Zhiyan Group: Releasing Sakar's father is perpetuating the patriarchal structures that discriminate against women

Suleimaniya, Iraqi-Kurdistan April 28th, 2013

Last week, on Monday, April 22nd, women groups demonstrated in front of Suleimaniya Court.

They were protesting the release of Mamosta Sakar’s father. In a controversial case well know to the media and to most people in Kurdistan, the case of Mamosta Sakar has become an icon

of struggle for women’s rights in Kurdistan. The perpetrator of the crime, her father was released for the second time after the court ruled that he can benefit from the general pardon granted by the Amnesty Law passed by the Kurdish Parliament last year.

Zhiyan group, which has been following the case and represents many women groups released this statement to the media during the demonstration:

During the past 20 years the killing and genocide of Kurdish women has become a daily life phenomena. The increase in this type of crime has made authorities including courts and local authorities to deal with the issue as a normal thing. The killing of women is a source of fear for the Kurdish society but what is most fearful is that criminals along with the authorities, including the parliament accept the crimes without punishment.

The case of Mamosta Sakar is an example that proves this reality. Despite all evidence presented in the court that the crime was committed by Sakar's father, the crime went unpunished. We, as Zhiyan group are working to defend women's rights and showing the reality of women in Kurdistan. We do not get any benefit in doing so. We have put all the evidence in front of the court, but the Suleimaniya Criminal Court, without looking to our efforts to uncover the reality, decided to apply the general amnesty law, approved by the Kurdish Parliament and signed by president Mazoud Barzani on 2012.

Zhiyan group wrote and delivered a letter with the case details to Suleimaniya's investigator's office asking the case to be appealed to the Committee of Court and Law. We ask for the revision of the case and a fair trial. We are calling all local and international organizations and the people who are defending women's rights  to pressure the court council to have a fair trial and not to deny the crimes committed against women.

Zhiyan Group

April 22nd, 2013

PS: I keep my efforts to document and be solidary with the work of Zhiyan group in an effort to make the struggle of Kurdish women, and women in Iraq known to the Global Community.

Justice for Mamosta Sakar and for all women in Kurdistan and Iraq!

Meet Me in Hasankeyf: Culture, People and Politics in Hasankeyf

After our session on global solidarity against water grabs, I headed to south east Turkey, the Kurdistan of Turkey, to the region where the GAP project is being implemented to attend the Hasankeyf Ingathering (April 5-8th) and explore this ancient city under threat of being engulfed by the Tigris river and with it, to wash away its ancient history and the culture of Mesopotamia.

Kids enjoying a Sunday afternoon picnic by the river in Hasankeyf. Photo by Johanna L. Rivera

The town of Hasankeyf, located at the intersection of Mesopotamia and Anatolia, is a small village of 2,900 people on the banks of the Tigris River. Mesopotamia, from the Greek “the land between the two rivers”.  After the Arab conquest, the land was divided into two: the south was called Sevad or Iraq, and the north was called Al Jazeera- “island”. Excavation in Hasankeyf Cairn proved that this town was part of the Neolithic revolution, taking Hasankeyf 11,500 years back in history. For this reason it has been shortlisted for the Europa Nostra list of the "7 most endangered."

Hasankeyf in History

Hasankeyf was one of the major stops on the transport route during medieval times, that started from Diyarbakir, passing through Cizre and Mosul to Baghdad. This was only possible because of the Tigris River, which is now under threat by the construction of Ilisu Dam, on a region that once was the beginning of civilization. It was also here in Hasankeyf were Islam set its roots in Anatolia, making the region around Hasankeyf one of the most important historical sites for the Islamic world.

Many rulers and conquerors passed through Hasankeyf, which reached its peak and developed its true identity between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries under the rule of the Artuqids (1102-1132) and Ayyubids. The bridge built by the Artuqids in Hasankeyf stands as the most magnificent example of the medieval period.

Artukid Bridge-12th century, Artukid. This majestic bridge was key to the city’s success as a regional trading center. The 12 carvings of human figures on hte central pylons are intriguing examples of Seljuk art (Cevik 56). Photo by Johanna L. Rivera

When Politics meets Archeology

There have been historical sites that have been already flooded, notably the roman city of Zeugma, near Gaziantep, which was submerged by Birecik dam on the Euphrates, the city was an important center for the Romans. When the dam lake started to sink the city, with some of the “most extraordinary examples to survive from the ancient world”. Some of the world’s top restorers arrived from Italy to rescue them from the floodwaters. Now you can visit the “Atlantis” underwater city and the historical park/museum that was built which displays the ancient mosaics. The Zeugma Mosaic Museum, at a cost of 30 million dollars has a collection of the rescued mosaics. Now visitors are able to see the carefully excavated buildings and streets, just 50 yards from the lake created by the dam reservoir there is a shiny $1.5-million multi level structure constructed to protect the remains of five Roman houses.

