English

Created in 2001, the duet Patricia Neels-Dania Altabbaa comes from the
meeting between two French Syrian artists whose common will is to share
the richenesses of the world's classical music, creating a dialogue between
the east and the west.

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Thanaa Al-Sabaa

"Domestic violence is a global phenomenon that all societies and all social classes suffer from, but women and children make the biggest share of its victims. Amnesty International reports that many countries are unable to protect women in their own families."
That was some of the things judge Fares Sattouf said during a lecture of domestic violence he gave at the General Women Union (GWU) building in Homs.

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By Bassam Al Kadi

(R. M) Qab, 19, is too close to being killed by her brother, as he has publicly pledged to do in the name of “honor.” (R. M) is one of the two women whose stories we ran previously
Since then, we’ve been doing our best to save the lives of these two women, even though the government has ignored their cases to the extent of almost condoning “honor killings” all together.
There’s been some developments in these cases over the past week. One of the young women finally married the man she loved and wanted to be with, and she was released from custody to go with him to an undisclosed location.
But the second woman is still detained, and now that her family has dropped the (fraudulent) theft charges they had brought against her, she is due to be released by law.
The problem is that even though her brother has publicly an-nounced he will kill her to “reclaim the family’s honor,” the court plans to release her directly to her family. In other words, release her directly to the slaughter!
The acting judge, (S.S), is in a difficult dilemma. On the one hand there’s the family with all its laden traditions alongside people in the local community pressuring him to release (R. M) to the family for them to carry out the slaughter that the brother is promising (the father does not condone it.) And on the other hand his own morality and sense of ethics as a judge disallow him to put in danger the life of a citizen. He knows very well that any guaran-tees her family give for her safety will be nothing beyond ink on paper. He knows well that she will be slaughtered. He has been indecisive on the matter.
The judge considered releasing (R. M) to one of the province’s respectable elders, but the elder has made it clear that he, in turn, would deliver her to her family because they have promised not to hurt her.
This would be a very dangerous thing to do. In past crimes com-mitted in the name of “honor,” families have provided the same (false) guarantees of safety for their daughter. But that has not prevented them from slaughtering her upon her release, as in the highly publicized case of 15-year-old Zahra Ezzo.
The life of (R. M) is hours from being snuffed. We cannot remain silent. We ask the judge to act morally and ethically, and to pro-tect the life of a young woman, to release her to one of the or-ganizations or parties who can protect her and transport her with a police escort to a safe haven. This is also what (R.M) has re-quested of the judge. She is an adult and by law he must acqui-esce to her request.
We have no choice but to hold the judge fully responsible for (R. M)’s well-being if he releases her to her family. He cannot deny his knowledge of the threats to her life, nor that such a step means an imminent death.
We must also point to the respectable clergy in Sweida who have already said religion would not condone this murder. We now hold you to your word. This woman’s life is in danger in the name of “honor.” This is the time for you to make a swift and clear deci-sion. This is the time for you to protect this woman and declare publicly and without ambiguity that hurting her is a crime against religion.
We also call upon all individuals and organizations who work with human rights and the rights of women and a better future for hu-manity to get involved to protect (R. M). Silence in this case is nothing less than condoning the slaughter of (R. M).
We also hold the entire Syrian government responsible for (R.M)’s well-being, especially the President of Parliament and the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Interior, who is in charge of protect-ing the lives of citizens. They are now fully aware of the danger (R.M) faces.
The Syrian government is fully capable of protecting (R.M) if it wishes to do so, as it is capable of stopping the blood bath that is called “honor killing.”
Many people in (R.M)’s province have gone to the streets to pledge protection for her. One of these people is attorney Ghada al-Abdullah, who points out that sending a young woman to the slaughter in a country that claims to revere citizenship - not merely the citizenship of male killers - is against the law. It is also against human rights and against Islamic law.
This wonderful lawyer is using all her meager resources and put-ting herself in danger to protect (R.M).
(R.M) is legally an adult, and it is her right to be released from custody without involving her family.
There are other wonderful volunteer lawyers from Sweida too, headed by attorney Jamal Huneidi, who are campaigning for (R.M)’s protection, and raising funds to help her leave the prov-ince and start a new life elsewhere.
Finally, we must commend Rima Flaihan, a team member of Syr-ian Women Observatory, for her extraordinary efforts in helping the cases of the two women mentioned here. She is not alone in this fight, and her work does not go unnoticed.
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(Bassam al-Kadi, team member of Syrian Women Observatory)
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Translate by: Rasha Elass

