Morning Star

Al Qaeda's advance signals women's decline

The mayhem in the countries we know as Iraq and Syria is growing, and the sweeping reforms by the surging Islamic fundamentalists are especially degrading to women. The minute rules include the following:

• Women are banned from sitting on chairs (as reported verbatim).
• All women are obligated to wear Islamic attire, such as the niqab and burqa (which cover the entire body and face); sweaters, jeans, and makeup of any kind are strictly banned.
• Female clothing is not to be displayed in shop windows, and only women are allowed to work there; if a man is found on the grounds the shop faces closure.
• Women are banned from seeing male gynecologists.

While others may dispute this "interpretation" of Islam, it has a long history flowing from both the actions of Muhammed and the traditions codified in Reliance of the Traveller. These religions prescriptions take concrete form in decrees such as this, showing that even the burkha cannot guarantee safety:

Sheikh Abd al-Rahman Ali al-Dala, aid to the chief mufti of Syria, who is loyal to President Bashar Assad, gave aninterview to Sham FM, a radio station that supports Assad. In the interview, Al-Dala said Syrian army soldiers have permission to "marry" unmarried and married women, sisters and mothers of the rebel fighters, without any official marriage agreement. He clarified that the rape is intended as a punishment for not reporting the rebels to the goverment forces.

In making his statement, the Sheikh placed his religious authority behind the rape of women and girls by soldiers, as part of their fight against the rebels. According to testimony taken from captured soldiers and captains before they were put to death by rebels, rape has been employed as a common practice by the army, well before Al-Dala's official religious support was stated.

While particularly attractive women are reportedly brought to senior commanders, rape victims include religious muslim women dressed in face veils and full-body cloaks (niqab). It must be noted that for their part, the rebels have publicized religious permission for their fighters to do as they please with women who fall into their hands. Rebels from Al Qaeda have also apparently have been forcing Syrian Druze communities to convert to Islam.

A study in November found that Syria was the fourth worst country in the Arab world in terms of women's rights. Egypt was found to be the worst.

With ubiquitous dangers for women, Raymond Ibrahim summarises the impact:

All this is a reminder that, while the Islamic jihad may lead to brief, spectacular forms of terror—massacres, beheadings, rapes, bombed churches—its aftermath and goal, purportedly the creation of a “perfect Islamic society,” is “spectacular” in its own way, especially for women, who become virtually invisible members of society.

Naturally, who would set foot in the street under these conditions, or allow a wife or daughter out of the home?

"We die, but the cross lives"

Those were the last words of one of many victims slaughtered in a Catholic church in Baghdad, Iraq in October, 2010. Scores were killed in a violent rampage:

"It was a Sunday and evening mass had just begun. Shortly after the Gospel reading, about 17.15, we heard the sound of gunfire outside the church. Don Tha'er, who was celebrating the liturgy, tried to calm everyone down, telling us to pray together. The noise became louder, then we heard a loud explosion and the terrorists entered the Church – five or six in all - and started shooting everywhere".

He has asked to remain anonymous. "For safety reasons," he says. He will not speak about his life before the attack. He just says: "I have always taken part in the pastoral activities of the church, I was friends with both the priests, Don Tha'er and Don Wassim. The first 32, the second 27, both mowed down by the terrorists. "I was sitting in the front pew, as usual, and as the gunfire broke out I threw myself on the ground. Don Tha'er called me and told me: 'Try to get everyone into the sacristy'. Those were difficult moments, because the attackers were firing everywhere. I was trying to get to the sacristy along with others , when not far away I saw a girl wounded in the neck. I did not know what to do, whether to help her or run for my life”.