Hasankeyf meets 9 out of 10 of UNESCO’s criteria for a World Heritage Site. Rules from the WHC say that the only legitimate entity to propose a site is a government. In this case Turkey is not interested to apply for Hasankeyf, as this will put in jeopardy the biggest hydroelectric project on the Tigris River, Ilisu Dam. Prof. Cevik puts it this way: “Despite Hasankeyf survival of several uprisings, invasions and wars, escaping the Mongolian invasion, resisting neglect and chaos during the Ilhanli Governor’s period and consequently managing to heal all its wounds,  is now facing annihilation by the Ilisu dam project. It is not only Hasankeyf that will be flooded but also our architectural and cultural tradition; our history and identity.”

Zeynel Bey Tomb, Akkoyunlu, 15th Century. This monument is a rare, if not unique example of Timurid architecture in Anatolia, with onion dome, cylindrical exterior and octagonal interior. The large Arabic calligrams in deep blue tiles, wit h the names of Allah-Mohamed-Ali, reflect the intermingling elements today associated with Sunni-Shi’a branches of Islam. Photo by Johanna L. Rivera

The area of Hasankeyf was declared an archaeological site in 1978. Yet it is threatened to be flooded by the Ilisu dam, The project is built 80 km. downstream of Hasankeyf and the dam lake will cover all of the lower city. However, a scheme for relocation/protection of the monuments against inundation has not been researched, planned or approved. The Tigris River has been diverted through tunnels at the dam site, but still no concrete plan is in place for the sites protection and conservation. The collection of structures in Hasankeyf represents a unique collection of cultural assets in good state of preservation in one place that is valuable to those living in Modern Turkey, Greece, Iran, Syria, Iraq and beyond. In addition to its cultural value, Hasankeyf is unique for its biological diversity. A 2012 study by Murat Biricik and Recep Karakan recorded 133 species of birds, 18 of which are threatened species. The value of biodiversity is protected by 1992 Convention on Biodiversity to which Turkey is a signatory.

Meet me in Hasankeyf

Together with a delegation from Iraqis from Nature Iraq and ICSSI-Save the Tigris Campaign,  and internationals working in Iraq, we joined the "3rd Hasankeyf Ingathering" hosted jointly by by Doga Dernegi, Hasankeyf Matters and Nature Iraq. The ingathering is meant to promote Hasankeyf’s potential as a world class tourism site, but most importantly, to link locals and internationals together to share ideas on how to make the issue of Hasankeyf known to the rest of the world and to present Hasankeyf as a source for scholarship, cross-cultural understanding and sustainable economic development.

On Friday night, after dinner at Hasbahce, we watched Hasankeyf Life in Limbo, a documentary by Sakae Ishikawa, that we were very honored to have with us in Hasankeyf. John Crofoot from Hasankeyf Matters presented the program for the weekend, which included a scavenger hunt, a video contest, canyon walks and documentary watching and discussions. The program also included hiking, and canyon walks, early bird watching, and art workshops with children, and drinking tea and chatting with Hasankeyf women.

Hiking is one of many outdoor activities that you can enjoy in Hasankeyf. This is just part of the view from Hasankeyf and the Tigris river from one of the canyons. Hasankeyf Ingathering, photo by Johanna L. Rivera

Exploring the town means to go back in history to visit the Ayyubids, through Hasankeyf’s Rizk and Koç mosque, Suleiman’s mosque, Zeynel Bey Tomb, hiking through its amazing canyons, and meeting the local “çoban” or shepherd, and exploring the thousands of caves carved into the limestone cliffs overlooking the Tigris River.

On a Saturday afternoon, we were invited by the village's women for a delicious dolma lunch stuffed 

grape leave and vegetables. We seated on the grass overlooking the majestuous Suleiman’s mosque dating back to the 15th century. There, we were surrounded by children playing and the silent monuments testifying to thousands of years of culture and history; we chatted about customs and traditions in Hasankeyf, talking about weddings, and traditional life.

