Women in Palestine

[P F Tinmore]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3tzWjYQRqw]Hundreds rally in West Bank, Gaza for Women's Day - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JStone]

Mother Kills Raped Daughter To Restore 'Honor'

ABU QASH, West Bank — Raped by her brothers and impregnated, Rofayda Qaoud refused to commit suicide, her mother recalls, even after she bought the 17-year-old a razor with which to slit her wrists.

So Amira Abu Hanhan Qaoud says she did what she believes any good Palestinian parent would: restored her family's "honor" through murder.

Armed with a plastic bag, razor and wooden stick, Qaoud entered her sleeping daughter's room last Jan. 27. "Tonight you die, Rofayda," she told the girl, before wrapping the bag tightly around her head.

Next, Qaoud sliced Rofayda's wrists, ignoring her muffled pleas of "No, mother, no!" After her daughter went limp, Qaoud struck her in the head with the stick.

Killing her sixth-born child took 20 minutes, Qaoud tells a visitor through a stream of tears and cigarettes that she smokes in rapid succession. "She killed me before I killed her," says the 43-year-old mother of nine. "I had to protect my children. This is the only way I could protect my family's honor."

Qaoud's confessed crime, for which she must appear before a three-judge panel Dec. 3, is one repeated almost weekly among Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Israel. Female virtue and virginity define a family's reputation in Arab cultures, so it's women who are punished if that reputation is perceived as sullied.

Victims' rights groups say the number of "honor crimes" appears to be climbing, but at the same time, getting little attention. Israelis and Palestinians are too busy with political and military issues to notice what they dismiss as domestic disputes, says Suad Abu-Dayyeh, who works for the Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling in East Jerusalem.

According to court records, Rofayda was raped by her brothers, Fahdi, 22, and Ali, 20, in a bedroom they shared in the family's three-room house. On Nov. 26, 2002, doctors at a nearby hospital who were treating Rofayda for an injured leg discovered she was eight months pregnant.

While honor killings committed in the heat of the moment — for example, by a husband who catches his wife in bed with another man — generally carry a six-month to one-year jail term, Qaoud will likely be sentenced to three to five years in prison.

The fact she is a mother who was trying to protect her family's honor mitigates the crime of premeditated murder, which is punishable by death under Palestinian law, he adds.

The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Mother kills raped daughter to restore 'honor'

 

[P F Tinmore]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmlF6BG6cyQ]Laila El Haddad on Impact of Egypt Revolution on Palestinians - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JStone]

Hundreds rally in West Bank, Gaza for Women's Day

Palestinian Woman Breaks Taboo To Cycle Across Gaza Strip :
"A man punched my friend in the back and spit in my face"

In Gaza, an unspoken rule bans women from riding bicycles after they have hit puberty. But last Saturday, one young Palestinian woman decided to defy the taboo, sparking smiles - and a few threats - from fellow Gaza residents.

In a spur of the moment decision, 28-year-old Palestinian journalist Asmaa Alghoul decided to join three of her friends, two Italian human rights workers and an American, on a tour of Gaza by bicycle. On a warm summer's day, the two men and two women set off from the Egyptian border town of Rafah and headed north to Gaza city, along 30km of coastal road. But to Asmaa, the ride was more than a sunny day trip: women on bicycles are frowned upon in the Palestinian territories, and the young woman had not ridden a bike since she was 14 years old.

Most of the Gazans the small group came across were friendly and hospitable, as well as very helpful when it came to repairing flat tires or twisted chains. A rough encounter with a group of men on motorcycles, however, came as a harsh reminder of the domestic role women are expected to stick to in Gaza.

For my international friends, riding a bike is just a pleasant means of transportation, not a political statement. But as soon as I, a Palestinian woman, decided to join their group, the trip took on another dimension.

You just don't see women riding bikes in Muslim countries. It's not forbidden per say, but it's socially unacceptable. In addition, the Hamas government in Gaza has begun enforcing very strict, sexist rules restricting women's freedom - we can no longer smoke water pipes in cafés, for example. I find all of these rules unfair - stupid, really - so I decided to go on the bike ride as a test, to see what would happen.

