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Rape and killing of 15 year old Nigar
Rahim in Iraq's Kurdistan
18.8.2012
Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq |
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Nigar Rahim was only 15 when she was killed by her
brother on the 20th of July in Garmian in
Kurdistan-Iraq. Nigar had been raped and impregnated
by one of her brothers.
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An appeal to women
organisations and human rights activists worldwide
to condemn the Kurdistan Regional Government and
seek justice for Nigar Rahim.
August 18, 2012
ERBIL-Hewlêr,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq',— Raped by one brother,
killed by another brother to wash the shame brought
upon family “honour”.
Nigar Rahim was only 15 when she was killed by her
brother on the 20th of July in Garmian in
Kurdistan-Iraq. Nigar had been raped and impregnated
by one of her brothers. She was protected along with
her child by the Directorate to Investigate Violence
against Women for six months after giving birth.
Nigar and her brother were arrested at the beginning
of this year; the brother was sentenced to 20 years
imprisonment while Nigar was released on bail
according to the police in Garmian where the case
was dealt with. She was then under the protection of
the Directorate.
After six months, another brother of Nigar entered a
negotiation with the police and signed a document
promising not to harm her. The police handed her
over to the family on the 12th of June, but she was
killed by that other brother on the 20th of July.
The rape and murder of a young girl in this manner
shows a lack of responsibility on the part of state
institutions who are only promoting such crimes by
not providing long-term, intense protection and care
in cases like Nigar’s. The situation of a 15 year
old girl being raped by her own brother,
traumatised, shocked, and giving birth to a child
from her own brother in a highly patriarchal and
socially conservative society is very complex.
Victims of rape are considered guilty and therefore
deserving of death to clear the shame brought upon
the family’s so-called honour.
In Kurdistan where, on a daily basis, women are
killed, degraded, or forced to commit suicide
through self-immolation, even young girls’ lives are
not safe. For the last 20 years the Kurdistan
Regional Government have turned a blind eye to the
plight of women, to the point where the situation is
now almost out of control. Despite the anger and
protest by activists and organisations opposed to
this situation, the killing and violence against
women continue.
It is time for the government and its institutions
to take the necessary steps to uproot these
misogynist, patriarchal, and tribal practices that
has turned the country into a hell and a prison for
women.
We the undersigned
therefore demand:
1- The head of the Directorate and the persons who
were involved in handing Nigar over to her family
must be investigated.
2- Stop handing over women and girls whose lives are
in risk merely through signing a document with no
legal consequences, as this gives families a free
hand to kill female members.
3- A clear and transparent investigation must be
made into this case, with the results to be made
public.
4- Declare rape to be a crime and abolish all
punishment for the victim.
5- Provide protection, medical care, and social help
to victims of rape so that they will be able to
rebuild their lives.
The undersigned of this
appeal are:
Houzan Mahmoud: Organisation of Women’s Freedom in
Iraq-UK Ophelia Benson, blogger and columnist.
