April
22, 2008
LONDON, UK, -- Representative Abroad of
the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq and the
International Campaign Against Killings and Stoning
of Women in Kurdistan held their first conference as
part of a Week of Action initiative denouncing honor
killings globally. The conference was dedicated to
the memory of Du’a Khalil Aswad, a 17 year-old girl
from a Yazidi faith in Kurdistan of Iraq,
stoned to death
on April 7, 2007
The conference was held in central London at the
union of London University on April 12th. Many
people attended in order to condemn ‘honor killings’
as well as to commemorate Du’a and other victims of
such practices. The panel of speakers contained many
women’s rights activists. These were:
-Dr. Sandra Phelps, Head of Sociology at Kurdistan
University in Erbil, Iraq
-Heather Harvey, Campaign Manager for Violence
against Women, Amnesty International
-Houzan Mahmoud, Abroad Representative of the
Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq
-Maryam Namazie, Equal Rights Now, a women’s
organization in Iran
-Maria Hagberg, Network against Honor Killings in
Sweden
-Azar Majedi, Head of the Women’s Liberation
Organization in Iran
-Maria Exall, Executive Committee Member of the
Communication Workers’ Union
Maria Exall chaired the conference and each
speaker’s talk analyzed the issues of gender
apartheid, suppression of women’s rights, honor
killing and other horrific crimes. There was also
discussion of political Islam and its hand in the
religious op- pression of women. Everyone on the
panel mentioned that governments,www.ekurd.net
in the form of
patriarchy, tribal custom or religious law, are
responsible. There was a question and answer session
in which the attendees actively participated.
At the end, the organizer, Houzan Mahmoud, thanked
all the people who attended. She discussed the many
letters of solidarity and support she has received
from Kurdistan, Iraq, and worldwide, commemorating
Du’a and expressing dismay at the brutal practice of
honor killing. She added that this was the bright
side of Kurdish society and showed that people—men
and women—want to end this barbarity and have become
active to end these crimes. She proposed that every
April 7th be a day to remember Du’a Khalil, and an
International Day against Honor Killing.
It is also worth mentioning that the Week of Action
against ‘honor killings’ gained much media
attention. As a result, Houzan Mahmoud held
interviews with the following media outlets: BBC
World Radio Outlook,www.ekurd.net
which included an
interview with Du’a’s father about her death, BBC
Scotland at Ten, KPFA FM (an American radio
station), REM FM (a Spanish radio station) and a
Turkish paper, present at the conference (see the
link below):
Questions centered on the reasons for and practice
of ‘honor killing’ in general, the situation faced
by women in Iraq and the rise of killings both there
and in Kurdistan and the anniversary of Du’a’s
death. Two members of Parliament and a
representative from Amnesty International were also
interviewed.
Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq-Abroad
representative
www.equalityiniraq.com
houzan2007 (at) yahoo.com |
Conference to remember Du’a Khalil, London, the
union of London University on April 12th, 2008
Houzan Mahmoud is a political activist from Iraqi
Kurdistan and a co-founder of the Iraqi Freedom
Congress (IFC)
Photos: Houzan Mahmoud blog |
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