On Sunday early morning, some woke up just before 5:00 to hike up on the canyon, to enjoy the amazing views that Hasankeyf offers, and watch the sunrise from one of the canyons, I was a bit lazy and woke up just before 6:00 for the bird watching. It was my first bird watching experience, but Evrim, our local Doga Dernegi guide made it a great one, Hasankeyf’s breathtaking views are sufficient to make anyone want to wake up early. Its quietness, its birds, its river, its cliffs, its monuments all conspire to make Hasankeyf a unique jewel, a place of peace, of joy, of happiness.

Doga Dernegi organized a bird watching, worth waking up at 5:00 am. Photo by Johanna L. Rivera

On Monday morning, over tea and pide, Fares, a Hasankeify, described the trips on the Tigris using the Kelek, the traditional boat they used to transport goods through the Tigris River from Diyarbakir to Mosul. These trips along with the traditional boats used stopped around the 1960’s, coinciding with the dam era.  Our attempts to gather the local knowledge of the river and how these trips were done are part of the The Tigris Flotilla, where we will reproduce the journey through the Tigris using the Kelek, the traditional boat used in this part of the Tigris. We will also travel with the Tarrada and the Guffa, trying to bring awareness to the threats facing these timeless waters.

Fares as he described the journeys through the Tigris on the Kalak, the traditional boat used in this part of the river. Photo by Johanna L. Rivera

Monday night, it was time to say goodbye to our new friends and to start our journey back to Iraq. My eyes watered and it was hard to say goodbye to the new-but feeling like old Hasankeyf family. After meeting Firat and his hospitality, Arif with his friendliness and a unique story for each carpet in his shop, Fares and the old river stories, and the friends at Villa Park and Artukid cafe, exploring the canyons, caves, mosques and other unique architectural jewels, it is hard to picture that the future of Hasankeyf is still uncertain. As our bus was approaching and after some bargaining, we managed to have Arif sing to us Aiche, and Ahmed and Mohamed followed with a traditional Iraqi song. The Ingathering was special  for all of us who attended, Iraqis, Hasankeyfis and of course us from all parts of the world. I liked the words of our friend John: “ I loved the send off for you guys when you boarded the bus back to Sulaymaniyah -- we were singing and dancing in the middle of the main intersection, one great big family of human beings.”

A version of this blogpost appears at the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative website.
The work is part of the Save the Tigris Campaign in an effort to expose the dangers of Ilisu dam to the communities in Hasankeyf and the communities surrounding the Tigris River in Iraq.

Notes from Tunis: Global Solidarity Against Water Grabs by Dams and Mining Projects

These are highlights from a session on March 29th, 2013, at the World Social Forum in Tunis titled “Global Solidarity Against Water Grabs by Dam and Mining Projects.” We had interventions and case studies from people affected by dams in Turkey, Iraq, and India; and communities affected by mining in Mexico and Peru. Claudia Campero a local organizer from Mexico and working with the Blue Planet Project moderated the session. She gave a general framework on why we joined dams and mining projects into one session. The stories shared the same themes: destruction of nature, devastation of communities, power struggles, and greed for profit. Dams and mining projects have common threads. They are frequently carried out without free, prior, informed consent of local populations. Their social and environmental consequences are huge. They lead to control of vast amounts of water by project operators, mostly transnational corporations. They disturb the water cycle of entire regions, putting the livelihoods of many at risk. Frequently rural communities are displaced. All this is a form of violence that includes loss of community ties and  trust, defamation of those who resist, sexual violence, beatings and even murder. These issues must be confronted wherever struggles against dams and mining are ongoing.  And all too often the activists find themselves criminalized.

Turkey: Ilisu Dam as a Political Tool

Ercan Ayboga from the Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive gave a general overview of dam mega projects. Dams are one of the most controversial infrastructure projects around the world. More than half of our rivers are dammed, with over 50,000 large dams and about 5 million small dams.Today the biggest dam builder states are China, India, Brazil and very interestingly, Turkey and Iran. According to the World Commission on Dams, 50-90 million people have been displaced by dams. 500-600 million people living downstream have been affected. 80-90 percent of displaced people end up in poverty. In many instances governments end up with more debt than was forecast for a dam; and this is before the cost of environmental and social impacts are taken into account. Dams are used as an icon of development and clean energy. Yet, dams male a large contribution to greenhouse gases, they emit methane, which has 20 times more heating capacity than CO2.

