Category Archives: Fundamentalism

7 November 2016 19:00 ~ Public Seminar at UK Parliament on Sharia Law, Legal Pluralism and Access to Justice – IKWRO – London

Sharia Law, Legal Pluralism and Access to Justice is hosted by IKWRO and several organisations and activists to debate and express concerns about the increasing state recognition and promotion of religious-based arbitration and mediation forums, such as ‘Sharia courts’ in the UK. These councils operate as parallel legal systems in which women are treated unfairly, including when seeking divorce or custody over children. The seminar will examine the range of injustices faced by women who engage with all forms of religious arbitration forums and sets out the reasons behind a growing campaign to end state legitimization of legal pluralism in the UK.

Speakers:

  • Dr. Savin Bapir, IKWRO Counselling Psychologist : Why we need to understand ‘sharia courts’ as a form of violence against women and girls
  • Maryam Namazie: Sharia Councils and the transnational Islamist links
  • Houzan Mahmoud: Muslim women between ‘choice’ and ‘agency’
  • Gina Khan: Sharia courts: A personal testimony.
  • Pragna Patel: Religious fundamentalism and the law: Facilitating access to justice?’
  • Gita Sahgal: Can parallel courts be regulated?

The Seminar will be chaired by Ms Raife Aytek, Director of the Centre for Kurdish Progress

Until-9 pm @ Committee Room 9, House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 0A

To RSVP, please email Houzan Mahmoud at houzan@gmail.com  & Kurdish Progress at kurdishprogress2014@gmail.com

http://ikwro.org.uk/2016/10/public-seminar-parliament/#more-2869

November 4, 2016

1 July 2016 12:00 ~ Out in School: Gender, Sexuality and Fundamentalism – A Feminist Dissent Event – Warwick

Free

This Workshop brings together researchers, teachers, community members, activists and policy practitioners to provoke an in-depth discussion on the question of sexuality (including sexual orientation) and fundamentalist religious beliefs and practices within schools. What kinds of conflicts arise in the interface of individual and communal religious beliefs and sexual and reproductive choice? What kinds of specific challenges do children who identify themselves as bisexual, gay, lesbian or trans come up against in terms of dealing with religious orthodoxies within schools, communities and families? How can educators, policy practitioners and feminists create space for such discussions to be “out”, and what kinds of practices and policies are best suited to ensure the well-being of children and the values of secularism, liberty and human rights? These are some of the questions that the Workshop will seek to explore. We hope you will join us for this important discussion.

Panelists:

  • Elly Barnes
    (Elly Barnes is the founder and chief executive of Educate and Celebrate, an organisation focused on tackling homophobia and bullying in schools. In 2015, she was shortlisted for the National Diversity Awards.)
  • Ruth Marx
    (Ruth Marx has been teaching in Tower Hamlets for 8 years as a Secondary School Religious Studies teacher. In 2014, she completed a Farmington Fellowship at Oxford University investigating the role of the Religious Studies teacher as a progressive force in a secondary school. She draws upon her links with the Inclusive Mosque Initiative, the Safra Project and the Naz and Matt Foundation, to enrich her teaching in Tower Hamlets.)
  • Razia Aziz
    (Razia Aziz has studied and worked professionally in the field of diversity, equality and inclusion for over 20 years as a researcher, writer, coach, consultant, trainer and facilitator. In 2010 Razia co-founded the Equality Academy, an organization that offers coaching, consultancy and training to the corporate sector. Her work and study span the fields of counseling, coaching, voice and bodywork, performing arts and interfaith ministry.)
  • Udaramati Pope
    (Udaramati Pope works in Nottingham Trent University. She has been involved in teaching, learning and research for over twenty years, at all levels from secondary English teaching to postgraduate PhD supervision, and has led programmes of initial teacher education at secondary level. She has worked at the University of Warwick, Newman University Birmingham, Loughborough University and Royal Holloway University of London. She has also recently worked as a consultant for Ofqual, leading the validation of the new A Levels.)
  • Michael McCartan
    (McCartan is a Sexual Health Education Officer at the Rainbow Project Northern Ireland.)
  • Mandeep S. Sehmi
    (Sehmi is a PhD student at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University.)

