"The Organization of Islamic Cooperation and all international institutions should take a swift, serious and firm action to put an end to this genocide in Myanmar," Ruhollah Beigi said on Saturday.
He noted that meaningful silence of the UN and other international bodies toward crimes committed by the extremist Buddhists has led to widespread massacre of oppressed Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
He underscored that all Muslim nations across the world are duty-bound to defend Muslims in Myanmar, and added, "The catastrophe in Myanmar is not only an issue for the Muslim world, but an issue for all free and justice-seeking peoples of the world."
The government of Myanmar refuses to recognize Rohingyas, who it claims are not natives and classifies as illegal migrants, although the Rohingya are said to be Muslim descendants of Persian, Turkish, Bengali, and Pathan origin, who migrated to Burma as early as the 8th century.
Even Myanmar's so-called democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has kept quiet on the atrocities committed against the Rohingya Muslims.
Myanmar's President Thein Sein said Rohingya Muslims must be expelled from the country and sent to refugee camps run by the United Nations.
The UN says decades of discrimination have left the Rohingyas stateless, with Myanmar implementing restrictions on their movement and withholding land rights, education and public services.
Since June, hundreds of members of the nearly-one-million-strong Rohingya Muslim minority have been killed and tens of thousands of others among them have been displaced in the west of the country due to a wave of communal violence.
Over the past two years, waves of ethnic Muslims have attempted to flee by boats in the face of systematic oppression by the Myanmar government.
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Fars News Agency :: MP Calls on OIC to Break Silence over Massacre of Muslims in Myanmar
UN Women: Communications Procedure of the Commission on the Status of Women Any individual, non-governmental organization, group or network may submit communications (complaints/appeals/petitions) to the Commission on the Status of Women containing info
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/communications_procedure.html#where
Communications Procedure of the Commission on the Status of Women
| Any individual, non-governmental organization, group or network may submit communications (complaints/appeals/petitions) to the Commission on the Status of Women containing information relating to alleged violations of human rights that affect the status of women in any country in the world. The Commission on the Status of Women considers such communications as part of its annual programme of work in order to identify emerging trends and patterns of injustice and discriminatory practices against women for purposes of policy formulation and development of strategies for the promotion of gender equality. |
|
The current communications procedure of the Commission on the Status of Women has its roots in Economic and Social Council resolution 76 (V) of 5 August 1947, as amended by the Council in resolution 304 I (XI) of 14 and 17 July 1950. The mandate of the Commission on the Status of Women to consider communications has been reaffirmed and the modalities of the procedure have been further modified by the Council (see Council resolutions 1983/27 of 26 May 1983, 1992/19 of 30 July 1992, 1993/11 of 27 July 1993, 2009/16 of 28 July 2009and decision 2002/235 of 24 July 2002).
What types of communications are sought?
What information should be included in a communication?
The procedure
Examples of categories of communications received and trends and patterns identified in recent years
Where to submit a communication to the Commission on the Status of Women
What types of communications are sought?
Accurate and detailed information relating to the promotion of women's rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields in any country anywhere in the world.
What information should be included in a communication?
It is advisable that communications should:
- Identify as far as possible the woman victim, or women victims
- Indicate clearly where (the particular country/several countries) the alleged violation(s) or pattern of violations have occurred or are occurring
- Provide, when available, dates and circumstances of the alleged violations
- Explain the context by providing relevant background information
- Provide, when available, copies of documentation
The procedure
Examples of categories of communications received and trends and patterns identified in recent years
- Arbitrary arrests of women
- Deaths and torture of women in custody
- Forced disappearances or abductions of women
- Discriminatory application of punishments in law based on sex, including corporal and capital punishment
- Violation of the rights of women human rights defenders to freedom of expression and assembly
- Threats or pressure exerted on women not to complain or to withdraw complaints
- Impunity for violations of the human rights of women
- Stereotypical attitudes towards the role and responsibilities of women
- Domestic violence
- Forced marriage and marital rape
- Virginity testing
- Contemporary forms of slavery, including trafficking in women and girls
- Sexual harassment of women in the workplace
- Unfair employment practices based on sex, including unequal pay
- Lack of due diligence by States to adequately investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of violence against women
- Discrimination against women under immigration and nationality laws
- Violations of the rights of women to own and inherit property
- Discrimination against women in accessing international humanitarian aid
- Forcible evictions of women in conflict situations
| All claims must be submitted in writing and signed by e-mail, fax, or regular mail. However, the author's identity is not made known to the Government(s) concerned unless she/he agrees to the disclosure. |
Please note that the Commission on the Status of Women does not take decisions on the merit of communications that are submitted to it and, therefore, the communications procedure does not provide an avenue for the redress of individual grievances.
