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

Muslim girls in the US have no problems with their traditional attire, hijab. They have tagged it as a source of strength, pride and a tool to spread correct information about much-stereotyped Islam. However, in the past years, the issue has ignited a kind of controversy over wearing of the veil in public. Muslims are of the view that France has actually set fire to the debate by barring hair veil in state schools in 2004. This has been followed by other European countries primarily Germany. However, the situation is not the same in the United States, people of Muslim communities are of the view that they don’t have to face any kind of discrimination in the nation and that they are free to do the kind of activities, which every youth in the nation are subjected to do. Whether, it’s hanging out with friends or going for a party or in practicing their religion. Even for younger Muslim girls, wearing hijab at public middle schools enhances their self-confidence and makes them feel distinguished among their peers. And majority of them feel that that they did not feel isolated by their attire. The girls also use their hijabs to spread correct information about much-stereotyped Islam. For example, when people ask the reason of covering hair, a girl explained to them that the hair is the symbol of sensuality and beauty, and that I try to hide that. Ala Gebarin, 17, also takes into her strides stares and remarks she might come across. I am aware that my hijab can be intimidating, but it is only a layer of clothing, said she. Read

Yes, this absurd news is true. The Supreme Iraqi Criminal Court has sentenced the women to death by hanging, with the executions set for March 3 in Baghdad. All charged with ‘offences against the public welfare’ by a government that cannot even provide electricity but fills the streets with dead bodies. According to attorney Walid Hayali of the Iraqi Lawyers Union, Wassan Talib, 31, has been charged with the killing of five police officers in an attack on the police, Zainab Fadhil, 25, was charged for an attack on a joint patrol of the Iraqi and U.S. armies in Baghdad while Liqa Muhammad, 26, was charged with the killing of an official in the Green Zone in the course of a kidnapping. None of the three women was permitted to see a lawyer. The trials to which they were subject are illegal under international law. All three are prisoners of war with protected rights under the Third Geneva Convention. Their execution would not only be illegal but would also be immoral. Civilization around the world condemns the death penalty while Iraq’s feudal leaders make a public spectacle of executions. Just re-think this: They are being hanged for carrying out successful military attacks against those who killed their babies, destroyed their homes and who tried to molest them. As Layla Anwar in An Arab Woman Blues – Reflections in a sealed bottle… writes What kind of ‘men’ throw the women of their own country in filthy jails and am sure these women were raped too, with no trial and no real charges? Execute the women of Iraq, young and old. Execute anyone who speaks out against both the occupation by America and Iran. This is it. This is what it boils down to. Iraqi women are testament to the life of the nation of Iraq. The United States and its local conspirators, in creating hundreds of thousands of widows and reducing life in Iraq to a struggle for bare survival, have placed women in the crosshairs and now on the gallows. Women are always the first and last victims of war. There is no honor in murdering women. Occupation is the highest form of dictatorship. It is not these three women who should be prosecuted rather it is this government and its foreign paymaster. Image Read

Going on a cruise is always something special and exciting, you get to travel around the world on a luxurious cruise ship while relaxing in the sun and taking in the wonderful views of oceans and islands, so, of course, it’s only natural that you would like to look your best at all times and a hot swimsuit seems to be the most important item of clothing. There are many different styles of swimsuits for women, it doesn’t matter what shape or size you are, whether you like to flaunt what you’ve got or whether you are the conservative type. Swimsuits come in so many different colors, sizes, fabrics, styles and patterns that it may be hard for you to choose just one, but why should you have just one when you can have a different color and style for every day of the week. You obviously need to choose wisely, pick the right style that will suit your body shape and flatter it; also, will you be tanning or just relaxing in a one piece and wrap? Where in the world will you be? Temperatures range drastically in different areas of the world so you should choose a swimsuit according to the weather as well. Just because you want to look good in your swimsuit on the cruise, does not mean you should bare all, there are full swimsuits that look just as good as any and are perfect for women who need to cover up but still want to look stylish. If you are planning to tan, you should wear a swimsuit that will give you the best looking tan without leaving strange patterns and lines, never forget to wear sun protection though because you don’t want to look like you are burnt to a crisp when you return from your luxury cruise.