Places are limited, so please reserve a free place. Lunch will be provided for all those registered.

We are offering 5 travel bursaries to school teachers from any part of the UK, on a first come first served basis. To request one, please email Rashmi.Varma@warwick.ac.uk

Feminist Dissent is supported by: the Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies, the Warwick Impact Fund and the GRP in International Development.

  • Friday, 1 July 2016 from 12:00 to 16:00
  • Institute of Advanced Study, Milburn House University of Warwick

Free but register online at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/out-in-school-gender-sexuality-and-fundamentalism-tickets-25932194893

June 13, 2016

16 April 2016 9:30 ~ Direct action for reproductive rights – Feminist Fightback – London

Until 12:30 @ Stratford, London E15 (meet outside Stratford East Picturehouse, Salway Road, E15 1BX at 9.30am sharp)

Stop the religious bigots, fight for reproductive justice!

Over the last few years right-wing religious groups have been making their presence felt outside reproductive health clinics in the UK. They hold prayer vigils, sing hymns and hold up religious icons. Their specially trained “pavement counsellors” also intimidate women, handing out dishonest and scaremongering anti-choice propaganda. They try, and sometimes succeed, in stopping women going into clinics.

We cannot let the religious right-wing take over public space. We won’t let increases in this activity go unchallenged. Anti-abortionists might have a right to express their opinion, but they don’t have a god-given right to stand outside a clinic, peddle lies and intimidate and harass people.

We believe abortion is not just about a woman’s individual “right” or “choice”. And it is not only a feminist struggle. This fight is inseparable from a bigger one — against the capitalist system and, right now, against austerity and against right-wing ideologies which promote the sanctity of the family (and a very particular model of the family at that), while working-class families are suffering from cuts to benefits and services.

As feminists, communists, anarchists, socialists, anti-capitalists and queers we recognise the importance of reproductive justice: for people to be able to decide whether or not to have children, and to have the support they need to act on this decision. We all have an interest in defending reproductive rights and services against the state and right-wing religious groups who want to control our bodies.

We want to make sure people can access clinics safely. We need to take a stand against the religious right-wing and their anti-women views by taking action.

Join us at Stratford on Saturday 16 April when one of these groups are planing a procession from a church to a local abortion clinic to harass women. Meet at Stratford East Picturehouse, E15 1BX at 9.30am sharp. Bring pots and pans, other noise makers, pro-choice placards. All genders welcome.

Called by: Feminist Fightback

Supported by:

  • London Antifascists
  • Focus E15
  • Fourth Wave: London Feminist Activists
  • Radical Assembly South East London
  • RS21 East London
  • AngryWorkers
  • Alliance for Workers’ Liberty
  • North London SolFed
  • 15 M London Women’s Assembly
  • Berlin-Irish Pro Choice Solidarity
  • x:talk project
  • Plan C London
  • Dywizjon 161
  • Freedom News
  • NCAFC women and non-binary caucus
  • Central American Women’s Network
  • Jewdas Women
  • Festival of Choice
  • Southall Black Sisters

https://www.facebook.com/events/115723398830610/

April 15, 2016

Women’s rights groups urge government to hold inquiry into Sharia ‘courts’ and the lack of access to justice

On Thursday 10 December 2015, Southall Black Sisters (SBS), One Law for All, Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (IKWRO), Centre for Secular Space and British Muslims for Secular Democracy will attend 10 Downing Street to hand deliver a letter signed by nearly 400 individuals and organisations urging David Cameron to hold an inquiry into the discriminatory nature of Sharia ‘courts’ and other religious arbitration forums.

These women’s and human rights organisations also led successful campaigns preventing public authorities such as the governing body of UK Universities (UUK) and the Law Society from incorporating aspects of Sharia laws into their public policies. With regards the question of parallel legal systems, they argue that in these times of draconian austerity measures and cuts to legal aid, these unaccountable, arbitrary and religious ‘courts’ presided over by fundamentalist religious forces are increasingly filling the vacuum that is created. They dispense a second rate system of justice that denies vulnerable women and children access to equality and human rights.