Ecologically, rivers are the most bio-diverse ecosystems with two-thirds of species found in rivers. Water quality is affected when water is stored in reservoirs. Politically, the Ilisu dam is used as a tool to undermine the local struggle for autonomy. Criticism of the dam is equated with  terrorism. The area where the dam will be built will affect historical and cultural sites that are more than ten thousand years old. The struggle for Hasankeyf in Turkey has being fought on many fronts: a big international campaign made the European export credit agencies withdraw their support for the project in 2002. On the legal front: two months ago a Turkish court ruled that the project had to stop because it was in violation of Turkish environmental law for not having an Environmental Impact Assessment. While the Turkish government appealed the court decision, saying that the project didn't need one because the law was approved after the project had been conceptualized. The effect of the court decision has been to slow down the construction.

Iraq: Ilisu Dam will Dry the Cradle of Civilizations

At the same time in Iraq, civil society has come together on a regional advocacy campaign with members from Turkey, Iraq, and Iran in a campaign to “Save the Tigris and the Iraqi Marshes”. The campaign works to raise awareness about the negative effects of the Ilisu dam in Hasankeyf in Turkey and on the local communities and water resources in Iraq. Salam Taha, from the Iraqi People’s Campaign to Save the Tigris explained that water flow to Iraq could be reduced by 50% if the dam is completed. That will affect both quality and quantity of water coming to Iraq, as well as increase unrest inside Iraq’s already volatile political situation. Further downstream, the marshlands of southern Iraq are also in danger. They are home to the Marsh Arabs and have global significance for their biodiversity and more than 5,000 years of history. They are home to numerous bird, mammal, amphibian and reptile species, many of which are globally threatened. The Central Marshes are currently being considered for UNESCO World Heritage Status and for National Park status. This valuable, unique, irreplaceable part of the world will likely be lost forever if the Ilisu Dam is completed.

Johanna L. Rivera, from ICSSI and the Save the Tigris Campaign Coordinator explained that their  campaign works to bring the issue confronted in Turkey and Iraq to the international community and to link it to the global struggle for water justice. On one hand Iraq is in a vulnerable situation as a downstream country, with virtually no negotiating power and no say on the decisions of the Turkish government. On the other hand, the volatile and sectarian nature of the government makes it difficult to make unified demands.  The campaign efforts included an open letter to the Iraqi government to look seriously on the issue of the Ilisu dam and to take concrete steps to protect water resources in Iraq. Additionally, the campaign wrote a letter to Andritz company regarding their involvement in the dam construction and equipment supply. Andritz is involved in other mega-dam projects like Belo Monte in Brazil and Xayaburi in Laos. The campaign is calling for a transboundary agreement concerning sharing the  water of the Euphrates and Tigris basin between the riparian states of Turkey, Syria and Iraq.

Mexico: ” We are all Water” 

Our colleague Guillermo Rodriguez, from the Assembly of “La Vida” spoke about Caballo Blanco’s case in Mexico. Guillermo, started by saying that dam and mining struggles are interrelated and is “urgent to maintain resistance because these are long and tiring struggles”, as he described the fight “against transnational corporations and corrupt governments” that impose these projects on communities. Indebted governments are often corrupted by transnational companies to impose their policies and perpetuate the extractivist model. Gold Corp who has business in Mexico worth 90 billion dollars spends about 1 billion to influence the local government. “The key is the precautionary model, to stop these projects when there are rumors, when the men in suit come to the community or the engineers come with their measuring instruments”.

  

“Mining and Dams are death projects”, Guillermo Rodriguez, Mexican activist from Caballo Blanco community 

In Veracruz, a Canadian corporation, Gold Group wants to install a mining project called Caballo Blanco, that intends to extract 1 ton of gold in 7 years; resistance in Rodriguez’s community has prevented this mining project from starting, but it is not defeated because the government concession to the mining industry is for 50 years. Guillermo, a community organizer for more than 50 years said, “We had learned from our Peruvian brothers that water is more important than gold”. The zone where the project will be established will destroy a mesozoic zone where there is a unique type of palm which grows 1 meter every thousand years. The forest is now 5 meters that means about 5000 years. A biodiversity of 230 species of mammals with 500 different species of vegetation, orchids, bromeliads and a phenomenon that we call “bird river” with more than 5 million birds from Canada and U.S. travelling to South America during the migration season”. Above all we learned that the struggle is long, because the mining and dam projects are destroying lives. We have taken this message to the indigenous communities and they have understood that they have to defend their territory. 