Where to submit a communication to the Commission on the Status of Women
Any person or organization with a communication should write by 1 August 2012 to:
CSW Communications ProcedureHuman Rights Section
UN Women
220 East 42nd Street, 17th floor,
New York, NY 10017
USA or
Send an e-mail message to: cp-csw@unwomen.org
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Toke of the Town - Call To Action: Stop The Feds From Silencing Robert Platshorn - By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~
http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2012/07/call_to_action_stop_the_feds_from_silencing_robert.php
 |
| The Silver Tour |
| Robert Platshorn spreads the truth about cannabis through The Silver Tour. Now the federal government has moved to silence him |
 |
| The Silver Tour |
Saturday, 21 July 2012
Palm Beach Post -By Jane Musgrave - parole office discharged Platshorn loses first round in 'special' parole fight with parole office - header edited by Mark Aldiss
Posted: 12:49 p.m. Friday, July 20, 2012
Convicted former pot smuggler Platshorn loses first round in parole fight
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
WEST PALM BEACH —
Convicted pot smuggler turned medicinal marijuana advocate Robert Platshorn has lost the first round in his fight with the U.S. Parole Commission.
Pointing out that Platshorn’s quest for freedom to speak at such events as Hempfest Seattle, Sacramento Hempfest and Detroit High Times Medical Cannabis Cup seems to conflict with his marijuana-related crimes, U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks said the 70-year-old Golden Lakes Village resident must remain under the supervision of the parole office.
Platshorn, who was released from prison in 2008 after serving roughly 30 years, said the parole office discharged him in May 2011 but recently alerted him that he is on special parole.
Middlebrooks said special parole is commonly ordered and upheld it.
Platshorn, who founded the Silver Tour to persuade seniors to push to legalize medical marijuana, vowed to continue his legal battle.
Friday, 20 July 2012
GlaxoSmithKline agrees $3 billion fraud payout 05 July 2012
IT'S a hefty pill to swallow. GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to pay $3 billion for introducing "misbranded" drugs and failing to report safety data, following a criminal investigation by the US Department of Justice. The settlement is the largest for healthcare fraud in US history.
"This historic action is a clear warning to any company that chooses to break the law," said James Cole, the US Deputy Attorney General, in a statement.
The charges related mainly to three drugs. The investigators found that between 1998 and 2003, GSK unlawfully promoted an antidepressant, trade name Paxil, for treating depression in people under 18, despite no approval for this from the US Food and Drug Administration.
Likewise, from 1999 to 2003, GSK promoted Wellbutrin, a drug approved at that time only for major depressive disorder, for a host of other conditions, including sexual dysfunction and addiction to drugs.
Finally, the investigation found that between 2001 and 2007, GSK failed to send the FDA safety data which revealed that the diabetes drug Avandia carried risks of congestive heart failure and heart attacks.
"I want to express our regret and reiterate that we have learnt from the mistakes that were made," said Andrew Witty, chief executive officer of GSK, in a statement. He added that the offences were symptomatic of conduct that is no longer tolerated. "The company reached this settlement with the government to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience and uncertainty of protracted litigation," said Witty.
The company's annual report reveals that GSK posted an operating profit last year of more than quadruple the fine, at $12.4 billion, and turnover of $43 billion. The company is valued at $113 billion.
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It Isn't Their Money!
Thu Jul 05 09:37:08 BST 2012 by ullrich fischer
If the $3b were to come out of the pockets of the GSK execs responsible for the decisions leading to this crime, that might be a slight taste of justice, but to fine the company is to take the money out of the pockets of GSK shareholders most of whom had no say in those decisions. As it stands, this is not a proportional deterrent. Consider that Bernie Madoff is in jail for life despite having killed no one. The action described in the article may well have killed thousands due to inappropriate medication and thousands more due to the support this scandal gives to the "big pharma is a conspiracy" meme which is currently causing thousands of families around the world to refuse to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases
It Isn't Their Money!
