🚀 go-pugleaf

Arash Gharahmadani the racist Canadian muzzie is a dirty filthy,
stinking terrorist pig! wrote:
> muzzie is as muzzie does.
>
> Papa Jones Pizza wrote:
> > Palestinian women victims of systemic violence, authorities fail to protect
> > them
> > (AP)
> >
> > 6 November 2006
> >
> >
> > RAMALLAH, West Bank - A new report paints an alarming picture of the abuse
> > of women in the Palestinian territories, with police, courts and government
> > agencies failing to treat violence such as rape and beatings as a crime.
> > The New York-based Human Rights Watch cited practices such as rape victims
> > being forced to marry assailants and light sentences for men who kill female
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > relatives
> > ^^^^^
> > suspected of adultery. It said families, tribal leaders and authorities,
> > backed by tradition and discriminatory laws, often sacrifice victims'
> > interests for family honor.'
> > The problem is only getting worse with growing poverty and lawlessness in
> > the West Bank and Gaza, the report said.
> > According to a survey by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics of
> > more than 4,000 households in December 2005 and January 2006, 23 percent of
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > the women said they had experienced domestic violence, but just over 1
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > percent filed a complaint. Two-thirds said they were subjected to
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > psychological abuse at home.
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ see Quran 4:34
> >
> > Human Rights Watch called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, parliament
> > and government ministries to make the protection of women a top priority.
> > More can be done, the report said, despite the ongoing conflict with Israel
> > and the cash crisis in the Palestinian Authority brought on by the rise to
> > power of the Islamic militant Hamas.
> > We believe it's quite a widespread and serious problem,' researcher Lucy
> > Mair said of violence against women. The main failing of the system is the
> > failure to treat violence against women as a crime and to address it
> > accordingly. We want to say, you can take some positive steps and its
> > imperative to provide protection to more women.'
> > Mair said Human Rights Watch singled out the Palestinian territories _ as
> > opposed to investigating abuses in another traditional societies _ because
> > of concern that the abuse will increase and because some Palestinian
> > government officials have signaled they are ready for change. This made us
> > optimistic we have something to work with,' she said.
> > Commenting on the report, Adnan Amr, a legal adviser to Abbas, admitted that
> > Palestinian authorities are weak' in enforcing the law because of the
> > security and political situation we have been through over the past two
> > years. All Palestinians, not only women, are paying a heavy price for the
> > chaos,' referring to struggles between rival Palestinian groups.
> > The report, based on dozens of interviews with victims, social workers,
> > lawyers and police chiefs in the West Bank and Gaza, found that abusers are
> > granted virtual immunity.
> > Rapists who marry their victims are not prosecuted, and such deals are often
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > arranged by the families, tribal leaders and local police chiefs.
> > Even those assigned to protect the victims often push for such an outcome.
> > The director of the West Bank's only shelter for teenage girls is quoted as
> > saying she arranged five such marriages in her six-year tenure.
> > The law is lenient with men who kill female relatives because of adultery.
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > Yet it bars rape and incest victims from having abortions. Rape within
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > marriage is not considered a crime, the report said.
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > Police and hospital doctors are not trained to handle abuse cases and often
> > further humiliate victims, the report said. In one hospital in the West Bank
> > city of Nablus, a doctor announced to a crowded waiting room that his
> > unmarried 16-year-old patient was pregnant. The girl's mother later cited
> > that incident as the main reason for her decision to kill her daughter,
> > according to a case documented in the report.
> > A premium is placed on female virginity, with rapists facing a lesser
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > punishment if the victim is not a virgin. Virginity tests are imposed on
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > sexual abuse victims against their will.
> > The women's fate is increasingly determined by tribal leaders or Palestinian
> > Authority-appointed governors, rather than overloaded courts. The informal
> > justice system is often arbitrary and biased against the victims, the group
> > found.
> > Victims are often afraid to come forward because of social stigma, the
> > perceived futility of complaining and fear of inviting retribution by
> > relatives, the report said.
> > However, Manal Kleibo, a lawyer at the Women's Center for Legal Aid and
> > Counseling in the West Bank town of Ramallah, told The Associated Press that
> > she has detected a change in recent years, and that the authorities are
> > increasingly willing to work with her group.
> > For example, she said, growing numbers of police officers are attending
> > workshops on how to handle sexual abuse cases. Some families no longer force
> > their daughters to marry rapists, she said, citing the case of a 14-year-old
> > girl who instead was taken to a secret shelter in the West Bank with her
> > family's support.
> > Human Rights Watch made a series of recommendations.
> > It said Abbas should launch a public awareness campaign and make it clear he
> > does not tolerate violence against women. He should also demand that those
> > currently settling abuse cases informally, including tribal leaders and
> > Palestinian Authority-appointed district governors, refer all cases to the
> > proper authorities.
> > Police should establish special units to deal with victims of abuse, and the
> > legislature should repeal the most discriminatory provisions, the report
> > said.
> > Independent legislator Hanan Ashrawi said it's unlikely more progressive
> > legislation will be passed by a parliament dominated by the Islamic Hamas.
> > We don't have a majority for reforms on these issues,' she said.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2006/November/middleeast_November104.xml&section=middleeast&col=
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
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