January 6, 2004
Defend women's freedom in Iraq
Stop the shut down of the Organization of Women's Freedom (OWFI) in Iraq's office in Suleimanyiah.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) is uneasy about the
rise of OWFI and has threatened to shot down thier office in
the city of Suleimanyiah twice during December. The PUK has
warned the activists of OWFI not to practice any political
activity, under the excuse that the OWFI has no proper
license from this authority to operate there. OWFI asks this
authority to stop attacking the right of women to organize
themselves, and reminds the PUK of their attack in 2000 when
they shut down the Women's Protection Center. This resulted
in the murder and torture of many women who shletered in
this center after they had escaped honor killing and
domestic violence. OWFI calls on freedom-loving masses to
support the struggle of the women's movement in Iraq, and
ask this authority to stop its endavor to obstruct their
struggle to improve the condition of women in their country.
The organization decares an end to the era which tolerated
the oppression of women's liberties and their political
freedom.
from Equal Rights Now, the publication of OWFI. More info is available at www.equalityiniraq.com/
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
December22, 2003
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
You can support OWFI's struggle to keep its offices open by writing to Mr. Jalal Talabani, and send your letter to owfi_campaign@hotmail.com/
OWFI is associated with the worker's communist party in Iraq.