Continued: http://observers.france24.com/content/20100831-gaza-woman-rides-bicycle-despite-ban-asmaa-alghoul

 

[P F Tinmore]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFUwyU5uJ38]Gaza widows struggle for survival - 31 Oct 09 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JStone]

Hundreds rally in West Bank, Gaza for Women's Day

Palestinian Woman Breaks Taboo To Cycle Across Gaza Strip
"A man punched my friend in the back and spit in my face"

In Gaza, an unspoken rule bans women from riding bicycles after they have hit puberty. But last Saturday, one young Palestinian woman decided to defy the taboo, sparking smiles - and a few threats - from fellow Gaza residents.

In a spur of the moment decision, 28-year-old Palestinian journalist Asmaa Alghoul decided to join three of her friends, two Italian human rights workers and an American, on a tour of Gaza by bicycle. On a warm summer's day, the two men and two women set off from the Egyptian border town of Rafah and headed north to Gaza city, along 30km of coastal road. But to Asmaa, the ride was more than a sunny day trip: women on bicycles are frowned upon in the Palestinian territories, and the young woman had not ridden a bike since she was 14 years old.

Most of the Gazans the small group came across were friendly and hospitable, as well as very helpful when it came to repairing flat tires or twisted chains. A rough encounter with a group of men on motorcycles, however, came as a harsh reminder of the domestic role women are expected to stick to in Gaza.

For my international friends, riding a bike is just a pleasant means of transportation, not a political statement. But as soon as I, a Palestinian woman, decided to join their group, the trip took on another dimension.

You just don't see women riding bikes in Muslim countries. It's not forbidden per say, but it's socially unacceptable. In addition, the Hamas government in Gaza has begun enforcing very strict, sexist rules restricting women's freedom - we can no longer smoke water pipes in cafés, for example. I find all of these rules unfair - stupid, really - so I decided to go on the bike ride as a test, to see what would happen.

Continued: Palestinian woman breaks taboo to cycle across Gaza strip | The Observers

 

[P F Tinmore]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2MIQz0txLc]GRITtv: Huwaida Arraf: Detained by Israel - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JStone]

Sorry, Hamas, I'm Wearing Blue Jeans

Palestinian feminist Asma Al-Ghoul arrived to our meeting at a Gaza coffee shop sporting blue jeans and a T-shirt—in stark contrast to the Islamic headscarves and tent-like dresses worn by the vast majority of Gazan women.

It's not just clothing that sets this 28-year-old secularist apart. She once publicly chastised a senior Hamas military leader—her uncle—who threatened to kill her, and she continues to publish gutsy articles, read banned books, and defy discriminatory policies. "Gaza needs all the liberal, secular people to stay here," she insisted, when I asked why she had declined opportunities to live abroad.

For three years, Israel has enforced a devastating blockade of the Gaza Strip aimed at isolating Hamas, the Islamic militant group that won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 and seized control of this Palestinian territory in a 2007 civil war. (Fatah, a more moderate Palestinian faction, retained control of the West Bank.) Since then, Hamas has introduced restrictive new laws, including prohibitions against women using male hairdressers or smoking hookah in public. Hamas police have shut down musical concerts and interrogated suspected couples. Principals at government schools have reportedly pressured even Christian girls to wear the Islamic headscarf. Through it all, Asma has remained devoted to secularism, and was recently awarded a prestigious Human Rights Watch grant for her "commitment to free expression and courage in the face of political persecution." But will she be able to help build the inclusive civil society she seeks?

Her brother Mustafa was arrested and jailed by Hamas police last week for participating in street protests against Hamas's recent shutdown of Sharek Youth Forum. The nonprofit, which organized camps and afterschool programs for more than 60,000 Gazan children, is accused of storing pornography on its computers.

These days, when Asma is not overcome with worry about her imprisoned brother's fate, she is reading, writing, and following the news, including coverage of the failing peace negotiations between Israel and Fatah. She regards these talks as a "sad fairytale where everyone knows the ending." She's acquired a smuggled Arabic copy of Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie and insists, "We should read it before we judge it." She's also finishing the manuscript to her novel, titled City of Love and Taboo, which explores the Islamization of Gaza. She's hoping to publish it in both Arabic and English.

"Everything is taboo in Gaza now," she says, explaining the book's title. "Yet, at the same time, people still touch and feel and love."

