Iraqi women and the right to self-determination

As fierce resistance to the U.S. occupation of Iraq continues, both the Bush administration and liberal Democrats continue to use the excuse of “democracy” to justify invasion, the murder of tens of thousands of Iraqis and installation of a puppet government.

Now it appears that progressive laws which had guaranteed women’s rights for decades may be wiped out of Iraq’s new draft constitution as a direct result of U.S. violation of Iraqi sovereignty. The progressive laws, instituted after the Iraqis overthrew British colonialism in 1958, granted women the right to choose their own husbands and to have divorce cases heard by a judge, among other freedoms.

The laws, based on liberal interpretations of Shariah, or the Muslim legal code, stayed in effect throughout Saddam Hussein’s national government.

Iraqi women had also received material as well as legal support during those years. Free education through the university level encouraged families to keep daughters in school and not pull them out for early marriage. The government guaranteed jobs for women who wanted to work, as well as equal pay for equal work. Health care was free and mothers had pre- and post-natal care. Working women were guar anteed six months paid maternity leave. Subsidized daycare was available in most work places. Basic food and housing were subsidized. (Yifat Susskind, MADRE)

Fifteen years of U.S. sanctions and inva sions left this system in a shambles. Now even the minimal legal guarantees for women may fall.

The Bush administration touted West ern-style capitalist democracy as the solution to women’s oppression in justifying war on Iraq, as well as Afghanistan. Now, after the U.S. war launched on both countries, daily life for women has dramatically worsened. (2004 UN Human Develop ment Index)

This devastation of Iraq, and the hunger of its people to choose a national destiny determined by themselves alone, fuels the continued resistance against the U.S.

A senior U.S. Army intelligence officer concedes: “They’re being replaced quicker than we can interdict their operations. There is always another insurgent ready to step up and take charge.” (New York Times, July 24)

According to the U.S. Central Com mand, there are at least 70 attacks by the resistance daily. (Boston Globe, June 10)

The Bush administration has attemp ted to smear the resistance with accusations of religious extremism—a hypocritical attack by a capitalist government so close ly associated with right-wing Christian fundamentalism.

But the right of the Iraqi people to self-defense and self-determination was affirm ed recently by the Istanbul Interna tional Tribunal, held from June 23-27. A 17-member jury heard testimony about the illegality of the war and related war crimes.

The jury’s verdict supported “the right of the Iraqi people to resist the illegal occupation of their country and to develop independent institutions,” and affirmed that “the right to resist the occupation is the right to wage a struggle for self-determination, freedom and independence.”