We are deeply concerned about the safety of women activists in Kurdistan, as they are constantly attacked by the Islamic Representative Group. Disturbingly, the Kurdish Government remains silent towards this alarming situation, which constitutes a violation of fundamental human rights.
In a joint statement Kurdish and Middle Eastern Women’s Organisation (KMEWO), the International Federation of Iraqi Refugees (IFIR) and the Middle Eastern Women & Society Organisation (MEWSO) stand in solidarity with Kurdish activists and they call for support. Please, do take a moment to read and share the statement below.
Kurdistan authorities are responsible for Shilan Nuri’s life and safety!
Ms. Shilan Hama Nuri, a women’s rights activist, stated on Kurdsat News that polygamy is a form of prostitution.
The Union of Islamic Religious Scholars (UIRS) said in a statement on Tuesday that the Suleimani branch of their union has filed a lawsuit against Ms. Shilan.
The International Federation of Iraqi Refugees, Kurdish and Middle Eastern Women’s Organisation and Middle Eastern Women &Society Organisation-MEWSO not only opposes the UIRS complaint, but also holds the Kurdish authorities responsible for Shilan Nuri’s safety.
We urge Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other women’s rights organisations to intervene immediately and hold the Kurdistan Regional Government accountable for Shilan Nuri’s safety.
Defending Shilan means standing up to a conservative movement and defending freedom and the sacredness of society
This is not the first time that Islamists and Salafi mullahs in Kurdistan have threatened women’s activists and attacked society, individual and civil rights, and basic human freedoms. Sports are forbidden by Islamists, Salafis, and their writers, who claim that watching football is like watching Satan! Singing, music, dancing, reading, theatre, poetry, freedom of dress, and all modern appearances are all condemned.
The revolutionary uprising of women, students, and workers in Iran has instilled fear in the hearts of Kurdistan’s Salafi Islamists. In recent months, they have escalated their threats against women activists such as Naghda Osman, Choman Hardi, and Shilan Hama Nuri, but the authorities, the law, and the prosecutors have not only remained silent, but the judiciary and the prosecutors are carrying out their demands.
International Federation of Iraqi Refugees-IFIR
Kurdish and Middle Eastern Women’s Organisation –KMEWO
Middle Eastern Women &Society Organisation-MEWSO
8/12/2022