Campaigners are calling on the government to exclude Sharia and all other religious forums, including the Jewish Beth Din from presiding over divorce and family matters; to reinstate legal aid; to stop the repeal of the Human Rights Act and to re-affirm the principle of the separation of religion and the law. The law is a key component of securing justice for citizens and one law for all.

Pragna Patel of SBS says:

“Discriminatory religious codes are very much a part and parcel of the continuum of domestic and gender based violence and other abuses that BME women face in their daily lives since they reinforce discrimination, deny exit and prevent women from accessing justice or from asserting their right to equality…For these reasons and more, parallel legal systems must not be allowed to exist.”

Maryam Namazie of One Law for All says:

“Dismantling religious courts isn’t a denial of people’s right to religion, it’s a defence of human rights, and particularly women’s rights vis-a-vis the religious-Rightwing and their attempts at restricting women’s rights in the family. By allowing religious courts to operate, we are saying that Muslim or Jewish women do not have the same rights as others in this country. This is unacceptable.”

Diana Nammi of IKRWO says:

“The whole premise of religious ‘courts’ is discrimination to women, they represent a major barrier to women’s rights and not only do they deny women justice, they also distance women from the mainstream court system and safety measures, such as civil protection orders, which can have dire consequences. Given that religious ‘courts’ are community based and often mediate, there are dangerous implications including locking women within violent marriages and “honour” based violence. The government must prioritise women’s safety by ensuring access to mainstream justice and preventing the proliferation and deepening entrenchment of these parallel legal systems.”

Part of a longer press release at http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/10dec/

December 11, 2015

As more and more Afghan women speak out, we have a duty to amplify their voices – IKWRO

In March, 2015 a young Afghan woman called Farkhunda, was lynched by a mob in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan, having been falsely accused of burning the Quran. A few days after the vicious incident, women’s rights activists, who identified that the brutal attack was an act of patriarchy, occupied the streets of Kabul to demand justice. Both women and men came together and there was a powerful surge of opposition to patriarchy and the culture of violence against women and girls that has ruled the country for years. In a powerful break with tradition and demonstration of solidarity, women carried Farkhunda’s coffin. It was believed to be a turning point for women’s rights in Afghanistan. An environment of hope was created, that such heinous crimes wouldn’t be repeated.

However, it was not the last case of public violence against a woman, last month 19 year old Rokhshana was stoned in the Western zone of the country having resisting forced marriage. Rokhshana was accused of adultery and inhumanly stoned to death for reclaiming the right to choose her partner.

These are two of the very few cases that have received media coverage and global attention, but violence against women and girls is pandemic in Afghanistan. According to a recent UN Women report, 87.2% of women are experiencing some sort of physical, psychological, sexual, economic or social violence.

An increase of recorded attacks is in part a welcome trend; it seems that the more women learn about their rights, the more they are coming forward to report attacks. However, many are pessimistic about how long these small gains can last, as war in Afghanistan enters its fortieth year.

Along with women’s rights activists within Afghanistan, we fear that lack of security and an absence of effective rule of law are fuelling an attitude of impunity, contributing to an intensification of attacks against women and girls. Meanwhile a dearth of trusted support and services for women and girls at risk, prevents many from seeking and receiving help and lack of education leads to deeply malign cultural practices, such as “honour” killing, stoning and forced marriages. Education for all, not only for girls, will give society the ability to break free from practices that not only violate women’s rights but human rights too.

As more and more women within Afghanistan are bravely raising their voices by reporting and campaigning for change, we, members of the international women’s rights community, also have a crucial role to play. By celebrating and amplifying the voices of inspiring women within Afghanistan, we contribute to the movement pushing for the rule of law, trusted support services and education, which are fundamental for lasting progress for women’s rights.

Written by Elaha Walizadeh IKWRO’s Pashto Speaking Advisor Advocate
Edited by Sara Browne IKWRO’s Campaign Officer & Zahra Rasouli Dari Speaking Advisor Advocate

http://ikwro.org.uk/2015/11/afghan-amplify-voices/

November 26, 2015