The Organisation of Women's
Freedom in Iraq (OWFI)
Latest Issue of Al Mousawat
While the Iraqi and the US governments boast about relative security in Iraq, the killing of hundreds of women is rising all across the country. Sectarian violence is rising once again. Trafficking is part of our daily lives and Islamism is on the rise. Al Mousawat raises these questions out loud.
Our 11th issue of Al Mousawat has been distributed since mid-January and has already sold out. OWFI needs to reprint the issue for its readers. If you would like to see the issue please click on the picture.
File size: 11 mb
Written in arabic
A clip of a young poet, Muhammed, in our
Winter Festival Poetry Event - Freedom Space
The southern cities of Iraq which are totally under the grip of Islamist parties have turned into no-woman zones. Female physical appearance is not acceptable in the streets, educational institutions, or at work places. Although veiled and passive, death awaits women around street corners, in the market, and visits them inside their homes daily in the city of Basra. Please sign our petition
International Campaign
against killings and stoning of women in
Kurdistan
Condemn the brutal stoning to
death of Doa - a young girl whose only crime
was to fall in love
Condemn another hideous stoning of an 11
years old girl in Kurdistan
Sara Jaffar
Nimat is an 11-year-old girl from the town
of Khanaqin in Iraqi Kurdistan. She was
murdered on the 3rd August.The painful,
degrading and horrific killing of Sara is
another outrageous crime against young girls
and women in Kurdistan. Sara was only in
fifth grade at school. Loved by her friends,
they played together on the night she was
killed........Read
more
The Eleanor
Roosevelt Global Women’s Rights award was
presented to Yanar Mohammed, the president
of OWFI in recognition of her endeavors in
voicing Iraqi women and protecting their
rights in the post-war Iraq.......
Read more
We condemn
the brutal killings of Amina and Shawbo -
victims of so called “honour killings” in
Kurdistan
It is
unbelievable to hear the news about a 12
years old girl, brutally killed by her
father because he suspected her of having a
relationship with their 24-year-old male
neighbour. Amina was killed on the 5th May
2007 by her own father in their house
opposite the Ministry of Human Rights in
Erbil, Kurdistan........Read
more
In admiration
of Doa’s love we will cast 17 red roses into
river Thames
Doa
Khalil Aswad was stoned to death in public
for falling in love, with a man outside of
her faith and tribe. Her stoning was
witnessed by almost 1000 men who did nothing
to prevent this brutal murder........Read
more
Killing women, destroying Iraq
By Houzan
Mahmoud
What the brutal 'honour
killing' of a girl in
Iraq's Kurdistan
province shows about the
country's headlong
descent into sectarian
violence
Houzan Mahmoud, an Iraqi
Kurd who lives in
Britain, is the overseas
representative of the
Organisation of Women's
Freedom in Iraq and
initiator of the
Campaign against Killing
and Stoning of
Women......Read
more
'You can come
upon women's bodies anywhere'
"The Guardian"
Life was
supposed to get better for women in Iraq
after the ousting of Saddam. The reality has
been rocketing rates of rape, murder,
domestic violence and infant mortality,
reports leading US writer Katha Pollitt.....Read
more
A delegation from the
international campaign to remove article 7
of the Kurdistan constitution presented a
petition and more than 4000 signatures to
the constitution committee in Kurdistan
Parliament!
On the 27th March 2007, a
delegation from the international campaign
to remove Article 7 consisted of Houzan
Mahmoud, the campaign coordinator; Sozan
Shehab, a member of Kurdistan parliament;
and Stivan Shamzinani, journalist and
campaign representative in Kurdistan visited
the Kurdistan parliament in Erbil in order
to present all the signatures........Read
more
OWFI’s
Statement for IWD
After 4 Years of Occupation
and Oppression
Our Struggles Continue
Women of Iraq have gradually let go of most
of their 20th century gains and privileges
in the last 4 years of occupation. Iraq
turned from a modern country of educated and
working women into a divided land of Islamic
and ethnic warlords who compete in
cancelling women from the social
realm........Read
more
Islamic
Sharia law: a constant threat against the
rights and freedom of women in the Middle
East
By Houzan
Mahmoud
Today in many societies in the Middle East,
women are regarded as second or third class
citizens. Recognition of women as free human
beings equal to men is off the agenda for
all governments in the region.........Read
more
MADRE Partner Condemned to
Death
By Jihadist
Group
On February 26, 2007, Houzan Mahmoud, the
international representative of MADRE’s
sister organization, the Organization of
Women’s Freedom in Iraq, received an e-mail
signed by Ansar-al Islam, the notoriously
brutal jihadist group based in
Kurdistan/Iraq.........Read
more
Support Houzan Mahmoud
against Death Threats of Ansar al-Islam in
Iraq
After starting a campaign against article 7
in the Kurdistan’s regional constitution
which makes women and the society vulnerable
to Islamic Shariaa, Houzan received on
February 26th an email titled (kill),
threatening as follows: “With the permission
of Great God, we will kill you either in
Iraq or in London by the middle of March,
because you are campaigning against
Islam.........Read
more
A report about the 8th March
international women’s day activities in
Stockholm-Sweden
After a series of meetings with various
women’s organisations in Stockholm a
committee to organise 8 March was formed.
This committee will be organising a public
gathering in the centre of town on the 9th
of March at 3.00PM........Read
more
The Iraqi society was shocked with an
unprecedented issue of a woman stepping
forward voluntarily and admitting to
have been sexually assaulted by Iraqi
security forces. Instead of pursuing
further investigation into this assault
allegation, or empowering the victim
with moral support, the opponent
Islamist sectarian factions competed to
exploit the matter politically preparing
the ground for bloody sectarian
conflict. They symbolized Sabrine’s rape
as an assault against the whole “Sunni
religious group”........Read
more
International Campaign:
To remove Article No 7 from the Kurdistan regional constitution! Article 7 of the
proposed constitution for Kurdistan is an open threat to the rights
and freedoms of the people.......Read
moreSign the Petition
The Organisation of
Women’s Freedom in Iraq participated in the women’s march to Reclaim
The Night in central London.
