-چونیه تی کاریگه ری وه زعی ئابوری و کومه لایه تی و زمان ونه ته وه یی و ئتنیک ،  له سه ر پیک هاتنی ئه زمونی ژنان له جینده ر

A letter to Dr. Ahmed Shaheed regarding Zainab Jalalian by Soraya Fallah

 

Sunday, July 21, 2013

 

On Friday July 19, 2013, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed , United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran was present in Los Angeles to give a lecture at UCLA and meet with concerned Iranians about human rights abuses in Iran.

 

In one of the meetings, Soraya Fallah, women rights advocate, was present along with other members of human rights groups to submit a few requests related to the situation of Kurdish women in Iran. Soraya prepared an article on the double discrimination Kurdish women face in Iran as a result of both their gender and ethnicity. She requested special attention to legally mandated violence such as honor killing and the lack of investigation in alleged self mutilation cases. She submitted a letter which was signed by many concerned human rights activists and writers on the same topic. 
Soraya also wrote a letter to Dr. Ahmad Shaheed regarding Zainab Jalalian who has been in prison since 2007 and is now on dead row. The letter was as follow:


Concern over the imminent execution of a female Kurdish political prisoner Zainab Jalalian

Honorable Dr. Ahmed Shaheed

I am seeking your support regarding one of the women among the listed Kurdish political prisoners in imminent danger of execution.
Zaynab Jalalian, a 30 years old Kurdish woman, was arrested in Kermanshah in early 2007. She was dispatched to the infamous Sanandaj prison soon after. This is the same prison which bears witness to other Kurdish  execution, and the tragedy of two sisters  Nasrin and Shahla Ka’bi 4 who were violently annihilated.

Soraya Fallah is 2012 Recipient of the United Nation Association of USA's Global Citizen Award

 

October 9, 2012

Report by: Cklara Moradian

 

On Thursday, September 27th 2012, the United Nation Association of USA (UNAUSA) gathered for the 5th West Coast Global Forum at an official luncheon held at the California Endowment Center in Los Angeles, CA.

The purpose of this gathering was to begin a dialogue about the challenges facing our global world, including the increasing population on our planet. The forum's theme was "7 Billion and Counting: Creating a World that Works."

This forum was also a celebration of individuals and organizations that are contributing to the creation of a world that works. Three distinguished individuals were awarded the "Global Citizen Award" as a way to honor their tireless efforts towards improving the health, human rights, and quality of life of people in the local and global community.

 

 

 

In Memory of Du'a Khalil

 

By SORAYA FALLAH

 

April 10, 2012

In a grainy, low-quality video, a dozen men surround a woman curled into the fetal position on the ground and kick and punch her. Hundreds of onlookers fill the village square in Bashika. The beating continues as Du'a Khalil tries to protect her head from the blows. After several minutes, a cinder block is passed through the crowd and a man uses it to smash her head. The incident was reported as an honor killing case.

"Honor killing" generally refers to acts of violence, usually murder, committed by family members or acquaintances of a woman who has allegedly brought dishonor upon her family.

A woman can be targeted by individuals within her family or her tribe, village and kinsmen for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to: refusing to enter into an  arranged marriage, being the victim of sexual assault, seeking a divorce - even from an abusive husband - or (allegedly) committing adultery. The mere perception that a woman has behaved in a way that "dishonors" her family is sufficient to trigger an attack on her life. 

 

HRW urges Iraqi Kurds to ban female circumcision

washingtonpost

By HADEEL AL-SHALCHI and YAHYA BARZANJI

The Associated Press
Wednesday, June 16, 2010; 12:19 PM

 

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq -- Human Rights Watch called on Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq to ban the practice of female genital mutilation, and said in a report released Wednesday that the majority of women in the self-ruled region undergo the medically risky and emotionally painful procedure.

The New York-based group said the new Kurdish government, which was elected in July 2009, failed to take steps to ban the practice. Initial efforts on the issue stalled under the former regional government, which also failed to make it a priority because of the culturally sensitive nature of the practice.

Female genital mutilation involves the removal of a girl's clitoris and sometimes also other genital parts, usually shortly after birth or at a young age. Critics say it can lead to painful sexual intercourse, complications in childbirth and eliminates any pleasure for women during sex.