Fri Jul 06 09:18:44 BST 2012 by sevenleafclover
So you're saying they embezzled the money to pay the 3b fine? hmmm, I don't know...
These corporate conspiracy theories are interesting, but nothing will change unless consumers take action:
Consumers must hold these shady corporations accountable through the organization of boycotts, and through the enaction of new legistation. Only then will corporations hold their execs personally responsible for their actions.
Socal media has given consumers a much greater power, it's high time consumers start using that power justly.
It Isn't Their Money!
Sat Jul 07 00:27:39 BST 2012 by Chris
'So you're saying they embezzled the money to pay the 3b fine?'
Nope, he didn't say that or even imply it at all, it might be better if you actually read, and understand, what someone has written before you comment on it.
The point being made was that the fine, being levied against the company, is to be paid out from the companies profits thereby badly affecting the shareholders dividends for a year or two, (remember the shareholders were not the ones who decided to mis-sell and mis-report these drugs)
Meanwhile the excutives who did decide to put peoples lives and health at risk to increase sales do not themselves pay the fines despite being those responsable.
Money grabbing management parasites like those here should pay compensation out of their own pockets to all those affected in this debarcle, receive heftly fines and/or prison terms and should of course be banned from working in a management position in any healthcare, medical or drug company again
It Isn't Their Money!
Tue Jul 10 04:12:55 BST 2012 by Jamie W.
I vehemently disagree with Chris and Ullrich that the shareholders are somehow innocent in all this. Of course the Glaxo exec's should face the music (or perhaps a firing squad), but anyone who holds shares should know exactly where their money is invested. They may not design the profit-making schemes but they're happy to rake in the dividends. Would it be acceptable for me to take shares in a crystal meth factory? Should I evade punishment if the cooks get busted?
It Isn't Their Money!
Tue Jul 10 03:58:52 BST 2012 by Jamie W.
"The company reached this settlement with the government to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience and uncertainty of protracted litigation,"
The above quote says it all, really. If the swine thought they had a chance in court they would have sent in the lawyers. Their accountants would have determined that settling was the option least damaging to the shareholders' hip pockets.
There's no conspiracy here, there's no cabal of evil pharma-lords, just a system that prioritises profit-maximisation and limits personal responsibility. The Glaxo decision-makers were doing their job, and their job isn't developing and providing treatments for unwell people, it's providing ever-increasing dividends. The average large pharmaco spends around three times more money on marketing than they do on R&D, a fact which tells us exactly what their priorities are.
It seems to me that there's something profoundly wrong with a system where treatments for the unwell (or food for the hungry, or heating for the cold, or shelter for the homeless) are provided or withheld on the basis of profitability.
I agree with sevenleafclover (do they grow near Pripyat?) that action is desperately needed, but I suspect boycotts and legislatory changes are nothing more than inconveniences, like fleas on a rabid dog.
Perhaps it's time we stopped referring to human beings as consumers. Perhaps we can use the power of the web to do more than complain. Perhaps it's time we take back the world.
It Isn't Their Money!
Mon Jul 09 19:21:57 BST 2012 by James
I am now curious where the 3BN is going? How much did it cost to get the 3BN fine so how much is my government actually making? Additionally I thought we had a law that corporate execs could be charged with this as a crime, Knowingly choosing proifits over the safety of people.
It Isn't Their Money!
Tue Jul 10 04:25:41 BST 2012 by Jamie W.
"...and thousands more due to the support this scandal gives to the "big pharma is a conspiracy" meme which is currently causing thousands of families around the world to refuse to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases"
Ullrich, you've got to be kidding. I absolutely agree that scientifically-illiterate idiots refusing to vaccinate their kids is a huge problem, but you can't seriously be suggesting that we should let stuff like this slide in order to preserve the respectable face of the pharmaceutical industry. Perhaps I've misread your intentions?
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Thursday, 19 July 2012
The Guardian - Simon Harwood cleared of manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/19/simon-harwood-not-guilty-ian-tomlinson
Simon Harwood cleared of manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson
Met police officer cleared of manslaughter over death of bystander hit with baton and pushed to the ground
- guardian.co.uk, Thursday 19 July 2012 14.41 BST
A policeman has been acquitted of killing Ian Tomlinson during G20 protests in London by striking the 47-year-old bystander with a baton and pushing him to the ground as he walked away from police lines.
