While reading Baghdad Burning I stumbled upon the name Yanar Mohammed. Riverbend decided to watch “For Females Only,” a weekly program on Al-Jazeera. Yanar Mohammed is one of the three females that hosted this show. Yanar Mohammed is architect who has been living in Canada. She founded the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq. This organization has been based in Canada up until a couple of months ago and it is now based in Iraq. According to Riverbend, Yanar has claimed that “women’s equality couldn’t be achieved except through a secular government because and Islamic government would definitely hurt women’s rights” (Riverbend, 65). When Yanar left Baghdad in 1993 to move to Canada, she establish the Defense of Iraqi Women's Rights in 1998, which has now been renamed the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq. The Defense of Iraqi Women’s Rights opened a shelter in Iraq and saved over 250 women from death. Yanar has also been the director-coordination for the DIRW in 1998, 1999 and 2002. She is now a key speaker in the Organization of Women’s Freedom. When Yanar was asked what kind of actions is your organization taking she said this:
We plan to use all of this to create strong political voice. Our membership holds regular meeting to create awareness on women's rights and political matters. Most of our members then become more vocal and active members. The women who join us are taking increased leadership roles in their own communities and within the organization. Our first and most important project continues to be our women's shelters. These not only protect women in a range of situations, but they also issue a loud statement that honor killing, and violence against women cannot go on any longer. WE will safely house women in all sorts of situations (WHRnet).
Yanar Mohammed is a key in woman’s freedoms in Iraq.
"An Interview with Yanar Mohammed, Chair of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq." WHRnet. October 2004. Woman's Human Rights net. 8 Nov 2007
http://www.whrnet.org/docs/interview-mohammed-0410.html.
Riverbend, Baghdad Burning. 1st. New York: Feminist Press at the City University of New York, 2005.
2 comments:
It's interesting to me that Yanar Mohammed cites women's shelters as the "first and most important project." I agree with her that these are very important but, in Jordan, there is not even one women's shelter for people who are at risk for an "honor" killing. Not one. Sadly, there is nowhere for these girls and women to run.
Ellen R. Sheeley, Author
"Reclaiming Honor in Jordan"
Stephanie, how neat that the author responded to your post!
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