September 11, 2002, 9:16 a.m.
Please re-read
Transnational Feminist Practices Against War for this day, and the days following.
I've also put up the column I wrote for Punk Planet early last
spring, which is pieced together from entries I wrote in the aftermath.
____________________
The following is a statement released by Women Living Under
Muslim Laws/Femmes sous lois musulmanes.
WLUML STATEMENT ON THE
FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11TH
11 September 2002: On the first anniversary of September 11th
Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) notices with dismay that the
attention of the international mainstream media is focused on a single
event that, although tragic and condemnable, overwhelms all of the other
issues which remain to be addressed and resolved.
A year
ago, in our statement, WLUML highlighted the need to address the poverty
and deprivation, injustice and exploitation experienced by many people
in our communities which we know fuels extreme and violent attitudes. It
is also our experience that women and marginalized groups bear the brunt
of economic inequalities and politico-religious extremism.
Over
the past year, with the exception of networking efforts led by feminist
and progressive human rights organizations, there has been no sincere
effort on the part of world leaders to build bridges and break down the
divisions both within and across communities and countries. If anything,
these divisions have been strengthened by the misguided retaliation to
the events of September 11th.
Vengeance is indeed not
Justice
Under the guise of bringing the perpetrators of
terrorist acts to justice, the US led coalition has taken a
hypocritical, futile and devastating militaristic approach which has
been particularly visible with regard to Afghanistan and Iraq as well as
in their response to the situation in Palestine/Israel.
While the
Taliban are no longer in power, the US led coalition has installed a
government which is dominated by warlords whose record on human rights
and treatment of women is little better. This was not a war to 'save
Afghan women' as illustrated by the case of Sima Samar, the Minister of
Women's Affairs of the Afghan Interim Administration. When a case of
blasphemy was recently filed against her it was a clear warning that all
those who spoke out for a peaceful, just and democratic Afghanistan
would be silenced. Powerful forces continue to resist the creation of
space for women's political participation and for the participation of
those who do not have the backing of weapons.
The promised
reconstruction of Afghanistan has not started. The combined impact of a
continuing lack of security, local corruption and the disruptive effect
of the UN and donor agencies flooding the local economy means that it
continues to be in disarray. Children are not returning to school either
because their teachers are not being paid or, for example, boys are
contributing to their family's survival by washing UN cars. The lack of
economic welfare may well lead to Afghans once again looking to other
alternatives, including the Taliban. Furthermore, plans for the
country's future economic development are entirely geared towards the
exploitation of the country and its population by
multi-nationals.
The prospect of an attack on Iraq is horrifying
for a number of reasons. There is an ongoing humanitarian disaster in
the country, condemned by Denis Halliday who in 1998 resigned as first
UN Assistant Secretary General and Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq
stating, "We are in the process of destroying an entire society. It is
as simple and terrifying as that. It is illegal and immoral." Any
military attack on Iraq will exacerbate the loss of civilian lives
without achieving its purported aim. Moreover such a move would
inevitably lead to a backlash among politico-religious groups across
Muslim countries and communities. This will surely increase terrorism
globally and worsen the condition of women locally.
After
September 11th numerous promises were made to address the escalation of
violence in Palestine/Israel. However, in Israel an extreme Right
government remains in power while the legitimate protest and struggle of
the Palestinians continues to be hijacked by extreme right
fundamentalist forces. We know from experience that the rise of such
forces will inevitably work against the interests of people, especially
minorities and women in Palestine.
WLUML fails to understand how
this militaristic approach, symbolized by the biggest increase in the US
military budget for two decades, can lead to global peace and
stability.
Misguided Retaliation/Misguided
Alliances
In order to build an hegemonic 'global
coalition' in the war against the 'axis of evil', the US and Britain
have struck deals involving arms, intelligence and cash with regimes in
the Middle East, Asia, Central Asia and Europe. This effectively means
supporting regimes that are alienated from their people, a reality that
is systematically exploited by the leaders of extremist
politico-religious groups.
In September 2001, WLUML noted the
moves towards sweeping restrictions on civil liberties under the guise
of the crisis. Indeed, highly restrictive legislation has been cynically
revived or introduced in order to silence all those who question state
policies - even when these are unrelated to the 'war on terror'. This
disregard for human rights principles at the state level is being
reflected at the international level by the US-led coalition's complete
disregard for the rule of international law. For example, it has
attempted to undermine the establishment of an International Criminal
Court and to sideline the United
Nations.
Consequences
There is no indication
that the past year has seen any reduction in the threat of terrorism.
On the contrary, the 'war against terror' has fuelled resentment,
leading to the radicalisation and increased recruitment by politico-religious
extremists of people in Muslim countries and communities.
This has both global and local consequences. In the aftermath
of September 11th, WLUML has witnessed a narrowing of the space
available to voice alternative and secular perspectives. Politico-religious
groups have used this as an opportunity to further legitimise
their extremist discourse and actions as confirmed by the growth
in indiscriminate violence against progressive voices of dissent. Women
are particularly vulnerable to such developments as illustrated in various
countries where there have been recent sentences of stoning to death
of women (even if subsequently overturned) or attempts to introduce
Hudud laws which seek to control women. s bodily integrity and
rights.
Whether violence is perpetrated by state or non-state
actors women are left to face the consequences - nothing in the past
year has addressed this