Hana is on the right of the pic.
Iraq Occupation Focus invited Hana Ibrahim from Women’s Will Association to speak this evening. She spoke about life for women under occupation. The organisation has documented testimonies of women prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.
Hana mentioned the gang rape and murder of 14 year old Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabialong withher family. She believes it symbolises the continuous injustices, abuse and violence Iraq has experienced under imperialism. And with the case of Abeer and her family, the American soldiers were tried in the States.
The position of women in Iraq has worsened, again the ongoing violation of the whole of Iraqi society. Women involved in this organisation take a massive risk as they are watched by the occupiers and anyone else who dislikes women taking a lead. They are very courageous women who defy the occupation.
She gave a graphic statistical account of the sum total of war and occupation:
4 million refugees
1-3 million Iraqis dead
850,000 arrested
5 million orphans
3 million widows
1 million children working illegally
50% of Iraqis living under the poverty line…
And the occupiers, along with multi-nationals can’t wait to steal the oil!
Hana also mentioned Palestinians displaced in Iraq who are now refugees living in camps on the Iraq/Syria border.
The hospitals lack basic medicines, oxygen, water, electricity, and so on. Infrastructure in Iraq lacks the basic functions such as sewers and water supply. Yet many women are resilient and continue to fight the occupation.
As Hana argues, how can you have democracy under occupation. She believes that we need to work together and to resist our government and pressure them into withdrawing the troops.
Listening to a woman like Hana I was struck by how brave and defiant she was, the woman constantly fights against the occupation. And this echoes the struggle women face in Iraq just to survive, and that’s a form of resistance in itself.
Iraq is still under occupation, and women like Hana need our support and solidarity. The immediate withdrawal of troops is vital as ever.
She mentioned that the 20th March (the war started on that day in 2003) will be a day to remember girls/women like Abeer who were raped and murdered by the occupiers, symbolic of the destruction of Iraq. And the continued struggle and resistance against imperialism and occupation.
Sounds likes a very moving speech.