khayal Ibrahim’s speech in the celebration of International Women’s Day, March 5, 2005

Friends and comrades

First I would like to congratulate you in this happy celebration and wish you all success in your struggle for freedom and equality.

My name is Khayal Ibrahim. I am from the Women’s Liberation of Iraq. I came here today to tell you about the struggles and sufferings of Iraqi women; to tell you about the suffering of millions of women and girls living in very insecure conditions.

We all know that the discrimination towards women is one of the distinguished features of contemporary world, Such discrimination is not confined to backward societies in which reactionary systems are in control of people’s lives, but also includes developed societies, however by different standards depending on the economic and social conditions of that society.

In Iraq, the US war and the conflict between the two poles of terrorism, I mean the terrorism of the United States government and Islamic- Baathist groups, has led to a dangerous deterioration in women’s status.

One of the causes for women suppression’s is the domination of Islamists and nationalists groups in society. This has led to the violation of women’s simplest rights through increasing gender discrimination against them such as:

• The imposition of veils and Islamic dresses on young girls and women has become common practice in the areas where these Islamic gangs took control.

• Polygamy, allowing one man marrying four women at the same time.

• Hidden prostitution under so-called Mut’a Islamic marriage (pleasure marriage), it could be for hours.

• Even worse forcing girls as young as 9 years of age to marry older men.

• Many other Violations of women’ rights such as the right to work and travel without a male companion, the right to choose her place of residence, the right to choose her lover or partner, the right to divorce and to keep her children’s custody…. are all but few examples of the wicked attempts to rob the women of Iraq their dignity and humanity.

All these violations have made Iraqi women prisoners of their own houses and isolated from social life. Their job at home however became confined to long hours of house work, cleaning, raising the children, cooking and serving the male members of the family. In addition of being a slave, she is facing severe domestic violence because she is considered to be male-owned property and a sexual toy for his enjoyment and pleasure.

The suppression of women goes up to a point where any woman who rejects her suppression and struggles for her rights, faces the ugliest kinds of harm and insult like beating, threatening, torture, and even killing. Honor Killing is the worst of crime and the most barbaric act prevailing in Iraq under Islamists and reactionary nationalists. The criminal who is usually a male relative of the murdered women gets very light sentences or even freed for committing such horrible crime.

Under Saddam Hussein’s rule, various kinds of women suppression and humiliation were practiced. In the late 90’s Saddam had started the “Faithfulness Campaign” in which hundreds of women were slaughtered. This was part of his new policy of applying Islamic laws on society.

Today these violations of human rights are continued under Islamists and tribal laws and became common practice in Iraq. Shari’a is the law that Islamists in Iraq are trying to enforce on the civilized society. This is done with the support and approval of America. The US is calling this new slavery of women a “democracy” and that “this is the choice of Iraqis”!!. The fact is that this has nothing to do with the choice of millions of women.

Sharia is a very reactionary law which was designed 1400 years ago to grant male dominance over women. Today Shari’a aims at serving Political Islam to control the society. Here in Canada for example we have been witnessing their attempts to enforce Shar’a on thousands of so-called muslim women using the Multicultural laws of Canada.

Today Islamic Shar’a is the real danger to women.

Despite all that, It is worth mentioning that Iraqi women are well known for their long history of struggle toward equality and liberation.

 woman’s struggle for equality and freedom is alive and strong. it is part of the liberation and secular movement in Iraq. It is also part of the International women’s liberation movement.

Today we continue this struggle side by side with all international women’s organizations and freedom lovers, both women and men.

Our urgent demands for women in Iraq are separation of religion from state and education and the founding of a secular non-nationalist government that treats women as equal citizens.

In this happy occasion, I would like to ask for your support. We strongly believe that the freedom of women in a society is the indicator of the freedom of the whole society.    

I congratulate you again and say long-live international women’s day – long live freedom and equality.

Thank you