Najiba Mahmud: Women’s rights activist-Sweden Edith
Rubinstein: retired, Woman in Black. Jim Catterson:
Regional Contact person MENA Region Industrial
Global Union Choman Hardi: Writer and academic
researcher Mariwan Kanie: Assistant professor of
Arab and Middle Eastern studies at the University of
Amsterdam-Netherlands Bahar Monzir: Women’s rights
activist-Kurdistan London Feminist Network- UK
MADRE: International women’s human rights
organization-U.S.A Thomas Schmidinger: Political
Scientist- Austria Fuad Qaradaghy: Writer-Kurdistan
Mary Kreutzer: (Leeza, Association for Emancipatory
Development Cooperation; and University of Applied
Sciences Dornbirn)-Austria Nicola Stott: Centre for
Women’s Studies, University of York-UK Lesley Abdela:
Shevolution-UK Bill Weinberg, author and independent
journalist, New York Chilura Hardi: Women’s rights
activist-Kurdistan Deanne Rauscher: Journalist
researcher (member of The Swedish Journalist
Association)-Sweden Valeria Dessì: Research Student,
SOAS-University of London-UK Göran Gustavsson:
Member of the representative assembly Municipal
Workers Union Stockholm- Sweden. Noori Bashir:
Writer-UK Avin Fatah: Social researcher and women’s
rights activist in Hawler-Kurdistan Maryam Namazie:
Spokesperson, Equal Rights Now – Organisation
against Women’s Discrimination in Iran and One Law
for All, UK Maria Fantappie: Researcher and
Writer-Italy Lisa-Marie Taylor: Feminism in London
2013 Project Manager-UK Gjuner Nebiu: Women’s Civic
Initiatives Antico, Republic of Macedonia Sawsan
Zakzak: Researcher- Syria Lilian Halls-French:
European Feminist Initiative IFE-EFI-France Muslih
Irwani: Lecturer and Researcher-UK Diana Ferrus:
Writer, and Poet from the University of the Western
Cape, Cape Town- South Africa Lawzha Jawad: Women’s
rights activist- Denmark Stara Arif: Journalist, and
civil society activist-Kurdistan Parwa Ali:
Journalist-Kurdistan Shwan Mohammed:
Journalist-Kurdistan Arian Omed Arif: Red Honour
group-Norway Christian Ronse, University Professor
of Computer Science (France) Nask Hussein:
Poet-Canada Aso Jabar: Writer-USA Tara Twana: Member
of Social Democratic Party & Stockholm
municipality-Sweden Halala Rafie: Nina Centre-Sweden
Sarkaw Hadi: Theatrical actor and writer Nahid Mokri:
Women’s rights activist and writer-Sweden Glyn
Harries: Hackney Trades Union Council-UK Gona Saed:
Women’s rights activist-UK Nyaz Abdullah: journalist
and women’s rights activist-Kurdistan Saira Zuberi:
Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)
Sophie Boiszeau: Initiative-Communiste-Ouvrière-France
Stéphane Julien: Teacher, Solidarité Irak-France
Liam McNulty: Alliance for Workers’ Liberty-UK Jani
Diylan: Journalist-USA Rebecca Hybbinette: PHD in
political philosophy -Sweden Shahla Nouri: Director
of Women’s Liberation-Sweden Joana Vicente Baginha:
Member of Portuguese feminist organisation UMAR-UK
Floyd Codlin: PCS Trade Union Chair at the British
Library-UK Esther Townsend: Workers’ Liberty,www.ekurd.net
Women’s Fightback & NCAFC Women’s Committee (PC)-UK
Twana Taha: Journalist-Soran-Kurdistan Kawan Kadir:
Artist-Canada San Saravan: Documentary film
maker-Kurdistan Hawzhin Gharib: Journalist-Kurdistan
Halwest Abdulah Karim: Civil society
activist-Kurdistan Salah Raouf: Musician-Netherlands
Sara Omar: Writer, and lawyer (Denmark – Germany)
Muhsin Adib: Writer and researcher in law theory
Sara Qadir: Journalist, and lecturer at Sulaymaniah
University-Kurdistan Naliya Ibrahim- Women’s rights
activist-Sweden Chairwoman for Never forget Pela and
Fadime Organisation in Sweden Arland Mehmetaj:
activist with Initiative communiste-ouvrière-France
Nwenar Ahmad: Artist, Musician, director of Bara
house of Art Samal Ali: Philosophy lecturer at
university of Raparin-Kurdistan Zilan Ali:
Journalist at Warvin Foundation for Women’s
Rights-Kurdistan Nergiz Qadir: Journalist at Warvin
Foundation for Women’s Rights-Kurdistan Arsalan
Rahman: Journalist at Warvin Foundation for Women’s
Rights-Kurdistan Sakar Rostam: Journalist and
programme manager at Warvin foundation-Kurdistan
Kaywan Hawrami: Journalist-Kurdistan Faraidon Arif:
Writer and journalist-India & Kurdistan Yadgar Fayaq:
TV presenter and journalist-Kurdistan Aram Jalal:
Member of Network in defence of rights and freedoms
of people in Kurdistan & Religious critic based in
Finland Yaseen Hama Ali: Designer at Hawlati
Newspaper-Sulaymania Akram Nadir: international
Representative of FWCUI-Canada Khulia Hussein / Poet
and women’s Right’s advocate Pola Qasim Nori:
Student at Fine Arts Institute-Kurdistan Kazhal Nuri:
Writer, and civil society activist-Netherlands Dr.