Bassam Al-Kadi

In a move that took everyone by surprise, Mr. Abbas El-Noury star of Bab El-Harra blew a bombshell, describing those who critiqued the Series (in addition to that some of them follows some exterior orders!) by having a boss-eyed reading oft it! Confirming that: "women, even cultured women, wish to be in Souad's shoes on the humane side of her at least" according to the interview made by syrianews website.

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Nada Rasoul Agha

It's become a yearly tradition for Syrian T.V. viewers to spend Ramadan with the company of families from the early 20th sentury Damascus,
(Ayam Shameia, Al-Khawaly, Laaly El-Salheih, and more) lots of series showing old life in Damascus with all its cons and pros, its whites and blackes.
We can't deny that we were all caought by these series, cause the old allies and the arabian-style Houses and the beatiful touch of old Damascus, they all brought us back to the wormth and compation we are denied from in the business of our modern life.

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By: Reema Flihan, Bassam Alkadi

And the are imitate that the are encourage the “development work” in Syria and give the declarations about the ”volunteer work” and it’s necessity, importance and encourage!!
And without any drop of sweat on their forehead, they set on the tribune during the lectures and smiling : we have a lot of associations!
Fife association, at one time, received the slap by Alpath Party in Al Swoaidaa" southern of Syria" after it’s agreement for the first time and before the coming out of the “Yellow Document” from that other side according to the “ Emergency Law” and the executive instruction of the bad reputation “Association Law” witch there was a declaration by the social affairs about it’s modernizing at the same time of her talking about a strict association law for the protection of the European from terrorism.
These associations are:

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dialogue member of the Parliament d.r Muhammad Habash

Colleague "We are all partners" published a dialogue with d.r Muhammad Habash, a member of the Parliament, President of the Islamic Studies Center, as follows some of the dialogue regarding women's issues and children ..
Dr. Muhammad Habash Said: now we have several bills enacted think ... First: With regard to Syrian women, where there have been attempts in the legislative role VIII (the latest) must continue to address women's issues and in particular to redress "absolute Syrian," Islamic jurisprudence did justice to divorced women and spent it the home, but unfortunately, the personal status law and chose to view one of Islamic jurisprudence, has spent divorced women the home or that only between divorced, I mean women delivered after 6 months, such as women fired after 30 years ... He emphasized: that this injustice.
He added: the absolute must have lived if lifetime with her husband right in addition offenders who benefit from the wealth it is also part of what has been accomplished so in material terms.
He regretted that the personal status law did not heed to this distinction and only one option in Islamic jurisprudence.
He continued: Syrian women married to a non-Syrian man ... The right to request their nationality to their children ... Unfortunately, the law does not give the right of Syrian women married to a man- non Syrian ... This is a mistake.
He added: We have interest in a number of draft laws in the framework of the attention "the divorced Syrian" ... Within the marriage contract itself, there be conditions in the marriage contract has defined women's rights that can be collected.
He stressed that there should be human attention.
He added: we have the honor ... There were attempts to amend it according to law and we believe that with His Eminence the Mufti of the Republic believes that the law is contrary to law, like that make it more conducive to justice and to eliminate the excuse of excuses for the killings in Syria and we know that what is happening in crimes of the country designated as "honor crimes" These criminals may not deterred them laws, but in any case the law must be fair.
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d.r Muhammad Habash
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Translated by: Mayssoun Haddad

Bassam AlKAdi

This is not a joke,they have really bound Thawra Syrian newspaper in 4/6/2007,under a title “Not maternity .. Not .. For married life”
in categorical assurance that carries the slightest doubt.
There is no need to discuss, from the media hostile to women's rights and issues!there is no important Here, the fact that the writer is a woman! The issue, as we always Believe,not a “woman issue” or “ man issue” But is the issue of community first, Is the culture of masculinity borne almost the same as women carrying a male.

