ISIS Seizing Women’s Rights NGO Office in Iraq

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“Hi Jenny, How are you? Our office in Sinjar is occupied by ISIS since last night.”

It was my friend Abdulrahman Ali, one of the founders of the women’s rights NGO and magazine Warvin foundation in Iraqi Kurdistan, who contacted me Sunday night with the dangerous news.

In Sinjar Warvin had a small office with few number of staff who were running a project for war widows. Warvin Foundation is one of the most outspoken women’s rights NGOs in Iraq and are, as most women’s rights NGOs in the country, threatened from time to time. But this Sunday night things became extremely dangerous as rule of law seized to exist, in the small town in Mosul province. ISIS had already previously threatened all people dealing with women’s rights issues in Mosul. Warvin’s staff, usually so daring, realized the only thing they could do was to flee.

“(The staff of the magazine in Sinjar)… are all of them under threat… and they left the city and from last night they are in mountains,” Abdulrahman said. “We’re afraid from that point if they (ISIS) understand what is Warvin do there they may burn it.”

During the night between Saturday and Sunday ISIS entered the city and people fled in masses. Kurdistan’s army seems to have lost control.

What someone said about the killing of Osama bin Laden has become the prophecy for Iraq: “He’s like a dragon, if you cut of his head ten new heads will grow out and take his place instead.”

In this ongoing nightmare with the ten-headed dragon, women are, as usual, the main loosers.

Photo credit: Warvin Foundation

13 thoughts on “ISIS Seizing Women’s Rights NGO Office in Iraq”

  1. I am an Associate of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, and we have sisters, brothers and fellow Christians from Mosul who have also been displaced from Mosul by ISIS. The situation there is growing worse every day. The fear and uncertainty is so frustrating for us in the West, but nothing compared to the day-to-day struggles and terror that our friends and colleagues in Iraq are facing. My prayers go out for your friends at the Warvin Foundation, and the safety of all who are being victimized by ISIS.

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  2. This is horrible! I am so saddened by this and the fact that women and minorities are suffering once more. ISIS needs to be stopped by all means and the world needs to wake up from their hibernation and act! My heart goes to everyone suffering in the region!

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  3. This is very alarming and I think world leaders must discuss how to tackle the whole ISIS crap. I am quite sorry to say that I am bit wary to hear westerners say world needs to wake and do something because I know the west woke up with 2003 invasion of Iraq by we all know WHO and destroyed Iraq, this is result and people still say take action that I translate as military intervention and bombings. Is that the only solution this world in particular the west has? Probably yes.
    Sorry for my candidness, I apologize for being blunt, but frankly I detest war policies that are playing a vital role in destruction of Muslim countries.

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  7. Pingback: The Sexual Violence That Occurred in Cologne Needs to Be Discussed | HumansinShadow.wordpress.com

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