Dall'Iraq all'Iran alla Palestina (e altrove) le donne si liberano da sole. Un ricordo di Yanar Mohammed con un suo intervento del 2017

Nell'immagine - tratta dal documentario I Am The Revolution di Benedetta Argentieri (2018) Yanar Mohammed a Baghdad nel 2017, durante una manifestazione per l'8 marzo. E a Baghadad, a pochi giorni dalla Giornata internazionale della donna - il 2 marzo - Yanar Mohammed è stata assassinata da un commando di due persone che le hanno sparato addosso da una motocicletta mentre era davanti alla sua abitazione. Probabilmente i mandanti dell'omicidio avevano pensato che nel caos generato nella regione dalla guerra scatenata da Usa e contro l'Iran questa notizia sarebbe paasata inosservata. Non è stato così. Centinaia di articoli, necrologi e post sui social hanno ricordato le sue battaglie in particolare per i diritti delle donne e delle bambine, per l'uguaglianza e contro la violenza di genere. Co-fondatrice dapprima nel 1998 della Defence of Iraqi Women’s Rights e in seguito dell’Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (Owfi), Yanar era tornata a vivere stabilmente in Iraq nel 2003, dopo la caduta di Saddam Hussein e in Iraq è restata nonostante i continui tentativi di deligittimazione, le intimidazioni e le vere e proprie minacce ricevute negli anni dai tanti che nel paese osteggiavano il suo lavoro, dai gruppi fonfamentalisti a ampi settori conservatori della società civile fino a istituzioni ufficiali e governative. Un contesto difficilissimo nel quale Yanar Mohammed si è sempre mossa con determinazione, radicalità e consapevolezza e senza fare sconti a nessuno. Lo mostra la lettera aperta che Yanar Mohammed scrive per motivare il rifiuto dell'invito dell" ambasciata Usa a Baghdad di candidare l'Owfi nella persona delle sua presidente all'International Women of Courage Award. Un testo in cui Yanar denuncia le politiche dell'invasione statunitense che hanno portato solo morte, miseria e distruzione nella società irachena, tracciando linee di divisione settaria e nazionalista e accrescendo il potere di gruppi fondamentalisti. Un testo che avevo all'epoca pubblicato qui in Marginalia ma che mi sembra importante rileggere (e far girare) oggi perchè è una testimonianza potente del fatto che le donne (dall'Iraq all'Iran e altrove...) si "liberano" da sole. E lo rivendicano. Nessuna guerra in nostro nome The American Embassy in Baghdad has contacted the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq demanding from her to nominate for the International Women of Courage Award since the beginning of this year, the answer of the organization’s president Yanar Mohammed was that she had refused to nominate; this is the political position of the organization since it was founded; rejecting the policies of the American invasion which brought destruction upon the Iraqi society and drew sectarian and nationalist division policies in Iraq, and empowered the misogynist groups whether religious or nationalist which were the legitimate or illegitimate parents of Daesh groups. As the US administration always had its way to wrap around the resolutions of progressive or feminist groups that rejected the invasion, they addressed individuals from OWFI about the award nomination; thereon suggesting the nomination of OWFI activist Jannat Alghezzi requesting her approval. As we in OWFI are not used to imposing our views or policies on individuals especially on individuals who are unaware of the political repercussions of such awards. We were taken by surprise when the nomination was for our colleague Jannat Al ghezzi, we nevertheless set our condition on her to nominate herself as individual and to represent herself only and not use the organization’s name in any form because we do not accept to receive any awards from the US government which was the reason of Iraq destruction. It hurts us to see our colleague Jannat Alghezzi standing with the first lady Melania Trump receiving the award from those who are considered symbols of extremism, populism and hatred of other people, as well as symbols of misogyny and denial of women’s rights, as in our view that Jannat’s status within OWFI is much higher than this company. We in OWFI issued this statement because of the many questions which have been directed to us by our allies after they thought that the award was directed to OWFI. For that reason we wanted to clarify this subject: That OWFI refuses to take the award from the US government which was the reason of the destruction that happened to Iraq and the endless violations against the lives and freedoms of Iraqi women. The award has been taken by Ms. Jannat Alghezzi as an individual and not as part of the organization. We regret that we had to write a statement about this subject. OWFI continues to hold its grounds in anti-imperialist position, rejecting both the American occupation and their reactionary allies in Iraq, who stand for all inhumane and misogynist recent changes in Iraq. It was the American occupation of Iraq that started the genocide of Iraqis at the hands of the American military arsenal, and later on at the hands of sectarian Islamic groups who were supported into power by the US occupation, and who became later on the heroes of women’ enslavement and exploitation by Daesh and other extremist groups. The US occupation had similarly empowered other extremist groups to grow stronger against the women of Iraq, especially those who legislated the Jaafari law which allows the marriage of 5 year old girls to adult men. Shame on a state which sends military envoys to kill us, divide us, supply Daesh with ammunition and empower women’s misogynist groups from one side, then hand awards for human rights to us in the other hand. We don’t want neither your awards nor your policies which have pushed Iraqi women to the bottom of the abyss. Yanar Mohammed, President of Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, April 4, 2017 Link pagina sito OWFI con pubblicazione lettera nell'ahosto 2017:https://www.owfi.info/EN/article/owfi-refused-the-women-of-courage-award-from-the-department-of-foreign-affairs-of-the-us/