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<BR><BR>> Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2007 14:28:27 +0000<BR>> From: joy_helbin@hotmail.com<BR>> To: joy_helbin@hotmail.com<BR>> Subject: Fwd: ICAHK Action Alert: SYRIA: Young woman to be sent to certain death by Juidiciary<BR>> <BR>> --- In londonfeministnetwork@yahoogroups.co.uk, "joanne payton" <BR>> <joanne.payton@...> wrote:<BR>> <BR>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------<BR>> From: International Campaign Against Honour Killings <<BR>> webmaster@...><BR>> Date: 13 Nov 2007 16:38<BR>> Subject: ICAHK Action Alert: SYRIA: Young woman to be sent to certain <BR>> death<BR>> by Juidiciary<BR>> To:<BR>> <BR>> Hello, Young woman to be released to certain death by the judiciaryAn <BR>> appeal<BR>> from Syrian Women's Rights Organisation NESASY<BR>> <BR>> (R. M) Qab, 19, is too close to being killed by her brother, as he has<BR>> publicly pledged to do in the name of "honor." (R. M) is one of the <BR>> two<BR>> women whose stories Nesasy ran previously.<BR>> <BR>> Since then, NESASY been doing our best to save the lives of these two <BR>> women,<BR>> even though the government has ignored their cases to the extent of <BR>> almost<BR>> condoning "honor killings" all together. There's been some <BR>> developments in<BR>> these cases over the past week. One of the young women finally <BR>> married the<BR>> man she loved and wanted to be with, and she was released from <BR>> custody to go<BR>> with him to an undisclosed location.<BR>> <BR>> But the second woman is still detained, and now that her family has <BR>> dropped<BR>> the (fraudulent) theft charges they had brought against her, she is <BR>> due to<BR>> be released by law.<BR>> <BR>> The problem is that even though her brother has publicly an-nounced <BR>> he will<BR>> kill her to "reclaim the family's honor," the court plans to release <BR>> her<BR>> directly to her family. In other words, release her directly to the<BR>> slaughter!<BR>> The acting judge, (S.S), is in a difficult dilemma. On the one hand <BR>> there's<BR>> the family with all its laden traditions alongside people in the local<BR>> community pressuring him to release (R. M) to the family for them to <BR>> carry<BR>> out the slaughter that the brother is promising (the father does not <BR>> condone<BR>> it.) And on the other hand his own morality and sense of ethics as a <BR>> judge<BR>> disallow him to put in danger the life of a citizen. He knows very <BR>> well that<BR>> any guaran-tees her family give for her safety will be nothing beyond <BR>> ink on<BR>> paper. He knows well that she will be slaughtered. He has been <BR>> indecisive on<BR>> the matter.<BR>> <BR>> The judge considered releasing (R. M) to one of the province's <BR>> respectable<BR>> elders, but the elder has made it clear that he, in turn, would <BR>> deliver her<BR>> to her family because they have promised not to hurt her.<BR>> This would be a very dangerous thing to do. In past crimes com-mitted <BR>> in the<BR>> name of "honor," families have provided the same (false) guarantees of<BR>> safety for their daughter. But that has not prevented them from <BR>> slaughtering<BR>> her upon her release, as in the highly publicized case of 15-year-old <BR>> Zahra<BR>> Ezzo.<BR>> <BR>> The life of (R. M) is hours from being snuffed. We cannot remain <BR>> silent. We<BR>> ask the judge to act morally and ethically, and to pro-tect the life <BR>> of a<BR>> young woman, to release her to one of the or-ganizations or parties <BR>> who can<BR>> protect her and transport her with a police escort to a safe haven. <BR>> This is<BR>> also what (R.M) has re-quested of the judge. She is an adult and by <BR>> law he<BR>> must acqui-esce to her request.<BR>> <BR>> We have no choice but to hold the judge fully responsible for (R. M)'s<BR>> well-being if he releases her to her family. He cannot deny his <BR>> knowledge of<BR>> the threats to her life, nor that such a step means an imminent death.<BR>> We must also point to the respectable clergy in Sweida who have <BR>> already said<BR>> religion would not condone this murder. We now hold you to your word. <BR>> This<BR>> woman's life is in danger in the name of "honor." This is the time <BR>> for you<BR>> to make a swift and clear decision. This is the time for you to <BR>> protect this<BR>> woman and declare publicly and without ambiguity that hurting her is <BR>> a crime<BR>> against religion.<BR>> <BR>> We also call upon all individuals and organizations who work with <BR>> human<BR>> rights and the rights of women and a better future for humanity to get<BR>> involved to protect (R. M). Silence in this case is nothing less than<BR>> condoning the slaughter of (R. M).<BR>> <BR>> We also hold the entire Syrian government responsible for (R.M)'s<BR>> well-being, especially the President of Parliament and the Minister of<BR>> Justice and the Minister of Interior, who is in charge of protect-ing <BR>> the<BR>> lives of citizens. They are now fully aware of the danger (R.M) <BR>> faces. The<BR>> Syrian government is fully capable of protecting (R.M) if it wishes <BR>> to do<BR>> so, as it is capable of stopping the blood bath that is called "honor<BR>> killing."<BR>> <BR>> Many people in (R.M)'s province have gone to the streets to pledge<BR>> protection for her. One of these people is attorney Ghada al-<BR>> Abdullah, who<BR>> points out that sending a young woman to the slaughter in a country <BR>> that<BR>> claims to revere citizenship - not merely the citizenship of male <BR>> killers -<BR>> is against the law. It is also against human rights and against <BR>> Islamic law.<BR>> <BR>> This wonderful lawyer is using all her meager resources and putting <BR>> herself<BR>> in danger to protect (R.M).<BR>> <BR>> (R.M) is legally an adult, and it is her right to be released from <BR>> custody<BR>> without involving her family.<BR>> Please support NESASY's petition for R.M.<BR>> here< <A href="http://www.gopetition.com/online/15237.html">http://www.gopetition.com/online/15237.html</A> >Best Regards,<BR>> International Campaign Against Honour Killings Staff We sent<BR>> you this message because you have selected to receive newsletters <BR>> from our<BR>> site You can choose to unsubscribe from our mailings at any time by<BR>> following this<http://www.stophonourkillings.com/index.php?<BR>> name=Your_Account&edit=prefs>link<BR>> If you would like further assistance, please send an email to our<BR>> administrator <webmaster@...><BR>> <BR>> -- <BR><A href="http://www.stophonourkillings.com/">http://www.stophonourkillings.com/</A><BR>> Stop honour killings. Save lives!<BR>> <BR>> --- End forwarded message ---<BR>> <BR>> <BR><br /><hr />Do you know a place like the back of your hand? Share local knowledge with <a href='http://www.backofmyhand.com' target='_new'>BackOfMyHand.com</a></body>
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