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Bassam alkadi

You will not believe it! But what really happened .. Mysterious Hidden, which on all mirror from his home even saw no point ugly, Extended his Claws again and again! But this time extended to wrestle from the mouths of children orphans sheltered Society social welfare in “Suweida”: Summit bread candy, juice cup, and a piece of clothing!
So yes! Thoroughly! Since we do not find it appropriate here to talk about "stealing smile," where "stolen"of children orphans!

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By Basel Jbaily

A year and a half elapsed after Syrian Women Observatory launched the "National Campaign" against honor related crimes and we are still in a state of stalemate concerning the official response.

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Thnaa Alsabaa

Throughout the cooperation between the management office of the Women's union and the department of first health care (represented by the health education for spreading healthy lifestyles branch); a trainingsession was hosted for kinder garden's supervisors in the women's union center in homs, with the title "protecting children is a common responsibility" .
the sessions included social health issues to define and acknowledge healthy lifestyles that improves the health of our children. The first session was hosted by Dr. Ismaeel Hosein, president of health education branch, who defined health as a state of complete physical, mental, psychological, and social well being, and not just a state of sickness-free.

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By: Musab Alahdab
This letter came to "Syrian Women" containing a call from a son that has lost his mother over ten years ago, and hasn't found her yet! He's reaching out to anyone who knows anything about her, anyone who can help him in any way to call him on the provided address below.
And we too ask everyone who knows anything about the absent mother to please give this message to her, in hopes that it might bring her together with her son.

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"Violence against women is an international phenomenon, it doesn't happen in one religion, country, or society without the others. what differs is the rate of its existance. "Honor crimes" is of the most violance forms that needs to be in the spotlight".
those words were in a lecture by Dr. Leen Greir, it was held by an invitation from the youth center of religional education in the church of preaching for orthodox romans in Hims (december,18th, 2006). The lecturer handled this problem, and talked about contradiction in its name, that's (how could a criminal defend honor)?!!

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Lawyer Mohammad Ali Saieg

We were surprised with four children in one of the abandoned houses in Aleppo where a good lady whom they’re not related to took them to the “latter care” center for the prisoners organization in Aleppo and asked to place them there. these four brothers looked homeless with all meanings of word.

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Dima Alhalak

A warm greeting from the heart of a mother burnt over her disability to give her nationality to her children. I was married to an Egyptian man and we had two kids. We were separated in 1972 and my children stayed with me in Syria. They were born here, and they studied and graduated from college in Syria too. But because of the lack of their work rights they had to travel to the gulf to get a job.
But why should we suffer because of the distance?

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"We had our own social program of which we 've been working on every year, but after witnessing the important social movements that took place in Syria, we had to stop, evaluate what 've we done so far, and then move into working with those social groups within the program of action they 've set for htemselves, and forming a kind of pressure by working on one case or one axis, so we had this introductive meeting with these groups to invite them to work with us, based on our faith of the necessity of joint work in our society's cases, and especially the cases of women".

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In a not so surprising step, and in an interesting confirmation by the minister about her efforts to develop the developmental work in Syria and the transformation of the organizations from charity to developing, the Lady minister has decided to break up the social initial organization!