Yousuf Zangana: Academic, London-UK Dr.Rebwar Karim
Mahmoud: political science Lecturer -University of
Sulaymania-Kurdistan Kaziwa Salih: Writer and
journalist-Canada Chiman Salih: Editor in chief of
Kurdistan OnlineAwezan Noori: Writer and human
rights activist-Kerku Dr.Salar Basira: University of
Sulaymaniah-Kurdistan Aziz Raouf: Writer-Kurdistan
Sarbast K. Arif: Painter, writer-Norway Fariba
Mohamadi: Writer-Kurdistan Mahin Shokrolahpoor:
Women’s rights activist-France Chia Yasin:
Journalist and women’s rights activist Ibrahim Abbas:
Journalist-Kurdistan Azad Hama Rasoul: Artist-Norway
Halgurd Samad, Journalist/ France Shwan Raouf: Civil
society activist-Kurdistan Tara Hawrami: Women’s
rights activist-Sweden Adiba Ahmad: Journalist-
Kurdistan Shwan Sdiq: Journalist- Kurdistan Shankar
Abdula: Journalist-Kurdistan Kamil Ahmed:
Artist-Germany Jasim Gafour: Artist-UK Twana Ali:
Journalist-Kurdistan Kit Larsen Hughes:
Teacher-Sweden Avin Mirawdeli: PHD Student-UK
Mihraban Ali: Women’s rights activist-Finland Serwa
Ali: Women’s rights activist-Canada Hana Ali:
Women’s rights activist-Canada Samira Hamasalih
Fathulla: Nurse – Finland Laura Guidetti: Italian
feminist journal Marea, Italy Jaza Hamasalih Wali:
Social researcher-Kurdistan Salah Fathollah:
Artist-Finland Sarkawt Ahmad: UK Salah Kermashani:
Finalnd Aram Hawrami: Gothenburg-Sweden Nigar
Ibrahim: Step by Step in Gothenburg-U.S.A Blend
Said: Kurdistan Hazha Najat: Kurdistan Rebwar Raza
Chuchani: Journalist-Kurdistan Nicolas Dessaux, on
behalf of Solidarité Irak- France Shahen Husain:
Kurdistan Goran Jaf: Switzerland Hawrey Nishtman:
Kurdistan Rubar Gule: Kurdistan Dana Sherzan Osman:
Kurdistan Goran Osman: Worker-Switzerland Soran
Palani: Lawyer and journalist Kalè Karim: Wome’s
rights activist-Switzerland Choman Osman:
Journalist-Kurdistan Goran Ali: Writer-Sweden Pekin
Hussein: Kurdistan Muhammed Rash: Kurdistan’ Dillan
zandy: Kurdistan Farman Sadiq: Journalist-Kurdistan
Aram Salim: Kurdistan Mohammed Ahmad Hassan:
Kurdistan Chra Ali: Kurdistan Sangar Salem:
Kurdistan Lanja Abdullah: Director of Warvin for
Women’s Rights in Kurdistan Warvin Foundation for
Women’s Rights- Kurdistan Roj Aziz: Political
activist Hersh Yasin: Kurdistan Shahla Dabaghi:
Women’s rights activist-Sweden Soraya Taher: UK Vian
Mariwani: Germany Halima Rasouli: Women’s rights
activist-Kurdistan Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML):
United Kingdom Shirkat Gah- Women’s Resource Centre
Pakistan The Association for Women’s Rights in
Development (AWID)
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