Sorry, Hamas, I'm Wearing Blue Jeans | Mother Jones

 

[P F Tinmore]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN_cG7KLWVM]About the Freedom Flotilla, Huwaida Arraf, Free Gaza Chair - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JStone]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efktSi0MiIY]Palestinian cleric: How to gently beat your wife - YouTube[/ame]

 

[P F Tinmore]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIXh5hvkCCE&feature=related]Black Palestinian Girls in Israel - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JStone]

Young Woman Killed in Rafah in an "Honor Killing"

At approximately 14:00 on Friday, 30 June 2006, the Criminal Investigations Department of the Rafah Police learned of the burial of Maha Akram El-Hamayda (18), after she had been killed in an “honor killing” crime. The police were able to determine the burial place in the eastern cemetery in Rafah. The father was summoned by the police and the body was removed and submitted to the pathology department of Naser Hospital in Khan Yunis.

According to information from the police, the pathologist report indicates that the girl had suffered a beating with a sharp object to the head, causing extensive bleeding. There were strangulation marks on the neck. The girl was examined and found to be a virgin.

The police investigation revealed that relatives of the girl had buried her. The police arrested the suspected relatives, who are under questioning.

In the early morning hours of Sunday, 2 July 2006, and against the backdrop of the killing, relatives of the girl set fire to a car spare parts shop owned by one of the suspects in the killing.

Young Woman Killed in Rafah in an "Honor Killing" | The Electronic Intifada

 

[JStone]

Black Palestinian Girls in Israel

Former PLO Leader Zuheir Mohsen

The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism.
Zuheir Mohsen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xrnw-yIc9w]The True History of Palestine - YouTube[/ame]

 

[P F Tinmore]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LpcM4FtzQg]Interview with Hanan Ashrawi - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JStone]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efktSi0MiIY]Palestinian cleric: How to gently beat your wife - YouTube[/ame]

 

[P F Tinmore]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFXFl1BOtnE]women singing - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JStone]

Who was struck by allah's wrath? "The Jews"
Who are the misguided? "The Christians"

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg3m3t87-dk&NR=1]brainwashed little muslim girl [must see] original - YouTube[/ame]

 

[P F Tinmore]

Ashrawi tramples Israeli salesman.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbTBE1dPVds&feature=related]Ashrawi defends Fatah-Hamas unity deal - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JStone]

Sorry, Hamas, I'm Wearing Blue Jeans

Palestinian feminist Asma Al-Ghoul arrived to our meeting at a Gaza coffee shop sporting blue jeans and a T-shirt—in stark contrast to the Islamic headscarves and tent-like dresses worn by the vast majority of Gazan women.

It's not just clothing that sets this 28-year-old secularist apart. She once publicly chastised a senior Hamas military leader—her uncle—who threatened to kill her, and she continues to publish gutsy articles, read banned books, and defy discriminatory policies. "Gaza needs all the liberal, secular people to stay here," she insisted, when I asked why she had declined opportunities to live abroad.

For three years, Israel has enforced a devastating blockade of the Gaza Strip aimed at isolating Hamas, the Islamic militant group that won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 and seized control of this Palestinian territory in a 2007 civil war. (Fatah, a more moderate Palestinian faction, retained control of the West Bank.) Since then, Hamas has introduced restrictive new laws, including prohibitions against women using male hairdressers or smoking hookah in public. Hamas police have shut down musical concerts and interrogated suspected couples. Principals at government schools have reportedly pressured even Christian girls to wear the Islamic headscarf. Through it all, Asma has remained devoted to secularism, and was recently awarded a prestigious Human Rights Watch grant for her "commitment to free expression and courage in the face of political persecution." But will she be able to help build the inclusive civil society she seeks?

Her brother Mustafa was arrested and jailed by Hamas police last week for participating in street protests against Hamas's recent shutdown of Sharek Youth Forum. The nonprofit, which organized camps and afterschool programs for more than 60,000 Gazan children, is accused of storing pornography on its computers.

These days, when Asma is not overcome with worry about her imprisoned brother's fate, she is reading, writing, and following the news, including coverage of the failing peace negotiations between Israel and Fatah. She regards these talks as a "sad fairytale where everyone knows the ending." She's acquired a smuggled Arabic copy of Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie and insists, "We should read it before we judge it." She's also finishing the manuscript to her novel, titled City of Love and Taboo, which explores the Islamization of Gaza. She's hoping to publish it in both Arabic and English.

"Everything is taboo in Gaza now," she says, explaining the book's title. "Yet, at the same time, people still touch and feel and love."

Sorry, Hamas, I'm Wearing Blue Jeans | Mother Jones

 

[P F Tinmore]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWGyRd7Q92s&feature=related]People and Politics | A Woman in the Palestinian Cabinet - YouTube[/ame]