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An association which has been instituted this year. It is concerned about handicapped cases. The association work to confirm the positive perception, and to integrate the handicapped into the society, also it is concern about the female handicapped.
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Translated by: DIALA HALLOUM

This association was launched in 1960. It is like a shelter for women and a place for their provisionary detention during the prosecution. Also the association grants legal support for its dwellers. Besides, it contributes to solving some of their social problems, when that is possible.
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Shahenaz Abd Al Ghafour
Translated by: DIALA HALLOUM

It discusses a children's play, performed by children from the "posterior care center". It claims to give a proper support for these activities, because of its important role in developing those children's life and to integrate them with the community.
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Rim Badawi
Translated by: DIALA HALLOUM

Handicapped in Syria might have a special card that gives them some advantages like assigning in public official employments according to a proportion that the law determines. In fact this card turns to be a beggary card, because of the charged people negligence, in addition to the absence of the public knowledge about the correct interacting with the handicapped.
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Wael Bahry
Translated by: DIALA HALLOUM

A paper that explains the child's rights convention and its relation to the handicapped child. This paper poses examples for dealing with the handicapped children according to this perspective. Also it presents practical suggestions to deal with misbehavers that handicapped children might face on different domains.
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Translated by: DIALA HALLOUM

This brief research tackles the issue of how settling family disputes is reflected upon juveniles, and criticizes the courts working with such disputes. The research mentions the inconveniences resulted between the fact that Syria has approved the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the related articles in the Syrian law.
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Lawyer Abeer Al-Saleh
Translated by Basel Jbaily

This research tackles the laws that concern about violence against children in the Syrian law, regarding his guardianship, neglecting the family duties and sexual abuse… etc.
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By Dr. Kinda Shammat (Lecturer in the Faculty of Law /Damascus)
Translated by Basel Jbaily

The research, done in 2005, encompassed 8962 male and female students from all the Syrian governorates and concluded that 17.07 per cent of them are subject to violence of a kind. Females are more vulnerable to violence than males, countryside students are more vulnerable than students in urban areas. While unemployed mothers tend to use violence with their children more than working mothers.

The research underlined that there is a link between the violence and the educational level of the parents. The more educated the parents are, the less use of violence and the less harshness as well.

The research said that 30.37 per cent of students surveyed were being subject to harsh violence by their teachers.

The research mentioned some recommendations in regard to the ways that must be pursued to raise awareness about the risks of using violence by both parents and teachers.
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By Dr. Moutaa Barakat
Translated by Basel Jbaily

The writer reviews the situation of the woman in the Syrian laws, specially concerning violence against women. She says that some laws fails to protect woman, while others lay a foundation for such violence, like the article 548 of the Penal Law that protects the murderer in "honour crimes".

However, other articles do protect woman, but maybe not implemented correctly. The writer goes to define different levels of violence and mentions the cases of forcing a woman to get married to a certain man, as one kind of violence against woman.
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By Dr. Kinda Shammat (Lecturer in the Faculty of Law /Damascus)
Translated by Basel Jbaily

It is of great importance to examine the way of changing the educational process in Syria, and the private universities in particular, at many levels, starting by the curricula to the expertise of teachers, and the educational tools… specially the educational logic.
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By Rahada Abdosh
Translated by Basel Jbaily

Rahada Abdoush.