The jury at Southwark crown court on Thursday cleared PC Simon Harwood, 45, a member of the Metropolitan police's elite public order unit, the Territorial Support Group, of manslaughter following one of the most high-profile cases of alleged police misconduct in recent years.
Harwood told the court that while in retrospect he "got it wrong" in seeing Tomlinson as a potentially threatening obstruction as police cleared a pedestrian passageway in the City on the evening of 1 April 2009, his actions were justifiable within the context of the widespread disorder of that day.
Speaking outside the court, the Tomlinson family said: "It's not the end, we are not giving up for justice for Ian." They said they would now pursue a civil case.
The jury's verdict, after four days of deliberations, brings about something of a legal contradiction: 14 months ago another jury, at the inquest into Tomlinson's death, ruled that he was unlawfully killed by Harwood. The inquest ruling was made on the same burden of proof as a criminal trial, that is, beyond reasonable doubt.
Neither jury heard details of Harwood's prior disciplinary record, which can only be reported now. This includes how he quit the Met on health grounds in 2001 shortly before a planned disciplinary hearing into claims he illegally tried to arrest a driver after a road rage incident while off duty, altering his notes to retrospectively justify the actions. Harwood was nonetheless able to join another force, Surrey, before returning to serve with the Met in 2005.
He allegedly punched, throttled, kneed or threatened other suspects while in uniform in other alleged incidents.
PC Simon Harwood leaves courtThe verdict will come as a huge disappointment to Tomlinson's family, following a saga that began when the father of four, who was stepfather to his wife's five other children, collapsed as he tried to make his way home through police lines. It followed a day of protests connected to the meeting in London of leaders from the G20 group of nations. He died shortly afterwards.
Tomlinson had been an alcoholic for some years and was living in a homeless hostel. It was initially presumed he died from natural causes, a conclusion supported by an initial postmortem examination, which gave the cause as heart failure.
But six days later the Guardian published video footage, shot by an American in London on business, which showed a policeman in riot gear striking Tomlinson on the leg with a baton before shoving him violently to the pavement, minutes before his final collapse.
Three pathologists involved in two further postmortem examinations said Tomlinson instead died from internal bleeding associated with his liver and consistent with being pushed to the ground. While the officer was soon identified as Harwood, prosecutors initially decided against charging him, changing their mind only after the inquest verdict.
The trial hinged on two key questions: firstly, whether Harwood's actions amounted to a criminal assault; then, whether they directly led to Tomlinson's death.
The first issue was simple, the prosecution argued: Harwood carried out "a gratuitous act of aggression", Mark Dennis QC told the jury. Harwood had recklessly abandoned the police van he was designated to drive to arrest a man seen writing graffiti on another vehicle. Humiliated when the man wriggled free, he opted to join a line of other officers clearing a pedestrian passageway by the Royal Exchange complex.
But in his evidence Harwood said he had been separated from his van by a threatening crowd before following orders to clear the passage. He insisted his actions towards Tomlinson were correct at the time, a version of events supported by two other officers at the scene called as defence witnesses.
The issue of cause of death saw the testimony of the first pathologist, Dr Freddy Patel, who reasserted his belief that Tomlinson died from heart failure, placed against that of Dr Nat Cary, who told the court that even a relatively small amount of internal bleeding would have caused death. The jury was not told that Patel has twice been suspended by medical authorities for mistakes in other postmortem examinations and is no longer on the Home Office's register of approved pathologists.
No police officer has been convicted for manslaughter for a crime committed while on duty since 1986.
5 July 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing the Syria Files
Thursday 5 July 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing the Syria Files – more than two million emails from Syrian political figures, ministries and associated companies, dating from August 2006 to March 2012. This extraordinary data set derives from 680 Syria-related entities or domain names, including those of the Ministries of Presidential Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Information, Transport and Culture. At this time Syria is undergoing a violent internal conflict that has killed between 6,000 and 15,000 people in the last 18 months. The Syria Files shine a light on the inner workings of the Syrian government and economy, but they also reveal how the West and Western companies say one thing and do another.
