Iraq's one million widows ready to take to the streets

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Iraq's one million widows ready to take to the streets

Nizar Latif

Last Updated: Feb 3, 2011

BAGHDAD // Some Iraqis view the upheaval in Tunisia and Egypt as a chance to warn their leaders that unless their own living conditions improve, popular revolt may yet spread eastwards to Baghdad.

Madia al Rawai, a member of the Iraqi Women's Association, a group that campaigns for women's rights, said: "There can still be a revolution here, as there has been in Tunisia and Egypt.

"The Iraqi government should pay attention. There is an army of women, with no jobs and no money, and they are ready to take to the streets unless something is done to improve their situation."

Ms al Rawai said that while Iraq has democracy, unlike Egypt and Tunisia, its government was still failing its people.

"The Americans came and wanted to change Iraq, but there have been no changes for the better in the lives of many women. Yes, we have democracy and elections, but that has not brought benefits for many of us."

Iraq's authorities are criticised for failing to create jobs and spread the country's wealth to its poor majority, including more than a million widows who struggle to earn a living in a male-dominated society.

Continuing security breaches and failures to provide clean water and produce sufficient electricity are also lightning rods for discontent.

The US reconstruction agency for Iraq on Sunday issued a report that cautioned that a lack of basic public services was critical and could spark "popular unrest".

"The lack of perceived improvements in Iraq's water, sewage, and electricity systems could lead to popular unrest more so than political or sectarian disagreements," the report said.

In Baghdad, the government insists it is taking steps to deliver. It has signed multibillion dollar oil deals to try to kick-start the economy and hopes to meet the country's burgeoning domestic electricity demands by 2014.

But there are signs the country's citizens, many who now feel their government to be under Iranian control, will not wait that long.

Last year, a series of street protests broke out in the searing heat of summer against power shortages, only to be snuffed out by a violent police response in which at least one protester was shot dead in Basra.

It is also significant that the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia are taking place when Iraq's democratically elected prime minister, Nouri al Maliki, is coming under fire for an unprecedented centralisation of powers.

Since winning a second term in December, he has personally retained control of the three security ministries. Then, last month, he brought constitutionally independent organisations that oversee elections and the government's human-rights record under the control of his cabinet.

Those moves led to fierce accusations from his opponents that he had fatally undermined democracy and was now pursuing the authoritarian path trodden by Saddam Hussein.

Inspired by the vision of defiant Egyptians and Tunisians, Iraqis may be more determined to keep their current government in check.

Aamer al Shibli, a human rights activist from Mosul, which remains beset by a violent insurgency, said: "It is a golden age for the Arabs, a new era is on the horizon. Yesterday Tunisia, today Egypt, tomorrow Yemen, Jordan and Iraq."

Mr al Shibli said two themes would unite the Arab people: opposition to domestic dictatorships and opposition to a western foreign policy that had supported those regimes. He said the era to come would be one that was anti-US and anti-Israel.

"The American-Israeli time of controlling the Middle East is over," he said. "Iraq's people are part of that revolution. If the Iraqi government keeps doing what it's doing, with the corruption and failures, it's not impossible that we'll see an Iraqi uprising as well."

As members of the new elite, enjoying power, wealth and influence, Iraqi MPs were more circumspect in their assessment of the possible domestic repercussions of the region's latest revolutions.

"We are 100 per cent with the Egyptian people, and they will not stop until they have achieved change," said Saad Mutlubi, an MP with the National Alliance, the coalition headed by Mr al Maliki. "It is a message to all the dictators in the Arab countries to leave your positions if you are not serving the people."

Amir al Kinani, an MP with the anti-US Sadrist movement, also warned against letting Egypt spiral out of control, as Iraq had done after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

"It is important to steer the country away from looting, criminality and the extremists, away from al Qa'eda," he said. "I hope Egypt learns from Iraq's experience and does not allow extremists to take advantage of the situation and build up their organisations.

"Egypt must also be careful of Israel and the US. They are looking to get their hands on the situation, rather than letting the people decide their future."

nlatif@thenational.ae

http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/middle-east/iraqs-one-million-widows-ready-to-take-to-the-streets?pageCount=0

thanks to kcw for posting this in chat

[money4you101]

Here we go! Perhaps it is time the women that have been held down for so long stand up an fight for their rights and the rights of all human beings!

[Darin]

Interesting....

Sounds like the people will be putting pressure on the new Government.

Better way to translate... Do something, or be prepared to not hold your seat for very long.

[el Stevo]

Go Iraqi women!

I hope that more of the common folk in Iraq will stand up and get their govt. to wake the heck up!

Get off your arses, RV the Dinar, you'll have the richest country in the world and you can pay contractors, builders, engineers to completely overhaul your entire country, and still have enough left over to buy all the votes you need.

el Stevo

[aferriss]

Let's hope that the Iraqi government begins paying close attention to their people. For the women to begin standing up, especially in a Middle Eastern country, you know it's a bad situation.

[ThePhantomRider]

Hey, this is a great idea!! Get out there ladies, burn your bras and tell them that you are not going to take it anymore!!

TPR

[salespro]

I don't want to see anyone hurt but, maybe if these people hit the streets in protest, they will be out of poverty and we will have an RV

[bluejay]

Give them baseball bats......that's the only way to get things done-unfortunatley......

[Carrello]

French women that had hungry children stormed the Bastille and started the French Revolution. It can be done again!

Go Ladies!

[EMBASSY SOLDIER/CIVILIAN]

Light that fire under al Maliki's ass!!! Good job ladies.

[detroitjazzman]

Egypt is not the last protest in the ME...you can bet your last dinar on that

[labdog]

Good news find and I believe you are right !

[jamadude99]

After celebrating 42 years of marriage last month, I

do not have any doubt about what 1,000,000 mothers/widows could get

accomplished. My wife was like a tiger projecting her cubs when she wanted

to get something done for her family. Go Iraqi Women!jamadude99

[smee2]

ONE MILLION WIDOWS !!!!! That's a lot of Widow Power.

Women in general can make more of a difference than ever thought before. Even the United Nations has instigated programs in the last fifteen years that help women to do the speaking out ... first feed their families, and then educate all of them including the girl children, then teach them about work and give them the chance to do so ... and then start making changes. It has taken a while but a lot is happening in that particular "women's world" and I like it. I am very proud of women globally for all they do, and will continue to accomplish.

By the way ... did anyone notice just how many of the elected parliament in Iraq are women? Veiled, un-veiled, didn't seem to matter. A lot of women got out, got the vote, and are there ready and willing to work. There was even some suggestion or ruling, I don't remember which, that a certain percentage of ministry positions would be held by women. Of course that hasn't happened but, hey, there will be another election in the future and then ... look out here come the ladies!

smee2

[Upgradable]

Smee, the Iraqi constitution states that 25% of seats are to be held by women. Now, if the GOI would just comply with the constitution we all would be happier!