WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

1. WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST By Ben Gertz

2. Overall rights • Most women in the Middle East and North Africa are mistreated or denied most basic rights • They are cruelly punished for minor actions that are normal for most western influenced countries • Some are even punished for talking to men who are not relatives • In most Middle Eastern countries women are not allowed to vote, show skin, and be in public without a male relative’s escort • Some women cannot even go to trial if they are raped

3. Afghanistan under Taliban rule • Under Taliban rule women were stripped of all basic human rights • They could not show skin in public. They were forced to wear head-to-toe coverings called burqas with small mesh parts to see through • In some cases women are beaten just for flashing an ankle on accident • Also, women were not allowed to work, go to school, or go to college • Health care is non-existent for women. If they got sick with bad diseases they would probably die

4. Afghanistan under Taliban rule • If a man dies, a woman might die of starvation because she can’t go into public without a male relative • Men can beat and kill their spouses without punishment • In 2001 when America invaded Afghanistan they took the Taliban out of power • People think that when America leaves Afghanistan the Taliban will take power again

5. Afghanistan Now • Afghanistan voted HamidKarzai to be their president • The new government under Karzai is much better to woman then the Taliban was, but life is still bad • If a woman lives in the rural areas of Afghanistan they still have to follow most of the laws imposed by the Taliban because they still have a large influence there

6. Shariah Law • This is the law that most Arab countries use to govern themselves • This is a very strict set of laws that run on the rules set by the Qur’an, the religious book of Islam • It sets most of the restrictions for women like wearing jewelry and making noise while walking • It was invented by Muslim scholars in the second century • Under complete Shariah law it makes everyone act like a perfect Muslim

7. Syria • Syria has a very poor human rights record • Its arrested rights activists, censored websites, and imposed many travel bans • It has run under emergency rule since 1963. This allows the police to arrest people without a warrant, thus allowing them to keep the political antagonists from starting a revolution and getting women and men rights • The government isveryterribleto women and men alike

8. Libya • Libyan women are treated like 2nd class citizens • In Libya they have places for women if they were abused or raped in anyway called “social rehabilitation centers” • Women who have been there say it is terrible and you might as well call it jail • People who go there may have already finished their sentences at jails but are held for longer • There is no way out without a male family member picking you up • In some cases men can come in and take a random women to marry then the woman may leave

9. Libya • Some women are forced to have invasive virginity tests upon entry • The women have very restricted movement in their small cells • One woman was raped and knew her brother would kill her so she went to one of the centers, they kept her there for a very long time and treated her badly • There is no education in these “jails” just weekly religious instruction

10. Women in Egypt Women wearing Egyptian flags Beating Hosni Mubarak the old dictator of Egypt Women have had very bad lives in Egypt, but as the Mubarak regime went down they have gotten more respect there was even a women chanting out against Mubarak

11. Different kinds of Islamic dress In this picture it shows the different kinds of coverings for Muslim women ranging from the Burqa being for very radical governments to the Hijab for more reformed governments.

12. Bibi Aisha

13. Bibi Aisha • Bibi Aisha is an Afghani women who got her nose and ears cut off by her husband • She was abused by her family and she ran away from it • Since she lived in a remote region of Afghanistan the Taliban was still partially in power there • When her family found her the Taliban commander wanted to set an example for other women so he had Bibi’s husband cut her nose and ears off and leave her to die • She woke up and made it to a women’s center where Time Magazine found her and made her famous • In the picture on the right it shows her with her new fake nose

14. Bibliography Baker, Aryn. "Afghan Women Fear Their Fate Amid Taliban Negotiations - TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. 29 July 2010. Web. 17 Mar. 2011. <http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2007238,00.html>. Gowans, Stephen. "Women’s Rights in Afghanistan. What's Left." GlobalResearch.ca - Centre for Research on Globalization. 10 Aug. 2010. Web. 17 Mar. 2011. <http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=20556>. Hamadeh, Riad. "Women Rights in Lebanon | Our Vision & Our Voices." Women's Learning Partnership | For Rights, Development, and Peace. 9 Mar. 2011. Web. 17 Mar. 2011. <http://www.learningpartnership.org/blog/2010/02/lebanon-women-rights-2/>. Joffe-Walt, Benjamin. "Womens Rights Improve across the Middle East." Jerusalem Post | Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East & the Jewish World. 3 Aug. 2010. Web. 17 Mar. 2011. <http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=170391>.

15. "Libya: Women, Girls Locked Up Indefinitely Without Charge | Human Rights Watch." Home | Human Rights Watch. 26 Feb. 2006. Web. 17 Mar. 2011. <http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2006/02/26/libya-women-girls-locked-indefinitely-without-charge>. "Oman." U.S. Department of State. 4 Mar. 2002. Web. 17 Mar. 2011. <http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2001/nea/8286.htm>. "Syria | Human Rights Watch." Home | Human Rights Watch. 2008. Web. 17 Mar. 2011. <http://www.hrw.org/en/node/79303#header>. Trister, Sarah. "Sarah Trister: Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa: Supporting the Fight for Freedom and Equality." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. 10 Mar. 2010. Web. 17 Mar. 2011. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-trister/womens-rights-in-the-midd_b_493714.html>.