Hi, At the end of this email is a sample letter that I was thinking Sapac could send in support of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq. This is a group that has been working on women's rights in Iraq, especially trying to document the phenomenon of honor killings. They work on issues of violence against women, and have done a lot in opposition to the war, as well as in opposition to Saddam Hussein. I was trying to get Yanar Mohammed, who was on tour in the U.S. to speak at Oakton, but she was unable to come. She did, however, speak in New York, and this talk is published in the Dec. issue of News and Letters, which you can read at www.newsandletters.org. OWFI also has a website. Let me know if this is something Sapac can put on the agenda. (By the way, I can never come to the Monday meetings because of another commitment, but all the work you are doing sounds great. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.)
Madhuri --- News & Letters <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2004 13:37:36 -0600 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > From: News & Letters <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Fwd: Tell US puppets in Iraq to stop attack > on women's group > > >Status: U > >X-Originating-IP: [141.153.247.213] > >X-Originating-Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >From: "Mahmood ketabchi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: "workersdemocra" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > > "ufpjiraq" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > > "socialmarxistp" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > > "portside" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > > "notiraqwar" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > > "News Letters" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > > "leftistforum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Subject: Tell US puppets in Iraq to stop attack on > women's group > >Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2004 00:05:55 -0500 > >X-Priority: 3 > >Seal-Send-Time: Wed, 7 Jan 2004 00:05:55 -0500 > >X-OriginalArrivalTime: 07 Jan 2004 05:05:59.0347 > (UTC) > >FILETIME=[F0728830:01C3D4DB] > > > >Defend women�s freedom in Iraq > > > >Stop the shut down of the Organization of Women�s > Freedom in Iraq�s > >office in Suleimanyiah. > > > > > > > >After 35 years of oppression and declaring war > against women by the > >Baath regime, after thousands of honour-killings in > Kurdistan of > >Iraq before the eyes and often under the > supervision of the ruling > >parties and after 9 months of a bloody war, horror, > and lack of > >security for women, the Organization of Women�s > Freedom in Iraq > >(OWFI) will not accept any violation against the > right of women to > >organize themselves in social or political > organizations to struggle > >for gender equality. > > > >There will be no more tolerance with enemies of > women whose various > >atrocities had reached their peak in the beheading > of women�s bodies > >committed by the Fedayeen of Saddam. Upon the > foundation of our > >organization, the Organization of Women�s Freedom > in Iraq has > >immediately proved itself as the first and most > defender of all > >women�s rights. People worldwide have known the > OWFI and become > >familiar with our struggle for women�s rights. > Millions of > >freedom-loving people from all over Iraq and > abroad; from New York, > >London and other parts of the world have > sympathized with us. > > > >Being restless for the rise of OWFI, the Patriotic > Union of > >Kurdistan (PUK) threatened to shut down our office > in the city of > >Suleimaniyiah twice during December under > ridiculous excuses, which > >contradict their rhetoric about building democracy. > The PUK�s > >security forces have warned the activists of OWFI > not to practice > >any political activity and came up with the claim > that OWFI has no > >proper license from this authority to operate in > Suleimaniyiah. > > > >The Organization of Women�s Freedom in Iraq demands > that these > >forces stop attacking the right of women to > organization and reminds > >them of their attack in the year 2000 when they > shut down the > >Women�s Protection Centre in the same city which > resulted in > >murdering and torturing many women who were > sheltered in this center > >after escaping honour killing and domestic > violence. > > > >We call on freedom-loving masses to support the > struggle of the > >women�s movement in Iraq and ask these authorities > to stop their > >obstruction of our women activism towards better > status in Iraq. > > > >Our organization declares this era as the end of > all oppression > >against women�s liberties and their political > activity. We warn the > >enemies of women not to attempt to undermine our > political activity > >and our struggle to save women from the horrifying > situation imposed > >by the reactionary policies of the political > parties and ruling > >militia. > > > >Down with the enemies of women that deny our right > to a decent life! > > > >Long live full gender equality! > > > >Organization of Women�s Freedom in Iraq > > > >December 22, 2003 > > > > > > > >(Sample Letter) > > > >Please CC your letter to OWFI at > ><mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >To Mr. Jalal Talabani, > > > > > > > > We are writing this letter to you in support > of the Organisation > >of Women�s Freedom (OWFI) in Iraq. We understand > that your security > >forces are threatening OWFI�s right to organize > women and exercise > >their political freedom. > > > > We demand that your forces immediately end > these harassments > >against their office in the city of Suleimaniyah in > Kurdistan of > >Iraq. > > > > Millions have suffered in Iraq for decades > under the political > >pressure and oppression of Saddam Hussein. Iraqi > people have also > >suffered during this past military attack. This > censorship of > >women�s groups cannot be justified in the > post-Saddam era. By so > >doing, you are perpetuating the same oppressive > patterns used > >previously by the bloody dictatorship of the Baath > Regime and Saddam > >Hussein. > > > > OWFI�s right to set up an office, exercise > their political > >freedom, and mobilize the masses of women to > achieve social and > >political changes should be protected under the > charter of human > >rights. > > > > We expect that you give instructions to your > security forces > >immediately to stop threatening OWFI's existence > in city of > >Suleimaniyah and that you guarantee women's rights > to political > >freedom and equality. > > > > > > > >Name: �����������. > > > > > > > >Organisation name: �����.. > > > >Position in Organisation: ����. > > > > > > > > > > > >Cc: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > >Contact Information: > > > >United States of America > > Fax: +1-202-637 2723 > >Email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >PUK Germany > > Fax.: +49 30 340 978 49 > >e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >Canada > > Fax: +1-519-894 0166 > ><mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >France > >Fax: +33 1 40900282 > > > >P.U.K Australia > > Fax:+ 61 2 9790 7009 > ><mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>E-mail:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >PUK Sweden > > > >Fax :+46-8-91 76 93 > > > > > > > >E-mail > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > >PUK Italy > > > >Tel&Fax 0039 06 50 37 120 > > > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Iran > >Tel: +98 21 80 72 057 > >Fax: +98 21 80 87 972 > > > >Syria > >PO BOX 12925 Damascus > > Fax: +963-11-331 1690 > > > >Benelux > > Tel/Fax : 0031 703895832 > ><mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>E-Mail : > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >Turkey > >Fax + 90 (312) 436 6869 > >Fax: + 90 (312) 436 1252 > > > >Or > > > > > ><mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>EMAIL us @ puk.org > > > > > > > > > -- > NEWS & LETTERS / NEWS AND LETTERS COMMITTEES > 36 S. 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