It was supposed to have been an interview. But the first question: "Do you want to talk, to tell us what happened?" was answered with a deluge of words. Unstoppable. "I saw the injured girl. I decided to go and get her to try and bring her to safety. I took her on my shoulders, but one of the terrorists saw me and threw a grenade at us: the girl died and I was on the ground wounded. I pretended to be dead. While I was on the ground I saw Don Tha'er trying to defend the altar servers: he embraced them and covered them with his cassock, to protect them, as if he wanted to hide them. One of the men attacked him, trying to beat him to his knees, but he resisted and remained standing, in the end the terrorist killed him. I could hear the cries of the people in the church, terribly afraid, when at one point I heard a voice, I do not know who he was shouting to the terrorists: 'We die, we die, okay. But the cross lives.' Whoever it was, was immediately killed. "

That parish was reopened today, amidst more threats, as Catholics celebrated Gaudete Sunday in a beleagered city.

Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, presided over the rededication ceremony of the restored Syrian Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The place which reopened yesterday to worship and to the faithful, was the scene October 31, 2010 of a massacre carried out by a group of al Qaeda, which killed about 50 faithful and two priests.

During the homily, the cardinal immediately recalled the "testimony offered by many of our brothers and sisters" who "preceded by two young and heroic priests" united forever "their lives to Jesus Christ." He highlighted the "honorable sacrifices" that have allowed the reopening of the cathedral and pointed out that, through the comfort and hope "the Lord encourages Eastern Christians, and especially those of Iraq, to ​​communion and testimony." Bringing the greetings of Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Sandri invoked the Lord, so that "the tears shed in this sacred place, become the good seed of communion and witness and bear much fruit."

The threat recently issued is a standard fatwa offered by an Iraqi Ayatollah, who announced that local Christians

must choose "or Islam or death," while "their women and girls may legitimately be regarded wives of Muslims."

The Christian population--one of the oldest in the world--is dwindling, and few want to engage in serious discussion about the rights of minorities in predominantly Muslim lands.  Those who remain are degraded, and it's obvious that women stand to lose the most whenever conflicts arise. May those heroic, martyred souls--especially Fr Tha'er and Fr Wassim--protect this vulnerable flock and grant them the courage to stand firm.

From the readings of the Third Sunday of Advent:

Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Obstacles to fighting domestic violence

Rates of domestic violence in Muslim countries is very high, and yet this article shows that specific efforts to establish legal protections for women faces serious obstacles:

Al-Zaidi's ministry is working with other ministries along with civil society organizations in coordination with the United Nations to finalize a national strategic plan for the advancement of women, combating violence against women, and preparing draft legislation to protect against domestic violence.

However, al-Zaidi said she was "very hesitant" to present the draft legislation to parliament because of unsuccessful attempts made by Iraq's Human Rights Ministry to repeal discriminatory provisions.

"The Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council thwarted our attempts under the pretext that the time was not right for such amendments which would be rejected by the Iraqi street because they conflict with religious, tribal and traditional norms," said Amin, the Rights Ministry spokesman. "Not only male lawmakers but even some female lawmakers stood against such reforms because of their extreme religious convictions."

At issue is Iraq's penal code, written in 1969, that excuses crimes "if the act is committed while exercising a legal right." Husbands punishing their wives, and parents and teachers punishing children are considered permissible "within certain limits prescribed by law or by custom."

In Iraq, some tribes and fundamental Muslim sects believe that Islamic laws allow husbands to beat unruly wives, and even for families to kill women relatives who are accused of bringing shame upon the home, such as in cases of adultery. The authority given to husbands can sometimes be exploited by their families to abuse wives as well.

One cannot ignore the fact that domestic violence is out of control in western countries as well, but there is a marked difference: those couples who spiral into such abuse are often cohabitating without benefit of marriage, are usually not religious or attending church on a regular basis, and have also been dealing with addictions of all kinds. There is no doubt that promiscuity is an enormous contributing factor -- since it creates unhealthy dependencies among often dysfunctional people.

Thus, the religious convictions of Muslims is often tied to a web of cultural behaviours that harm women, while adherence to the tenets of faith among Christians usually saves women from domestic violence. I think women of all traditions can join in praying for a social construct in which women don't need to  live in fear, but can turn to God as a loving protector.