Iraq

Our fashion choices convey messages about who we are. In Iraq, more conservative forces are not always happy with what they see. Since Saddam Hussein's demise, the New York Times explains, religious values have penetrated the previously secular society. That's brought calls for segregated universities, the closure of liquor stores, and pressure for women to dress in clothes that "will not inflame men's imaginations." The religious police have become the fashion police.

A new fashion exhibit, if that's what you can call it, is using mannequins surrounded by paper flames to show women what is not acceptable. The display reads: "Men who look at women in such dress become voracious monsters; women who wear it burn through eternity."

What type of clothing will beget monstrous men and melting women? The mannequins don long sleeves and hems, as well as high necklines, but apparently the blond wigs and colored scarves are enough to inflame imaginations, and thus cause condemnation. One Iraqi man summed up the situation as such: "I do look at women when I see them dressed up with tight jeans. That is one of the problems. It means the devil is doing a good job."

An Iraqi politician spoke with female lawmakers today, as the country's parliament tried unsuccessfully to form a majority government. Women make up 25 percent of Iraq's parliament. By comparison, only about 15 percent of members in the US House and Senate are women.

Last July, 4-year-old Paige Bennethum captured hearts when she held her father's hand and wiped her eyes as he stood in attention, about to head to Iraq. Her mother snapped a picture of the moment, and the photo and the family became an overnight sensation.

Now dad is home and Paige is five, and she's less cuddly and more "teenagey" according to him. Of the picture, which now sits on the fireplace mantel of their Pennsylvania home, Paige says "Now I'm always gonna remember that he's going to be back after work every day." Sounds like she's still daddy's little girl!

Soldiers must prepare to confront death on the battlefields, but if they're on tour in Northern Iraq, they must also be ready to ward off new life. A US Army general in the region has added pregnancy to the list of offenses that can trigger a court martial.

General Anthony Cucolo said the current policy of sending pregnant troops home results in the loss of too many skilled soldiers. Thus, threatening to punish pregnancy is a matter of war strategy. Under his rule, both female soldiers and their male accomplices can face court martial for a pregnancy.

This is the first time the US army has made pregnancy a punishable offense, but it isn't the first time the military has weighed in on reproductive rights. Current law forbids military hospitals from performing abortions except to save the woman's life, and any person covered under the military health insurance must also pay for abortion out of pocket. And there have been reports of female soldiers giving themselves abortions while on tour overseas thanks to the complete lack of access, and the stigma attached with being sent home for pregnancy. Now for any soldier covered under Gen. Cucolo's rule, both pregnancy and abortion violate military law. Better hope that birth control doesn't fail.

Does it seem fair that soldiers must put their reproductive rights on hold?

I am not a hero. But I have a point of view. I have a stance. It humiliated me to see my country humiliated; and to see my Baghdad burned, my people killed. Thousands of tragic pictures remained in my head, pushing me towards the path of confrontation.

— Iraqi Muntadhar al-Zaidi reminded the world that he's a journalist yesterday by using powerful words to explain why he decided to throw his shoes at George W. Bush. The emotional statement he released is filled with sad images of war, but it gives some insight into his actions. Zaidi received a hero's welcome when he was released from prison this week.

When Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the man who threw his shoes at George. W. Bush, is released from prison next Monday, he will receive a hero's welcome. The Iraqi journalist has already fielded countless marriage proposals while hanging out in his jail cell. An Iraqi in Morocco offered to send his daughter and women in Saudi Arabia are asking for Zaidi's hand in marriage. One family even said, "We are willing to present him with a bride loaded with gold."

Zaidi's ballsy shoe toss is attracting women — and a lot of swag! His former boss built him a four-bedroom house. In addition, he'll have a new car waiting for him along with thousands of dollars, donated to help pay off his legal bills.

Do you think the Iraqi shoe thrower deserves all the love?

Yesterday I came across an article about an untold consequence of the war in Iraq — the instability is causing harm to unprotected women. The Huffington Post piece explains that until the US invasion, rape was relatively rare in Iraq. Now women are the targets of violence, including rape, perpetrated by members of armed Islamist groups, Iraqi government forces, foreign soldiers, and private military security contractors.

Tragically, there are no laws governing rape in Iraq. Far from seeing justice, a raped woman may even be killed by her family in an "honor killing." One of the only hopes for these vulnerable Iraqi women is to escape the country, and there are two groups — the Organization For Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) and MADRE — who are helping these women do so. The article reports:

Like Harriet Tubman, a former African American slave who escaped the plantation and later helped create the network of underground routes that helped transport other slaves to freedom, OWFI and MADRE have co-founded two important projects that are helping Iraqi women flee violence.

The groups have set up shelters that offer a safe haven for women while also providing workshops, education, and leadership training. The goal is to help women become active participants in the political system so they can then support other women. Let's hope they succeed.

Next time you go traipsing around Iraq's Kurdistan, make sure you bring a map and stay far away from the Iranian border. Today, American diplomats with the help of Swiss officials are trying to locate three missing Americans who went hiking in Iraq's Kurdish region and accidentally crossed an unmarked border with Iran.

Iranian TV says the three have been accused of illegally entering Iran. The Swiss, who represent the US interests in Iran since there are no formal relations, met with officials in Tehran today, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave reporters her two cents back in the US:

"We call on the Iranian government to help us determine the whereabouts of the three missing Americans and return them as quickly as possible."

The three missing hikers, who have lived in Western Europe and the Middle East, are being described by friends as "fiercely intellectual" individuals with "wanderlust for travel." I hope they get out of their latest adventure alive.

Source: Flicker User kurdistan كوردستان

• Today Iraqis celebrated in the streets as American troops pulled out of Iraq's towns and cities. June 30, the long-anticipated deadline, has been declared a national holiday. — New York Times
• Teams are searching the Indian Ocean for survivors of the crash of a Yemenia Airways jet. So far, one child survivor has been found. — CNN
• Federal investigators are investigating 10 of Bernie Madoff's closest associates and expect to charge more people. — AP
• At least 14 people were killed in Italy today, as a train carrying petroleum gas derailed and exploded near their homes. — Reuters
• A 2002 version of Michael Jackson's will leaves everything to his children, mother, and charity. — Wall Street Journal