List of Releases
Thursday 5 July 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing the Syria Files
[es] Syria Files (ES)
[fr] Syria Files (FR)
[de] Syria Files (DE)
[pt_br] Syria Files (PT-BR)
Today, Thursday 5 July 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing the Syria Files – more than two million emails from Syrian political figures, ministries and associated companies, dating from August 2006 to March 2012.
This extraordinary data set derives from 680 Syria-related entities or domain names, including those of the Ministries of Presidential Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Information, Transport and Culture.
Over the next two months, ground-breaking stories derived from the files will appear in WikiLeaks (global), Al Akhbar (Lebanon), Al Masry Al Youm (Egypt), ARD (Germany), Associated Press (US), L’Espresso (Italy), Owni (France) and Publico.es (Spain). Other publications will announce themselves closer to their publishing date.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said: "The material is embarrassing to Syria, but it is also embarrassing to Syria’s opponents. It helps us not merely to criticise one group or another, but to understand their interests, actions and thoughts. It is only through understanding this conflict that we can hope to resolve it."
At this time Syria is undergoing a violent internal conflict that has killed between 6,000 and 15,000 people in the last 18 months. The Syria Files shine a light on the inner workings of the Syrian government and economy, but they also reveal how the West and Western companies say one thing and do another.
The range of information extends from the intimate correspondence of the most senior Baath party figures to records of financial transfers sent from Syrian ministries to other nations.
The database comprises 2,434,899 emails from the 680 domains. There are 678,752 different email addresses that have sent emails and 1,082,447 different recipients. There are a number of different languages in the set, including around 400,000 emails in Arabic and 68,000 emails in Russian. The data is more than eight times the size of ’Cablegate’ in terms of number of documents, and more than 100 times the size in terms of data. Around 42,000 emails were infected with viruses or trojans. To solve these complexities, WikiLeaks built a general-purpose, multi-language political data-mining system which can handle massive data sets like those represented by the Syria Files.
In such a large collection of information, it is not possible to verify every single email at once; however, WikiLeaks and its co-publishers have done so for all initial stories to be published. We are statistically confident that the vast majority of the data are what they purport to be.
We would like to thank our sources, technical team, donors and defenders without whom this contribution to the historical record would not be possible. https://wlfriends.org/
For more information on the Syria Files, please see: http://wikileaks.org/syria-files/re...
For media enquiries, please see: http://wikileaks.org/Press
Faces For Sara Kruzan - A VISUAL PETITION & MOVEMENT TO FREE CHILD SEX-TRAFFICKING VICTIM SENT TO LIFE IN PRISON
http://www.elizabethohara.com/ffskpetitioninfo.php
A VISUAL PETITION & MOVEMENT TO FREE CHILD SEX-TRAFFICKING VICTIM SENT TO LIFE IN PRISON
For More Details, Read The Sara Kruzan Story HereHOW TO PARTICIPATE
SIMPLY SUBMIT YOUR OWN HI-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPH TO FACESFORSARAKRUZAN@GMAIL.COMRead the below details if you are unsure how to submit a photograph.
SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOGRAPH: THREE VERY SIMPLE RULES FOR EXAMPLES OF PHOTOS SEE "FACES" GALLERY 1) Send 1 to 3 pictures of yourself that are clear, HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOS (over 500k, preferably 1MB or higher). No photoshopped images or otherwise doctored images. 2) You may send me a sentence/statement that will be attached as your quote along with the photo you send. Pictures with you looking into the camera are stronger for this project. 3) Group photos are absolutely not accepted without my permission. That's it!Again, please send your photo to FacesForSaraKruzan@gmail.com Please include your first name and last name. RestrictionsThe following: inappropriate images, including full nudity or provocative/suggestive poses (for minors). For adults, artistic expression will be limited to partial nudity (no private areas showing), but can be provocative to make a statement about abuse, sex trafficking, injustice, etc. NO racially-based language or any other racially discriminatory language or slang. No profanity please. Now that you know the rules and have submitted your photo, please pass this along to everyone you know. Thank You!
Elizabeth O'Hara @SAVESARA www.savesara.com
Untitled
March for Justice for Kingsley Burrell to be held in Birmingham
- TUESDAY, 10 JULY 2012 00:00
- SECTION
A march demanding justice for Kingsley Burrell will be held on 18th August 2012 in Birmingham.
Burrell lost his life after he was forcibly restrained by police, while detained under the Mental Health Act.