India: Creating a Counter Narrative and Winning the Battle of Ideas

We heard from our colleague in India, Madhuresh Kumar, from the National Alliance for People’s Movement where they have been fighting against dams for more than 20 years. Madhuresh Kumar shared some lessons learned from the Indian movement and the Narmanda movement for over 27 years. He spoke about a “Battle of Ideas”; the need to create a counter narrative to all these mega-projects that are sold as development. We need to ask the questions: Development for whom, at what cost and how? Who decides how development takes place? He talked about the need to create linkages with people fighting for other struggles and create a national network. In India, what proved effective was to create a counter-narrative to the government development propaganda. That took 20 years, but the key was to build linkages nationally with struggles for other rivers, for environmental, governance, and anti-corruption; eventually they created a national network. Fighting one project is one thing but to deconstruct the whole development project you need to win the ideological battle. Take very radical positions: “No Big Dams” and engage others in the discussion on how to do development, and on questions of democracy. Any movement is not only about affected people, is a battle for the whole country.  You engage all professional classes: teachers, lawyers, artists, filmmakers, musicians, journalists. Then you push your ideas through the whole society:   someone makes a film, another writes an article, suddenly, there is a professor teaching your ideas at university, friendly bureaucrats and judges.  So there is a domino effect that reaches the whole population. Narmanda Action committee was established in 20 countries and as a result  the movement was successful in ending World Bank support for the project in 1993. Lastly, he mentioned the importance of  tools like foreign solidarity to let governments know that the international community is watching; local struggles need to avoid being isolated from one another because we are fighting a global struggle.

Peru: Radicalizing Democracy

Nicanor Alvarado from the “Plataforma Institucional de Celendín” in Peru talked about the struggle against mining projects in Cajamarca. He said that what happens in Peru happens throughout all Latin America. You might have heard about the “Conga Conflict”, an emblematic conflict in all Latin America and the world. In the North Andes in Peru, indigenous peoples, the Quechua and Aymara, are leading a fight that has seen more than 300 leaders from indigenous communities murdered. The state and the corporations work together against the indigenous people. In Peru we are organized and we have established a permanent mobilization in the form of environmental defense fronts or “rondas campesinas” to protect the environment . Last year we had the Walk for Water where more than 100,000 marched and took over Lima and we defeated one of the biggest American corporations: Newmont Mining Corporation.

When we go out on our mobilization, we say goodbye to our families and we take with us nurses and stretchers because we don't know who’s coming back, is like we were going to war. Waiting for us at the mining site are 1000-2000 elite forces to shoot us; and they shoot us.  In 2009 we had 350 wounded and in 2012 we had 35 dead, 5 of them indigenous leaders and 90 wounded. They wanted to scare us, but that’s when we overthrew the second council of ministers. We have learned that the mobilizing and unifying agent of social movements and political parties in Peru is for the defense of the land, of our water and our territories. That is the articulating agent and from there we have started to develop a program, a political proposal and hopefully in 2016 an indigenous environmentalist will come to power in Peru. This is our desire and we are working for that. Only then we will uproot the extractivist model that leads to the death of the planet. We have to globalize the struggle, the transnational power groups have globalized their capital; why can’t we globalize the struggle? The people from the West and the North cannot remain silent about their transnational corporations, it is not like 500 years ago. Today, the poor from South to North have to fight together against this monster. The last struggle of mankind will be fought for the planet and for the Amazon. The proposal is to radicalize democracy and to move to a post-extractivist model.

“People united will never be defeated” Chanted Nicanor in the end...

The session was able to motivate us by listening to those who have been struggling for years in India, Peru and Mexico and to understand that change is possible, but change requires sacrifice and as Guillermo said, a long of struggle. Democracy is not given, it has to be fought. Read the Blue Planet Project Report released in Tunis: Dam Truths: A compilation of case studies about popular struggles against dams

A version of this article also appears on the Save the Tigris Campaign News Page. 

International Women's Day in Kurdistan-A year's review

A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult. Melinda Gates

Tomorrow is International Women’s Day. For the past weeks, as women activists prepare for the 8th of March, I would like to make a contrast between last year’s 8th of March in Suleimaniya and what makes this year different.

For the last year, women activists have been working on the issue of honor killing. Honor killing means that a woman is killed to clean the family’s honor; this honor could have been stained if the woman was doing something that is disapproved by her family. That could include marrying a man not approved by her family, or not marrying one that is chosen for her, and even rape is seen as dishonor to the family. Honor killing has a long history in the Kurdish society, especially since 1991. At that time, there were no institutions, court or police. The law favored those who kill women for honor. Nowadays, there are institutions, judiciary and police, yet they are not successful in protecting women. Moreover the same laws that are supposed to protect women still discriminate and stigmatize them. Despite the Kurdish Parliament high number of women representatives (36 of 111) and the Domestic Violence Law approved last June 21, 2011, which criminalizes domestic violence, Kurdistan is far from achieving justice for women who are victims of violence. The law has been approved but in reality is not enforced as it has proved difficult to implement these reforms in a society governed by tribal honor codes, where tribal leaders continue to be the most powerful and influential actors when resolving family conflicts.