That is a coming woman, from one of Syrian countries, could not perseverance more, and when she found a chair in one of our government offices sat and cried in a loud voice, which made many employees be around her. The employees who were drink tea, or put Matte, or flip pages in a routine way without meaning, as if her voice and crying were as a warning bell, return them once again making them remember their routine life, and press on their renew blooded wounds.
She came from Homs to Damascus for this job, to put an employment request for her daughter who graduated from Literature University. Therefore, she talked to us about her special suffering (who every body knows and suffers the same).
She said, "I came here to put an employment request for my daughter because she can not come here, I know here someone knows the minister so I can meet him", with her deep crying continued her speech: "what I must do? All my sons and daughters graduated from universities and stay at home without work. My tow sons have engineering degrees and take their daily pocket money (10 Syrian pounds), take a notice! those young learning men ask for just the ten pounds. They search many times for a work without hope, until if they find a porter job they will accept to have money"
"What this chance in life, if they do not take university degrees is better to them of this bad situation"
She said with crying: "they put requests in a social and work affairs, but they want employees without secondary school"
"According to their sisters the matter is not better, their universities degree did not give them except worry. The job chances in our country are very little, so if they do not find a governmental work so it is no hope. Now the most important thing is making my daughter work to help me, their father is dead from a long time and all responsibilities on me alone, I cannot bear more. They have a right to work, have not they?"
Nobody could answer her due to his or her deep pain, they are working, and every one of them has engineering or law degrees or….but as if they are not working. The work is routine, has not meaning any body knows reading and writing can do this job.
Therefore, they ask themselves: Is it the job, which we have hoped? Is it the future, which we hurry up to it? Is this young who elders deplore on it? To make them discover that they are also have not work. This work is not except convince valid, slight salaries and works, which have not any meaning, it is a blooded thing to the soul and to the knowledge, which they make efforts to reach it.
This is the story of most Syrian young, reality between valid and invalid unemployment to stay the increasing problem, the people are increasing with their demands. Approaching governmental jobs is more due to the little projects and the carelessness is clear to the other sectors. In addition, the learning curriculum is unable to rehabilitation ability groups to work in any condition.
It is bad planning, and neglecting to important groups. Who is the responsible? This is the question, which how many times search its answer, and get away from it?

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Translate by: Rola Abdoush

By: Bassam Alkadi
31st Jan.2007

“We’re trying to create a law to organize electronic media in the limits of finding responsible liberty.” That was what Mr. Taleb Kadi Amin, media minister assistant, confirmed in the seminar “Private journalism, where to?”, which took place in the social forum in Damascus Monday evening 29th Jan 2007, adding “Tomorrow the media will take what I said and make a whole story out of it!”
That’s true. Because Mr. Kadi Amin knows that this whole Internet law is just a story. a story of which chapters are not completed yet, but are being written! A story that won’t do anything but add a black spot to our Internet record that has put us in the first places on the black list!
And because the conversation was very important and dangerous, dangerous with all meaning of word, we’re going to talk about some of the related issues that were talked about in the seminar.

The world and Internet laws
It’s not new for our managers to run and back up everything they want by saying: Every country in the world has such things…But none of them has one document with names and dates to prove what they say. And Mr. Taleb Amin confirmed, in his response to the co-worker Rodaina Haidar, a member in Syrian Women work team, that all the countries in the world has Internet laws.
Let’s correct this, not by the way of an embarrassing question: Tell us which country has such law and what is its number?! neither the minister’s assistant nor anybody else has an answer.
There isn’t in the world’s countries, at least the lead ones, such thing as an Internet organizing law! And the Internet is permitted and available for anyone without any conditions! And the laws that are related to it are ordinary criminal laws related to any other media.
For example: there are law for practicing trading, and how to announce prices, and pay taxes and such.. and they include all trading activities, including Internet trading.
Another example: There are laws that criminate children’s easy access to pornography. That includes printed matters, TV, and also Internet.
But there isn’t any law that specifically regards the Internet alone.
And most importantly; there isn’t any law that comes even near to what our managers are trying to get to: website authorization. Mr. Taleb Kadi Amin assured that it isn’t a matter of authorization. Only: knowing and informing! i.e.: every website has to provide “knowing and informing” of its existence with its manager’s name!
and we know this “knowing and informing” all too well out of a very bitter experience that just keeps growing more and more bitter each day with the karakorchian organization law.
even this, neither the minister assistant nor anybody else has any evidence that such law exist in the world.
And for you information, booking an Internet site and managing it needs nothing more than having an Internet payment tool (and a lot of payment tools are anonymous), then, within hours the site is all yours.
and this procedure is the common one whether you are in Washington, Tokyo, Makadisho, or Damascus… So does that adjust with having a knowing and informing, and manager’s name law? of course not.
So, the releasing of such law, whether it was regarding the net only or included in a new printed-matter law would be a Syrian antecedence. But, alas, a shameful one.

