Middle East news
Narges Mohammadi - Women Human Rights Defenders Are Heroes, Not Criminals
On September 28th 2016 an Iranian appeals court upheld a 16-year sentence for 44 year old Narges Mohammadi, a prominent human rights defender. Mrs. Mohammadi is a key member of the campaign for the abolition of the death penalty in Iran, a lawyer by training, and mother of two. She has been in and out of jail for the last 15 years.
Narges Mohammadi: On Trial in Iran for Defending Human Rights
Narges Mohammadi is mother of two and has been deprived of seeing her children for the past eight months... In order to put pressure on this political prisoner, all her medicine was taken away from her upon her transfer to her ward and she has been deprived of her medicine.
Discussing Gender Equality, Stereotypes, and Violence Against Women in Israel
Iris Kagan Hachmon opened the evening: "...It is important to remember that what begins overt or covert violence against women – is violating society as a whole.” .... Dr. Inbal Vilombski talked about the need for female solidarity as a lever for social change.
Filmmaker Mina Keshavarz Explores Economic Status of Rural Women in Iran
In her latest documentary, “Will She Win the War?”, Iranian filmmaker Mina Keshavarz challenges the status quo of modern Iranian women... In an exclusive English language interview with WNN staff journalist Elahe Amani, Keshavarz discusses, “Will She Win the War?” and its significance to the representation of women and the arts in Iran.
SOS Syrian Children - Helping Those Still in Syria
"My husband is Syrian and it was our dream to spend more time in his country... In October 2011, we left without knowing it would be years until we could go back. Home in Belgium, we saw the situation get worse and worse... all at once I got the idea to do something for the Syrian people."
Illegal and Prolonged Confinement of Bahareh Hedayat, Iranian Human Rights Advocate
Bahareh is the longest serving woman prisoner of conscience in Iran... Now after spending six years in one of the most notorious prisons of Iran, despite the imposition of solitary confinement, prolonged interrogations... she has completed serving her unjust sentences but she is still kept unlawfully in detention.
Egypt: Azza Soliman, CEWLA Founder, Faces Judicial Harassment
Update: Saturday 23rd May 2015. Ms. Azza Soliman, Egyptian lawyer and founder of CEWLA (Center for Egyptian Women Legal Assistance), was aquitted, along with the 16 other defendants in the El-Sabagh protesters trial...
Silence Did Not Protect Farinaz Khosravani
Farinaz Khosravani, a 25 year-old Iranian Kurdish woman fell/jumped from the fourth floor of Tara Hotel in Mahabad... Amnesty Inll referenced that people alleged that the member of Iran‘s intelligence and security forces had threatened to rape Farinaz.
Israeli Women Call for Change
In recent years there have been social protests – which were led by women, and political protests which were led by leftist parties, with a significant participation of women. There is a very great awakening of women leaders. Not only in politics, but also in social activity.
Tackling Domestic Violence & Slavery in Israel
Domestic violence increases in wartime... "More than 7,000 women [in Israel} were treated in shelters and by authorities in the last year... Only one percent of the total of 200,00 violent men arrive for treatment in the domestic violence prevention centers" - Iris Kagan.
Letter to Bahareh Hedayat, imprisoned Iranian student & women's rights activist
"Writing about you in my blog, will allow me to tell the few worthwhile people, who may read it, about you. I want to tell them that you are not just a brave prisoner whose pictures they have seen... I want to tell them that you are a real person. The best in fact." - Journalist Marzieh Rasouli.
Iraqi Perspective: Cycles of Violence - Interview with Hussein Al-Alak
One of the biggest failures of the US/UK occupation was its failure to push the Iraqi government to adequately provide for both orphans and widows, with consequences which allowed for a growth in the sex trade, human trafficking, drugs, and terrorism.