On Saturday the
25th November 2006 more than one thousand women took to the streets
of London to mark the International Day to End Violence Against
Women, and march for their right to walk in the streets at night
without fear of rape and sexual harassment.........Read
more
Houzan Mahmoud in a
political trip to Lisbon- Portugal
Houzan Mahmoud
representative abroad of Organisation of women's freedom in Iraq and
chair of Iraq Freedom Congress abroad was invited by ATTAC/
Portuguese organisation to attend a seminar in the Portuguese social
forum. It was an opportunity to deliver a clear picture of the
situation in Iraq, alternatives and what to be done to support the
struggles of the organisations in Iraq who are struggling to end the
occupation and set up a secular alternative.........Read
more
On March 20, the
Iraqi people have reached the dismal milestone of the third-year
point since the United State-led invasion of Iraq. From the shock
and awe of the aerial bombardment of 20 March 2003, they are now
contemplating a fourth year of continuing terrorism, extreme
insecurity, destruction, and the daily violation of women’s
rights.........Read
more
IRAQI WOMEN'S
RIGHTS EXPERT IN WALES Houzan Mahmoud visits National Assembly
for All Party Group discussions Tomorrow,
International Women’s Day, Amnesty International will host Houzan
Mahmoud, an expert on women’s freedom in Iraq on a visit to the
National Assembly for Wales........Read
more
Reaping the Fruits
of
American Democracy
in Iraq
On Wednesday the
22nd of February, Iraqi people witnessed the darkest day of their
modern history. The new democracy, as designed by George Bush and
reinforced by his ambassador Khalil Zadeh, has matured to the point
where sectarian and civil war is only one tool of political pressure
of one governmental group to get a bigger share in the
government.......Read
more
Houzan
Mahmoud’s talk at the women’s annual conference of National Union of
Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers RMT
On an invitation
by the women’s section of National Union of Rail, Maritime and
Transport Workers, (RMT) Houzan Mahmoud representative of
Organisation of women’s freedom in Iraq took part in the women’s
annual conference of RMT which was held in Gloucester on 24th & 25th
February........Read
more
A statement by organization of
Women’s freedom in Iraq – abroad representative on International
Women’s Day (8 March)
Make it a day to say No! To Islamic
Sharia law in Iraq!
For secularism, equality and
freedom!
The Organization of Women’s Freedom in
Iraq (OWFI) sends its greetings for this historic day to women
activists all over the world. For centuries women have been
struggling for their rights and for equality and liberation in all
parts of the world.............Read
more
Call from the Organization of
Women’s Freedom in Iraq- abroad representative
To make International Women’s Day on 8
March a day of saying No to Islamic Sharia law in Iraq
To all women’s, progressive,
secularist and labour movement organizations.........Read
more
NEWS
RELEASE
From the Office Of Jean Lambert, London's Green MEP
GREEN EURO MP:
RIGHTS OF IRAQI WOMEN MUST BE DEFENDED
he elections in
Iraq may be seen by some as a step forward, but the jury’s out on
whether this is good news for women. London’s Green MEP, Jean
Lambert has called for action to end the atrocities, and support
women struggling to overcome oppression..........Read
more
The
Islamists Attack against Freedom of Expression
The caricatures of
Mohammad painted in Denmark have created an economical, cultural and
political mess all over the world. This conflict cannot be looked
only within the frame of “civilization crash”.........Read
more
Civilised humanity must take a stand in defence of freedom of
expression, against Islamists and racists
The recent
controversy over some caricatures of Mohammed gave the Islamists an
opportunity to wage a hysterical protest internationally. In many
cases, this took a violent form and was clearly aimed at silencing
those who dared to even portray Mohammed.........Read
more
Our thoughts and deep concern for the CPT detainees:
We in the
Organization of women’s freedom in Iraq have witnessed all the
support and compassion from members of the CPT since the beginning
of war on Iraq and until these sad days.Peggy, Sheila and others
were marching with us since our first demonstrations in front of the
green zone. .........Read
more
Baghdad:
Iraqi Feminist
Yanar Mohammed Takes to the Airwaves
It is not unusual
for millions of Iraqis to fix their television sets on talk shows
and catch Yanar Mohammed, speaking forcefully in a tone that is
polite but determined, serious yet animated, seated between a Muslim
cleric and a representative of the U.S. position to her left, and a
Kurdish political candidate and a Sunni opposition leader to her
right.........Read
more
Arab woman
activist agianst religion-based misogyny and child abuse!!!
Houzan
Mahmoud in media on the so called elections and the political
situation in Iraq!
Houzan Mahmoud is
continuously been interviewed by various media outlets about her
organisations opposition to the so called elections and the current
political situation in Iraq, the women’s rights and violation of
human rights in Iraq........Read
more
Rega
Rauf in a seminar in Stockholm-Sweden about the so called “Honour
Killings”
On 07/11/2005 The
Hosby Library in Stockholm organised a seminar for Rega Rauf OWFI
activist and a prominent women’s rights veteran from Iraqi Kurdistan
about the so called honour killings........ Read more
Amnesty
International Wales 
Houzan
Mahmoud in media on the so called elections and the political
situation in Iraq!
Rega
Rauf in a seminar in Stockholm-Sweden about the so called “Honour
Killings”
