No for Syria, for the constitution, for all the agreements ratified by the government. Yes for sects and sectarianism.
No for citizenship. Yes for words like: Muslims, Druze, Christians, Mosawi and apostates.
No for the woman/the human. Yes for the deflowered, insubordinated, abused, divorced, widowed women.
“Raping minors” is allowed. The reward: “the rapist’s marriage of his victim”.
Many protested when we accused the Syrian government of colluding with some “religious figures” who seek for nothing but their worldly authority in the name of “Allah”, who speak exactly like the “religious priesthood” in Europe during the Middle Ages while underlying the cultural radiation of Arabs during that era.
Although we have countless evidences to proof that, proofs we came across during that last few years in the field of Syrian Woman Observatory work (mainly concerning woman and childhood), this “religious lobby” outdid itself this time round and unveiled its obscurant reality, the same reality of those who infamously supports the meanest deed in the human behavior, killing, in the name of “honor” though their relentless defense of the articles 548 and 192 in the Syrian Penal Code that give the killers in “honor crimes” a total exemption from the punishment, or a commutation of the penalty to only six months in some cases, which counts as reward to male whose mean instincts excel his noble values.
The new thing today is the completion of the draft for a new “Personal Status” law by committee commissioned for that task by the prime minister. The new draft represents a major retreat and huge step backwards and a total failure if compared to the current law. This new draft comes after prolonged revision that lasted for nearly two years, shrouded in secrecy behind closed doors, where those drafting it can find shelter from any criticism. Working behind closed doors lest their plans of implementing the obscurant theories of Taliban in the name of Islam, be disclosed.
The new draft requires dozens of articles to reveal the gloomy side of every single word and idea. The same goes for its entire vision that is based on the sectarian affiliation as the sole acknowledged source of law. This clearly undermines the bases of loyalty in the modern Syria. The draft law is void of the notion of homeland, of citizenship, of human rights.
In the phrasing of the draft, there is neither human nor Syria, there are Muslims, Druze, Christians, Mosawi and apostates. There is no woman, there are deflowered, insubordinated, abused, divorced, widowed women. Nothing but “male obscurantism” that shows clearly how the “male” is the quasi-ultimate lord of living. Everything is dedicate to serve this male, and bringing “pleasure” to him. It is quasi-ultimate, because this very male, as well, is subjected to the authority of the “religious priesthood” that wants to control every single matter in the family affairs.
Who are those working secretly to undermine our loyalty to a modern country called Syria, metamorphosing our own country to a sectarian emirates? We know quite well what an abyss this will lead to.
Those are same figures who gave every possible affirmation during the past five years of their ultimate male obscurantism by defending the practice of killing women in the name of “virtue, morality and religion” and sanctifying the instinct of rage, which contradicts with their rhetoric “of the tolerant religion that honored the woman and calls for corporation and integration”.
Their peculiar product is now available in markets, the law of “sects” entitled as “Personal Status Law” and aims at taking us back to age of slavery, with a “religious” dress this time round.
This draft is full of violations to the Syrian constitution, to the international treaties and even to the religions. This draft reflects the concerns of those obscurants about the work being done in many fields towards plans and laws that matches our modern lives and solves the accumulated problems from centuries ago. They are worried that their autocracy would be eroded. This draft, they think, would be an insurmountable obstacle in the way of our and others’ work, and in the way of another draft that would enable us to live our humane nature.
As always, the drafters forgot that Syria is not their own emirate, that people are not their obedient slaves. The Syrians are people who defended, defend, and will defend their humanity and the welfare of their country for the sake of a better life for their children.
This is only the first article, of a series, dedicated to tackling in details what has been mentioned above and refuting the new draft law of “sects”, unveiling the truth behind it and exposing its contradiction with the constitution, with the treaties ratified by the Syrian government, and even its contradiction with the religion itself.
Meanwhile, we call for all activists and organizations to do their utmost to unveil the real face of this draft. In case this draft is passed as law, the situation in Syria would not be of much difference from other parts of the world where the person is cheaper than the bullet or the killer’s knife.
Speak up loudly to reveal this sinister draft.
Syria Woman observatory opens its pages for you to tackle this issues always.
By Bassam AlKadi, 1/6/2009, (“Personal Status” draft law: the real face of the “religious priesthood” unveiled )
Translated by Basel Jbaily
source in Arabic..