A year after Burrell’s death, no one has been charged and his body has still not been released to his grieving family for burial.
Community members are urged to attend the march in large numbers in memory of Burrell and all who havedied in custody.MARCH FOR JUSTICE FOR KINGSLEY BURRELLDate: 18th August 2012
Time: 12:00
Venue: Summerfield Park, Dudley Rd/Icknield Port Rd, Birmingham B16
http://www.facebook.com/BirminghamStrong4Justice
Justice for Kingsley Burrell supports the UFFC No. 10 Petition re: deaths in custody
Justice for Kingsley Burrell supports the UFFC No. 10 Petition re: deaths in custody
UFFC Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/pages/United-Families-Friends-Campaign-UFFC/308702409174443?sk=wall
The Official Kingsley Burrell Poster for the National Demo 18 August. Please spread the word, post, email and promote @march4justice
The Official Kingsley Burrell Poster for the National Demo 18 August. Please spread the word, post, email and promote @march4justice
http://justiceforkingsleyburrell.blogspot.co.uk/
Justice for Kingsley Burrell
Campaigning for Justice for Kingsley Burrell and for legislative reform in regards to deaths in custody. In unity with all those who have lost a loved one in these circumstances.
Planning meetings for 2nd March 4 Justice 4 Kingsley Burrell to be held at: Handsworth Park, Community Play centre on
Saturday 21st July 6-8pm
Saturday 28th July 6-8pm
Saturday 4th August 6-8pm
Saturday 11th August 6-8pm
Please attend if you can and volunteer your time to help
co-ordinate the March on 18th August.
Update: Body of Birmingham dad Kingsley Burrell not released one year on
Originally published at Birmingham Mail
 |
| Distraught sister Kedisha and Kingsley Burrell who has not been buried a year after his death |
Monday, 16 July 2012
STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN in Iran and Afghanistan
http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/VIOLENCE_AGAINST_WOMEN_AND_CHILDREN
STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN
16 signers. Let's reach 100
Why this is important
I am working in favour of the culture of human rights and democracy in Iran and Afghanistan and I want to STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN in Iran and Afghanistan
I would like to call upon the national and international community to give more room and opportunity to the role of women in peace- and security building in Iran and Afghanistan. I would like to ask the Iran and Afghan Government to ban any discriminatory acts and practices which are against Iran and Afghan women’s rights.
• I would like to call upon the Iran and Afghan state and international partners to support the Afghan and Iran women in reducing poverty. Poverty is one of the main challenges for the Afghan and Iran women in their social life.
• Domestic violence is also a very important challenge for the Afghan and Iran women.
Taslima Nasreen - Our men throw acid in our faces, destroy our lives but we never stop loving men. Warning: Violent images
Our men throw acid in our faces, destroy our lives but we never stop loving men. Warning: Violent images
July 14, 2012 at 3:25 pm 
Taslima NasreenMen throw acid on us with the intention of injuring and disfiguring us. Men throw acid on our bodies, burn our faces, smash our noses, melt our eyes, and walk away as happy men.
Acid attack is common in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Cambodia, and a few other countries. Men throw acid on us because men are angry with us for ending relationships and for refusing sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, proposals of marriage, demands for dowry. They throw acid on us for attending schools, for not wearing Islamic veils, for not behaving well, for speaking too much, for laughing loudly.
India
She was 18, a college student. Three of her neighbors sexually harassed her for more than two years and then threw acid on her. Her skin on the skull, face, neck, chest and back were melted away. After nine years of that attack Sonali Mukherjee is now blind in both eyes and partially deaf. Her father spent millions of rupees for her treatment. They have now no money. The attackers got bail from the High Court, continued threatening to kill her. She is now asking the government to help her or allow her to end her life.
Cambodia
The face of Sokreun Mean, who was blinded and disfigured by an acid attack.
Carsten Stormer, a German journalist & photographer said,
“Acid attacks deprive people of more than their looks and sight. Families are torn apart. Husbands leave their wives. Children are separated from their parents. Jobs vanish overnight, turning professionals into beggars. Many victims cannot get through a day without constant assistance, becoming burdens on their families. All bear the mark of the pariah.
