Feminist Peace Network

The other day while investigating why there was a huge surge in traffic on the Feminist Peace Network blog, I discovered that Time Magazine’s Middle East Blog had posted a link to our site. Finding it rather amazing that such a mainstream publication had taken notice of a site that proudly exists somewhere out on the left fringe of the blogosphere, I went to take a look-see and discovered that surprise, surprise, it was written by 3 white guys and just more of the same stuff that the MSM dishes out every day. I was irritated enough to write and point out to them that 3 white guys writing about Iraq was really not all that informative, so far no reply.

The good news is that there is one mainstream outfit that does get it. Be sure to read this brilliant, poignant explanation of what has happened to women’s rights in Iraq that is posted on the McClatchy Inside Iraq Blog:

“For what have we been pushed back into the dark ages?

How can this be liberation if my daughter has fewer rights than I did at her age? If she has less control over her life than I did? Fewer choices than even her grandmother had?

Why have we been forgotten?? Neither our Parliament nor our Government cares. They are up there for their own interests.

But what about the powers that crossed the high seas to liberate us?? They poured out their billions; they sacrificed their sons … to “liberate” us … but what we, the women of Iraq got, is article 41.

Go to your cleric – he is sure to solve all your issues.”

The McClatchy blog also has a blogroll that led me to other blogs with blogrolls that led me to several blogs written by Iraqi women that give us yet more insight about what life is like for women in Iraq:

Emotions:

“I also feel so worried as schools will start and the fear and worry about my daughters will start too.

I heard about a relative murder, and so many sad stories about Iraqi families from the resident dentists ,I also read many experiences about families abroad from the network sites ……….

Ah, I really feel exhausted, I also had a difficult personal sympathy experience at work that made me lose my equipoise, I really want a brake before I explode. I had many crying moments this week…”

An Arab Woman Blues:

“It was time for me to leave. I had a funeral visit to go to, I gave one last long look…

The sun was slowly disappearing into the sea. The water took on a blue silvery color and shined as if a thousand diamonds were floating on its surface. All was gently enveloped in a hue of pink, red, yellow and indigo.

And in a few hours, at sunrise, the sea and its shore will be witnessing a brand new day of…Occupation.”

Baghdad Girl:

“This is the army that the American government and the Iraqi government are helping to build, they brought every criminal, thief, and looser gave him a gun and send him to the streets, the new army together with the armed militias with the help of Iran, are destroying the country.

If the people who suppose to protect the country, are the ones who are destroying it. What future does Iraq still have???”

One wonders what would happen if Time or MSNBC or NPR (ok, in all fairness, in 2003 NPR did have one post from a young woman who was an Iraqi refugee) suddenly gained enlightenment and started making an effort to give these voices a hearing. Who knows, maybe then we would start to understand what is really happening in Iraq. And on that note, please read Relief Web’s urgent appeal for help for the Iraqi refugees in Syria, Jordan and Egypt, as well as the Amnesty report on the crisis facing these millions of displaced people.

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