Who define “responsible liberty”?
In justifying the existence of such law, especially the necessity of putting the manager’s name, the assistant minister said that it is only a matter of responsible liberty.
But Mr. Kadi Amin, just like any other manager in this government, any previous government, or any government on the planet, has not succeeded in defining this expression that sounds like it’s Sanskrit: “responsible liberty”! What does this “responsible” mean? and who defines if it’s “responsible’ or not?
For example: If there was a minister who doesn’t like what “Syrian Women” raises, will this liberty become “irresponsible”?! Just like what happened to many sites and Internet reports today?
In fact, there is no such thing called “responsible liberty”. It’s just a stilted phrase to control electric media just like every other media form. But the problem is that most of the countries has reached a conclusion that this media is out of control. And that it’s dragging the world towards more freedom whether the managers and people like it or not. And that phrase, here, is nothing but stretchable words (despite Mr. Kadi Amin’s assurance that the new printed-matter law will not contain any stretchable phrases!) that won’t be anything but a sword held to people’s throats.

Permitted prohibition
In the context of the conversation, Mr. Taleb Kadi Amin assured that the purpose of the prohibition is protecting our society and specifically indicated porn sites.
No one in the government seems to follow the Internet through Syrian servers! Otherwise they would have known, one way or another, that all of these sites are open through our servers!
especially the main servers: Syrian Computer Society and Syrian Telecom, while everyone knows the actual nature of the prohibited sites.
And because the nature of these sites are none of our concerns, we’ll just advise the prohibition managers in Syria: either take advanced lessons in Internet science (not just how to make a connection) or ask your experts to give you reports about it. Because it’s time that you know that this prohibition policy in Syria, just like any other country, does noting but offend the prohibiting person. Because, fortunately, there isn’t any way till now to prevent news access through the internet but to cancel the internet itself! and everything that you’re accomplishing there is just more bad reputation, and some difficulty for the user which he can quickly overcome.
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Bassam Alkadi, supervisor of Syrian Women work team - (“Responsible liberty”.. where to?!)
Exclusive: Syrian women.

Translated by: Areej Shmaies.

Before more than a year, we made a national dialogue about Syrian organizations law escorting to a serious work, which many civil organizations made, also governmental sides and the first of them is Syrian commission for family affairs.
That conversation, which obliges some opposition, especially work and social affairs, to contribute in it, until if in obstructing ways -that conversation summarized:

1- Modern democratic society cannot be without modern and democratic organization law.
2- Civil society in Syria is not just in a confidence situation, but also has the ability to do all its tasks.
3- No country in the world can do its civil society and its associations however its economic capacity and desire.
4- Work and social affairs ministry conflict strongly modern and democratic organizations law.

Dr. Diala Alhaj Aref expressed clearly, her supporting to strict associations law "to protect our country inside, and the Erob outside from terrorism!"

Now, in an exciting conversation; our companion Ferial Zahra made with the minister of work and social affairs; Tishrien newspaper propagated it in 8\1\2007.
The minister assured again her deceive support against any democratic and modern law, and against civil society and its organizations contributing in discover its passivity and work to develop it.
According to that, she prevents dealing with Syrian women league, which works in Syria from more than half century.

Through conversation:

1) When our companion Zahra asked if the new organization law will be exist in the next yea; the minister avoided clear answer saying:" you know that I have not the decision alone".

These governmental sides dread the true of public conversation about associations and commissions law, because this dialogue, as the situation saw us, will discover that the draft law is not except superficial and formally amendment of current law. Changing will not passed the formal easiness in executive papers, and will not among any real step towards independence to these associations, away from ministry custody.

2) Custody is the ministry misgiving with some other governmental sides.

