqi exodus. According to the United Nations commissioner for refugees, Syria has near about 1.2 million Iraqis women. Syria does not have the necessary infrastructure to deal with such numbers. Cheaply available Iraqi prostitutes have made the flesh trade here a big business luring Arabs from neighbouring countries. Most visitors are from Saudi Arabia, just a six-hour drive through Jordan. Image credit New York Times