Many things have changed in a year, although most of the time I am frustrated because I see no progress in the situation of women here in Iraq, there IS a difference. Last 8th of March we had a demonstration in front of the Suleimaniya court. We had banners demanding the end of women killing, the establishment of shelter and support services for women in the villages, and condemning violence against women. We were very few, maybe 25-30 people. We had more Assaish (Kurdish security) than demonstrators. Last year, the government had declared the 8th of March as the Kurdish national clothes day. News coverage showed women in their Kurdish traditional clothes, dancing to the traditional Kurdish music; women organizations were furious. How was it possible to use a day for advocacy for women’s rights to display women wearing traditional clothes?

International Women Day in Suleimaniya-2012,  Iraqi-Kurdistan

At that time the women’s movement was divided, and despite there were other events, all were with scarce participation. Yet the murder of Mamosta Sakar Hamdamin was the drop that filled the glass. Sakar, a 28-year-old teacher from Rania, was killed by her father on February 4th 2012. Mobilization was necessary and immediate; “Not for Honor Killing under the Name of Tradition and Culture: Mamosta Sakar Campaign” started in mid-February and has since then transformed the women’s movement in Kurdistan. The campaign took Sakar’s murder case as a means to advocate for the prosecution of perpetrators of honor killing and to denounce the lack of implementation of Law No. 8: the Law Against Domestic Violence in Kurdistan. Moreover, the campaign is demanding government’s action to stop violence against women. Women activists criticize the lack of a true place of shelter for women victims of violence and the neglect in handling court cases of violence against women.

A baby hold the picture of Mamosta Sakar, November 25th,
International Day to End VIolence Against Women, Suleimaniya, Iraiq-Kurdistan

Activists and women rights advocates met with the Justice Minister, the High Committee of Women, wrote articles in the newspaper, appeared in TV programs. By the summer 2012, the campaign published a report documenting their efforts: “Not for honor killing in the name of tradition and culture” which included publishing the results of a survey about perceptions of violence against women.

On July 20th, a 15-year-old girl named Nigar Rahim from Kalar, was murdered by her brother. Nigar’s case was horrendous; one of her brothers raped her, she was pregnant, gave birth to a child, was living in a shelter, where she was under the protection of the government, while her brother’s case was in the court. Then, her family pledged not to hurt her if she was sent back home. The shelter made an agreement and the family signed the consent. A few weeks later, she was murdered by her other brother.

Nigar’s case outraged the women’s movement. They called for demonstrations in Germian, denouncing her murder and accountability from the government. By August 2012, Zhiyan group, a coalition of around 60 NGO’s was established to speak out against honor killing and to follow up these cases. This coalition is composed of women activists, and lawyers who took on both Sakar and Nigar cases. They have been present in the hearings, and actively followed up the cases. Zhiyan Group members are men and women who are taking a stand to speak out about this sensitive topic, much of a taboo in Kurdish society. The groundbreaking nature of Zhiyan Group is that it seeks long-term solutions and accountability from the government putting pressure to prosecute those who commit crimes against women.

The establishment of Zhiyan Group did not happen on a vacuum but is the response to the atrocities and crimes against women. It has been the product of long months of work of women organizations that have been able set differences apart and create a “women’s movement” on the basis of the zero tolerance for honor killing. Under Zhiyan, organizations have been able to mobilize, call for demonstrations, and attend cases hearings, creating a strong voice that has already been heard by government officials.

All of this has been welcomed by a bittersweet taste to activists, that have been criticized by conservative sectors of the society, especially from the villages where these crimes are committed. It has also been challenging from the judicial perspective, as it is the first time that women NGO’s are engaging the legal system, and both judges and lawyers are under pressure by civil society.

It has been incredible to see how much has happened in a year, how from a few we have become a lot. The work is not easy, speaking against honor killing is not seen as something approved by society and some of my colleagues have been threatened; yet that doesn’t discourage them to keep working for justice and the end of violence against. Now, I can’t wait for Friday.

Remember the dignity of your womanhood. Do not appeal, do not beg, do not grovel. Take courage, join hands, stand beside us, fight with us.

Christabel Pankhurst