International - Event Notice
Thursday January 01 1970

Promising Democracy, Imposing Theocracy: Gender-Based Violence and the US War on Iraq

international | gender and sexuality | event notice

Sunday March 04, 2007 16:13

by Irene Schneeweis - MADRE, An International Women’s Human Rights Organization

media at madre dot org

(212) 627-0444

Report Release: Press Conference and Panel Discussion

The following event has been organized as part of the 51st United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

It is co-sponsored by MADRE and the Arms Trade Resource Center, a project of the World Policy Institute.

All media are invited to attend.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Yifat Susskind, author of Promising Democracy, Imposing Theocracy: Gender-Based Violence and the US War on Iraq, will join Houzan Mahmoud, of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, to introduce a groundbreaking report on the incidence, causes, and legalization of gender-based violence in Iraq since the US-led invasion. Ms. Mahmoud, who received a death threat this week from the notoriously brutal jihadist group Ansar al-Islam, will address the real-life impact of a campaign of terror and violence against women carried out by Islamists throughout Iraq. Ms. Mahmoud is in New York for one day only.

PANEL DISCUSSION: “Confronting Gender-Based Violence in Iraq”

Amidst the chaos and violence of US-occupied Iraq, women—in particular those who are perceived to pose a challenge to the political project of their attackers—have increasingly been targeted because they are women. Today, they are subjected to unprecedented levels of assault in the public sphere, “honor killings,” torture in detention, and other forms of gender-based violence. Panelists will contextualize and elaborate upon these and other issues addressed in the report, including the use of gender-based violence by Islamists seeking to establish a theocratic state, and by the US in its efforts to appease Islamists and enforce its occupation. Speakers will reveal how a re-telling of the Iraq war from the perspective of Iraqi women illuminates the strong links between women's human rights and democratic rights in general and the Bush Administration's clear contempt for both.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 6 / 2:00-2:30 (press conference); 2:30-3:45 (panel discussion)

WHERE: United Nations Church Center (44th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues), 10th Floor

WHO: Panelists

Yifat Susskind, MADRE Communications Director and author of the report

Houzan Mahmoud, International Representative of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (a MADRE partner organization)

Frida Berrigan, Senior Research Associate, Arms Trade Resource Center, a project of the World Policy Institute

Jennifer Green, Senior Staff Attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights

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Full Report

by pat c

Wed Mar 07, 2007 15:49

Promising Democracy, Imposing Theocracy:
Gender-Based Violence and the US War on Iraq

MADRE has released a groundbreaking report on the incidence, causes, and legalization of gender-based violence in Iraq since the US-led invasion. Amidst the chaos and violence of US-occupied Iraq, women—in particular those who are perceived to pose a challenge to the political project of their attackers—have increasingly been targeted because they are women. Today, they are subjected to unprecedented levels of assault in the public sphere, "honor killings," torture in detention, and other forms of gender-based violence. Promising Democracy, Imposing Theocracy documents the use of gender-based violence by Iraqi Islamists, brought to power by the US overthrow of Iraq's secular Ba'ath regime, and highlights the role of the United States in fomenting the human rights crisis confronting Iraqi women today.

Madre say: This report is dedicated to the courageous women of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq and to all Iraqis working to build a democratic, secular Iraq free of military occupation and religious coercion.

Special thanks to Yanar Mohammed, director of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq.

The full report is now available at:
http://madre.org/articles/me/iraqreport.html

Download a PDF version of the report at:
http://madre.org/articles/me/iraqreport.pdf

Online Press Packet at:
http://madre.org/press/iraqreport.html

Report Summary

Tue Mar 06, 2007 14:41

The Executive Summary of the report is now available and may be accessed at the link below. Here is the introduction to the summary. The full report should be online later today.

Promising Democracy, Imposing Theocracy:
Gender-Based Violence and the US War on Iraq
Executive Summary

Amidst the chaos and violence of US-occupied Iraq, the significance of widespread gender-based violence has been largely overlooked. Yet, Iraqi women are enduring unprecedented levels of assault in the public sphere, "honor killings," torture in detention, and other forms of gender-based violence. Women are not only being targeted because they are members of the civilian population. Women—in particular those who are perceived to pose a challenge to the political project of their attackers—have increasingly been targeted because they are women. This report documents the use of gender-based violence by Iraqi Islamists, brought to power by the US overthrow of Iraq's secular Ba'ath regime, and highlights the role of the United States in fomenting the human rights crisis confronting Iraqi women today. Some key points include:

Iraq's War on Women: Made in the USA
Women have been systematically attacked by theocratic militias on both sides of the sectarian divide, but the most widespread violence has been committed by the Shiite militias affiliated with the US-backed government—the Badr Brigade and Mahdi Army. These groups have waged their campaign of terror against women with weapons, training, and money provided by the US under a policy called the "Salvador Option."

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Sun Mar 04, 2007 20:58

is New York.
LOCATION: United Nations Church Center, 10th floor
777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017

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Promising Democracy, Imposing Theocracy: Gender-Based Violence and the US War on Iraq

Comments (3 of 3)