“What remains is a traumatized society in which domestic disputes, unhappy love affairs, and professional rivalries are nearly always resolved through violence. Hardly a family without its members lost to the ideological battles of the Khmer Rouge – a curse that is passed on from parents to children. Battery acid is known to be most uncomplicated way of causing lifelong suffering. A dollar will buy you a quart of acid on any street corner. The perpetrators are seldom punished. Their targets become outcasts.”
Pakistan
Fakhra Younus was attacked by her husband Bilal Khar, ex-MPA of the Punjab Assembly and the son of Pakistani Politician Ghulam Mustafa Khar. He threw acid in her face after they split up. Tehmina Durrani, the author of ‘My Feudal Lord’, the former step mother of Bilal Khar tried to help Fakhra. She was sent to Italy for treatment. After having 39 re-constructive surgeries, Fakhra committed suicide.
Stories of the girls, from left to right:
Ten years ago Shahnaz Bibi was burned with acid by a relative due to a familial dispute. She has never undergone plastic surgery. Najaf Sultana is now 16. At the age of five Najaf was burned by her father while she was sleeping. Her father didn’t want to have another girl in the family. Najaf became blind. Shameem Akhter (20) was kidnapped and raped by a gang of men who then threw acid on her 3 years ago. Kanwal Kayum, now 26, was burned with acid one year ago by a man whom she rejected for marriage. Bashiran Bibi was burned at her husband’s house just after her marriage. Nasreen Sharif was a beautiful girl. When she was 14, her cousin poured a bottle of sulphuric acid in her face. He did it because he couldn’t stand boys whistling at her when she crossed the street. Her skin melted away, her hair burned away. She is now blind, she has no ears and she has no sense of smell.
Bangladesh
It is very easy for a man to get sulphuric acid if he wants to attack a woman he does not like. The country has become a hot spot for acid attacks. A disfigured woman is not able to get married or get a job. She becomes a financial and social burden on her family.
Neela was forced to marry when she was 12 years old. Her husband threw acid on her face when she was 14. He was angry with Neela because her family was unable to give him the dowry money he asked for.
Nepal
Akriti Rai, 22, was attacked by her husband, a Nepali soldier.
Iran
Ameneh Bahrami rejected the offer of having a relationship with Majid Movahedi, a fellow student at the University of Tehran. He then threw a bottle of acid in her face.
Zambia
A man threw acid on a 13-year-old girl’s face to take a revenge. The older sister of the girl said: “You have to grow crocodile skin to clean the wounds of an acid survivor. The worst ordeal was while in the hospital, as the skin kept peeling off. I didn’t realize that the tongue skin was also peeling off. The young girl was pushing something in her mouth. I opened her mouth to see and found that almost the whole tongue had come off. I had to pull it out like you do with a cow and only a little red thing (tongue) remained.’
Nitric acid, sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid are today’s weapons of choice for criminals who hate women. These acids are easy to buy, easy to hide, easy to carry, and easy to throw. A person who witnessed many acid attacks , said, ‘in a less than a minute the bone under the skin can start to be exposed. If there is enough acid, the bone itself can become a soft mass of non-distinguishable jelly. Internal organs can dissolve. Fingers, noses and ears can melt away like chocolate on a hot day.’
Ethiopia
Twenty-one-year-old woman Kamilat Mehdi’s life was changed forever when a stalker threw sulphuric acid in her face. Ismail, Kamilat’s brother said: “The man who attacked her stalked her for a few years. He gave her a hard time but she didn’t tell the family for fear that something would happen to them. He was always saying he would use a gun on them.” Ultimately the stalker’s weapon of choice was not a gun, but a bottle of acid. He used it on Kamilat and destroyed her entire life in one second.
UK
Her lover did it. Richard Remes threw sulphuric acid on Patricia Lefranc. Her nose and eyelids were melted away, she lost sight in one eye and hearing in one ear, she also lost a finger. She came close to death, as the corrosive substance nearly burned through her heart and lungs.The horrific attack physically and emotionally scarred her for life. What was her crime? She ended her relationship with Richard Remes, a married man.
We are more abused, harassed, exploited, kidnapped, raped, trafficked, murdered by our lovers, husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins, friends, or men we know well than by strangers. Whatever happens to us, we never stop loving men.
Posted in Feminism 
Tags: Acid attack, Acid violence, Afghanistan, Bangladesh,feminism, humanity, India, Misogyny, Pakistan, revenge, Vioence against women,women's rights