PHM-Exch> Women's Sexual & Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies - Campaign

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Rebecca Brown <rbrown at escr-net.org>


 WUNRN

http://www.wunrn.com



http://www.wwhr.org/news.php?detay=65



*International Campaign to Promote Sexual & Bodily Rights in Muslim
Societies*

 **

*SEXUAL RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS* **

*On November 9, 2010*, the *2nd* international* ¡°One Day One
Struggle¡±*Campaign to promote sexual and bodily rights in Muslim
societies will take
place in* 12 countries* across *Middle East, North Africa, South and
Southeast Asia*. With diverse, groundbreaking actions and events, almost 50
participating Human Rights organizations, Universities and Municipalities
will simultaneously call for public attention to issues like *Right to
Information, Sexuality Education, Sexual Health, Bodily Autonomy and Sexual
Rights of Individuals, LGBTTQ Rights, Sexual Diversity and Islam, Sexuality
and Shari¡¯a* as well as the struggle to stop sexual rights violations
ranging from *Polygamy to killings of women, gay people and transsexuals. *

Hundreds will gather at panels, workshops, video and film screenings,
theater performances, photo exhibitions and press release hearings in
*Bangladesh,
Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Palestine,
Sudan, Tunisia and Turkey* to assert that sexual and reproductive rights are
* universal human rights* based on the *inherent freedom*, dignity and
equality of all human beings.

Launched by the *Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies
(CSBR), ¡°One Day One Struggle¡±* is a unique effort to underscore the joint
struggle against the *violation of sexual and bodily rights in Muslim
societies*.

Human rights, including sexual and bodily rights and freedoms continue to be
under fierce attack in Muslim societies. Rising conservatism fueled by
militarism, increasing inequalities, the politicization of religion and
Islamophobia have strengthened patriarchal and extremist religious
ideologies that use sexuality as a tool of oppression. This has manifested
itself in various forms over the last year, be it as the revocation of the
permit for the regional Asia Conference of the International Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association (ILGA) by the police in
Indonesia, or the harassment of conference participants by radical Islamist
groups, or political pressure on a women¡¯s group promoting women¡¯s rights in
Islam in Malaysia, or women like Sakineh Ashtiani being sentenced to death
by stoning in Iran, or killings of hundreds of women and transsexuals in
Turkey under the pretext of honor and morality.

Despite the differences among Muslim societies in terms of the progress made
or the backlash encountered regarding sexual and bodily rights at the
national levels; we believe that in the post 9/11 social and political
context, religion is misused as a powerful instrument of control and sexual
oppression with the goal of legitimizing human rights violations in the
domain of sexuality. This indicates us that sexuality is not a private issue
but rather a site of political, social, and economic struggles for equality,
human rights, democracy and peace at the national and international levels.

¡°One Day One Struggle¡± was conceptualized in response to this context and
launched on November 9, 2009. Over 20 non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
successfully staged bold actions in 11 countries to promote sexual and
reproductive rights in the scope of the 1st international campaign organized
by the *Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies
(CSBR).*The 1st Campaign succeeded in stirring international public
attention and
was very positively reviewed by national and international media and
organizations who defined it as a *historical and timely* event. The ongoing
human rights violations, as well as the international public appraisal of
the 2009 campaign, have encouraged CSBR to continue this initiative and
organize the 2nd ¡°One Day One Struggle¡± on November 9, 2010.

With doubled number of participant organizations from twelve countries, this
year we raise our voice even more strongly to claim our sexual and bodily
rights and to carry on our struggle against violations of our rights and
freedoms.

*CSBR is a globally renowned solidarity network of progressive NGOs and
premier academic institutions in the Middle East, North Africa, South and
Southeast Asia, working to promote sexual and bodily rights as human rights
in Muslim societies. http://www.wwhr.org/csbr.php*

*For more detail please contact Women for Women¡¯s Human Rights (WWHR) - New
Ways at:  newways at wwhr.org - Tel: +90 212 251 00 29 *

*You can contact following organizations for further details on select
campaign events*:

*LEBANON*

*Nasawiya: *farah at nasawiya.org
*Helem **
**Meem **
**An independent women shelter*

*BANGLADESH*

*Manusher Jonno Foundation: *mohuya at manusher.org
*Bandhu Social Welfare Society*

*EGYPT *

*New Women Foundation*: nebeid at hotmail.com

*INDONESIA*

*GAYa NUSANTARA*: gayanusantara at gmail.com
*JAMAK**
**Institut Pelangi Perempuan (Indonesian youth LBT Women Center): *
pelangiperempuan at gmail.com

*IRAN*

*Women activists in Iran:* nafise.azad at gmail.com

*MALAYSIA*

*Sisters in Islam (SIS): *nazreen at sistersinislam.org.my
*Women¡¯s Aid Organisation**
**All Women¡¯s Action Society (AWAM)**
**Pink Triangle (PT) Foundation*

*PALESTINE*

*Women Against Violence (WAV):* wav_org at hotmail.com

*PAKISTAN*

*Aahung:* fatima.haider at aahung.org
*World Population Foundation*: nazoora at wpfpak.org
*Organization for Participatory Development (OPD):* draslambajwa at hotmail.com

*TUNISIA*

*ATFD (Association Tunisienne des Femmes D¨¦mocrates)*
femmes_feministes at yahoo.fr

*TURKEY**
*
*Women for Women¡¯s Human Rights ¨C New Ways*: zeynep.ozdal at wwhr.org
*Umraniye Human Rights Education Program (HREP) Groups**
**Gazi Society Center Human Rights Education Program (HREP) Groups: *
denizhayat at yahoo.com
*Van Women Association (VAKAD):* kadindernegi at gmail.com
*Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality Center for Research and Application on
Women¡äs Issues (DIKASUM):* hulyadegirmencikanat21 at hotmail.com
*Epidem Women Education and Consultation Association**
**Selis Women Consultation Association**
**Kardelen Women Cooperative**
**Ceren Women Cooperative**
**Ba?lar Women Cooperative **
**Elder - Women Support Center*: elder17kdm at gmail.com
*Canakkale Human Rights Education Program (HREP) Groups**
**Municipality Social Works Department **
**Marmaris Women Support Association:* sukriyegursoy at hotmail.com
*Mamak Society Center Human Rights Education Program (HREP) Groups: *
supotkal at gmail.com
*Izmir Metropolitian Municipality¡¯s City Council Women Assembly**
**Izmir Human Rights Education Program (HREP) Groups:* pelinerda at hotmail.com
*Akdeniz University Human Rights Education Program (HREP) Groups: *
nadak at akdeniz.edu.tr
*Hatay Human Rights Education Program (HREP) Groups*: tomruksuyu at hotmail.com
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