3) With our respect to all other countries, actives, activities and expert in many domains: it is a shameful thing to ask external experts from Jordan, Egypt…etc. until now in each lecture or training...! While women and men in Syria disappeared who spent their life in social works in its variable domains for their ability to develop their works and accumulate their practicing. It is not for lack in them, but because law belongs to other centuries, and to ministry put in front of her to make everything (every breath) be with her accepting.

4) I did not find anybody show me a country decided in it that is no regular association can do any cooperation with any another governmental side in the same country without accepting from "social and work affairs ministry"!.

In addition, because of Dr. Diala Alhaj Aref has not any example! Moreover, knows very well that refusing is not finding except due to the relationship between accepting and stamps.

5) The minister and ministry refused giving license to Syrian commission for family affairs because of Syrian women league, which is not an association, but it is a section from Syrian communize faction. Moreover, associations' law says of have not the right to the organization to be exists if it has political or religious aims, and that is not just in our law but also in all around the world laws; as minister said.
Firstly, that is not correct, in Syria, we have many organizations in religious aims, and the minister knows very well (as the others), those are legal associations. In Euro, countries can allow organization with political aims and work in peace items.
Secondly, association law does not say that it must not relate to any governmental faction.

Thirdly, all know that Syrian women league has not political or religious aims, but just in women affairs as special, and family as general.

6) The last thing, which we will reply on this theme, is the minister's answer about the question, which relates with Syrian women team, she answered: firstly I do not hear about "Syrian women team"'s name. However, the minister heard about this team and knew very well. In addition, she knows very well that she does not accept in any way of this team existing.

Finally, we really hopped that what is happen of developing in Syria social movement in last years, especially active and develop organizations side, will be positive in total cancel to this current organization law "the worst one", and consult to every monopolistic and custody mind practiced today towards these associations…but this conversations frustrate our hope.

We hopped responsible persons know that the democratic and modern organization law will not become assistant just to this society with its associations, but also to them, if they think the "nation serve" is as a responsibility not as an excellent; but the matter is not like that according to some of them at least.

It is clear too that the work and social affairs ministry with another side are still thinking of its capability in stopping time, after its failure in return it back.
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20 – January – 2007
Bassam Alkadi

Translate by: Rola Abdoush

Bassam Alkadi
22nd Jan,2007
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This morning, on the 22nd of January 2007, on the forth millennium after hamoraby’s law, Zahra Ezo gasped for her last breath on the intensive care bed in Almojtahed hospital in Damascus, over 4 stabs in her back, and one in her neck, that were put through her body with the blade of spite from her brother’s knife in defense of his “honor” ?!

Zahra Ezo who just finished her sweet sixteen, was kidnapped by one of the family’s friends in Alhasaka. Kidnapped and blackmailed with no fault of her own. But, she’s a woman, a child, a FEMALE. And that was enough for her to be responsible for the whole family’s honor. Moreover, the whole tribe’s honor.

while the kidnapper went to prison, Zahra became a target to wash the shame, a target to kill! she escaped death and reached to the girls' care center in Damascus. “Lucky” her, she reached the center at the same time the national organization for developing women’s role were participating as a partner in the center’s administration. But that didn’t save her!

over the nine months during Zahra’s stay in the center, she escaped two attempts of murder. at the first time her brother came holding the butcher’s cleaver to kill her the minute she appeared through the center door. the second time it was her uncle holding the knife. and both times, the national organization managed to solve the problem.. and started a long trip to convince the family that the girl is not more than a child in the first place, and that she was kidnapped with no fault of her own. that the real criminal was the friend who betrayed every moral value, and not Zahra, the innocent child who continued to successfully finish her education.

after the organization succeeded in turning the center from a dark prison full of corruption and diseases to the beginning of a real caring institute, Zahra rushed, like many girls there, to benefit from the new situation. She started schooling periods with great determination and strength. she started drawing and developing her talent. and also began to write in an interesting literary style.

one day, her aunt and cousin came to visit her, and found out about the whole story. The aunt and her son, the two wonderful people who deserve all the love and honor, knew that Zahra was a victim being held as a criminal where she had no fault. they knew that Zahra was pure and honest, and capable of building a lovely life for herself.

