Middle East news
Prostitution in Israel - 'prosecute the client'
May 2011: Roni Aloni Asdovnik leads the Task Force Agents on Human Trafficking in Israel. She writes - "The client is paying for the rape yet he is not classed as part of the criminal world like the prostitute and the pimp..."
Interview with Melody Moezzi: Islam, Women and Culture
"I think society and governments in particular will use whatever they can to perpetuate misogyny, to perpetuate sexism, and they’ve done so. If they didn’t have religion, they would have used – and they have used – political systems..."
Interview with Anushay Hossain - Syria & Jordan: The Rulers' Wives
April 2011. Anushay Hossain: In 'Vogue', Asma Al-Assad talked about how her house is run on "wildly democratic principles" from chandeliers to sofas.. but outside they've been running a dictatorship for over 30 years...
Bahareh Hedayat, Iranian Activist - Birthday in Prison
By Elahe Amani: 'Bahareh and other younger political prisoners all over the world are passionate souls who strive to live in a safe world, a just world, and a world that embraces equality and dignity for all.'
Bahareh Hedayat - The Birth of Hope
April 2011: By Sussan Tahmasebi - 'Bahareh turned 30 in Evin prison on April 5th. Last year for Bahareh’s birthday we gathered in her home to celebrate. I arrived there with trepidation...'
Interview with Melody Moezzi: Iran is not a simple story
April 2011: Chris Crowstaff interviews Melody Moezzi: -"When my parents were in Iran, there were British fancy country clubs that had signs outside that said 'no dogs or Iranians allowed'..."
Mahsa Vahdat: My music is banned in Iran
April 2011: Joanne Michele interviews Mahsa Vahdat - "Most of my students are female and they come to class with the eagerness to learn traditional Persian singing... Music belongs to all humans regardless of gender or faith."
The Middle East feminist revolution - By Naomi Wolf
Feb 2011: 'The role of women in the great upheaval in the Middle East has been woefully under-analysed. Women in Egypt did not just "join" the protests – they were a leading force behind the cultural evolution that made the protests inevitable...."
Egypt: Eradicating Torture, Creating Justice - interview with Dr Magda Adly
March 2011: Fatma Emam interviews Dr Magda Adly, director of the el Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of the Victims of Violence - "I was in the field hospital in Tahrir and the bullets were 1 cm from me, but we have to continue..."
Statement from the Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights
March 2011: The Egyptian Coalition for Civic Education and Women's Participation received the constitutional amendments. These amendments have led to great worries amongst the coalition for they did not... meet the revolution's demands.
Mona Eltahawy - The Woman Who's Explaining Egypt to the West
Jan 2011: As the world struggles to understand the events and implications of civil unrest in Egypt, one person has emerged as a major authority in Western media: Mona Eltahawy.
More Women Needed in Middle East Peace Process
Jan 2011: By Irit Hakim - 'Ambassador Khoury, former PLO Ambassador to France, urges more women to get up and take part in the Middle East peace process - "The need is urgent because events are happening fast."'