Zahra and her cousin, the man who is a man by all means of the word, fell in love with each other and decided to get married and start a new life for better and for worse.

but the fear of the family’s knife lingered strongly in their hearts. therefore the organization did what they can to provide safety for Zahra and her husband to be, and insisted that Zahra’s father vow to Alhasaka court that he would not harm her in any way, in hopes that this vow would stop the shedding of black blood.

the father as well as the brother who once held the knife to her throat both agreed. and they threw a lovely wedding in the presence of some of the family’s members. the father attended the contraction of marriage and the mother attended the wedding reception over a month ago. and Zahra moved to her new house where she shared the difficulties of daily life with her loving hard working husband.

But the relatives didn’t like what happened! the men who were entitled to do everything and anything they wanted did not like the fact that Zahra was alive! so they started a chain of instigation and public pressure…

after a month from the wedding, Zahra’s brother visited her new home, and spent the weekend over, eating, drinking and sleeping. joking and laughing until he made sure there were no suspicions left.

on the following working morning, on Sunday the 21st of Jan,2007, Zahra’s husband went to work leaving his wife and her brother home alone, thinking that everything had been finally solved. But…

as soon as the brother - the killer- that was loaded with the pressure of a culture that accused him and his family of surrendering to the shame woke up, he took his knife and stabbed Zahra 4 times in her back until it reached her lung, and one time in her throat and escaped away…

when the crime was finally discovered after a while, Zahra had already lost a lot of blood, she was rushed to Almojtahed hospital in Damascus almost dead, and was put in intensive care. the doctors of the hospital put a lot of effort into saving Zahra’s life but the stabs were much stronger than them..

Zahra didn’t even see the end of the day in the hospital….
and she left this cruel world this morning while her family members were celebrating. yes, another celebration of killing a Syrian woman.

Zahra, the victim of masculinity times and times again. the victim of a culture that became a disgrace written over our foreheads..the victim of the law that still allows murderers to flaunt their crimes.. the victim of everyone who justifies this murder and everyone who seals the lips over it’s conviction.

Zahra, the victim of religious institutions that still collude with these murders, and the victim of civil institutions that still considers the feminine causes to be not in the priorities. the victim of governmental institutions that don’t mind sacrificing Syrian women on the chancel of “international reputation” .. and the victim of the “developmental” media silent as devil!!

Zahra, the victim of bureaucracy and closed minds that still hold steel bars in front of the civil community in his attempt to find shelters for violated threatened women..shelters to protect them from murder.. and open the doors to a safe noble life for them…

Zahra.. OUR victim!!
we all killed Zahra!
we all participated in holding the black knife!

the following words were written by Zahra a few months ago.. describing her feelings towards one of the ladies of the national organization for developing women’s role, that supervises the girls’ care center in Damascus where she was staying:

I felt a queen of Arab queens in the color of wheat, the wheat that gives people grace and blessing. and your pure heart in the color of white clouds.

and then what?
if I should say beauty; I cannot describe. If I should say morality; I cannot speak.

Believe it, I can’t describe her in any way. every time I sit in front of her I try to write words about her but I can’t. why? maybe because I’ve never seen anyone like her. and when I look in her eyes she paralyses me with those eyes, and there I am, unable to move. charms without knowing, seals lips and no lash is closed over lid.

and I can’t leave her in fear of her sweet tender anger like the wings of a butterfly touching my cheek, leaving a lovely trace in my heart and pleasing the beholder.

I love her when she speaks, and respect her when she rages.
I don’t know how I managed to write all of this.
I wish I knew more. because I enjoy writing about her.
your love is a river that runs through my eyes, and your whisper is a breeze that blows through my lids. I love you with all my sins.
your forever loving girl.
Zahra.

Bassam Alkadi - (The knife of honor slices Zahra’s throat!!)

Exclusive: “Syrian women”
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Translated by areej shmaies