SADR CITY WOMEN COMPLAIN OF POLITICAL AND LEGAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000262

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR KDEM KISL KWMN
SUBJECT: SADR CITY WOMEN COMPLAIN OF POLITICAL AND LEGAL
LIMITATIONS; FEAR FUTURE OF "DARKNESS"

REF: BAGHDAD 3382

Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD FOR
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: In a January 22 meeting with PolOff, three
Sadr City women complained about the challenges women face
living in Sadr City, including a serious erosion in their
legal rights. The women said that that it is difficult for
women to be politically active in Sadr City because they
cannot engage in politics or even have meetings without the
approval of their husbands, or, in the case of single
women, a male family member. They noted that the Shia
Islamist parties that dominate Sadr City politics have not
put forth many women candidates. Women who somehow
"offend" public sensibilities can find themselves in an
illegal Sharia court, while others can suffer an "honor
killing." END SUMMARY.

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The Limits on Political Women
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2. (C) Poloff met January 22 with a group of Sadr City
women including Soad al Lami, a Sadr City District Advisory
Council (DAC) member and lawyer, as well as a recent Jaysh
al Mahdi (JAM) kidnap victim, Nadam Hafidh, an
administrative assistant at the Sadr City General
Information Center (GIC),and Amal Kabashi, a middle school
biology teacher. The group said that while there are Sadr
City women who could become political leaders, they remain
invisible because of pressures/constraints. They said that
due to community pressures, women cannot hold meetings
without the approval of their husbands, or, in the case of
single women, the permission of a male family member. The
only way for women to engage in elected politics is through
one of Iraq's political parties, which tend to be male-
dominated.


3. (C) The group said that the Shia Islamist parties that
dominate Sadr City politics often have chauvinistic
agendas. Women who try to be too independent are kicked
out of the parties. The group noted that while the new
constitution establishes a goal that no less than 25% of
the seats in the Council of Representatives (COR) are to be
held by women, it makes no mention of provincial or local
governing bodies. When asked about the future of political
women in Sadr City, Nadam predicted "darkness."


4. (C) Soad told PolOff that politically active women can
be in great danger, telling how members of JAM kidnapped
her while she was putting up political posters in advance
of the December 15 elections. She was blindfolded and held
for several hours because JAM did not approve of her
actions. At the time of the interview she was still shaken
by the events, and was reluctant to discuss the matter in
detail.

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Sharia Courts and Honor Killings
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5. (C) The three women also asserted to PolOff that there
were illegal sharia courts operating in Sadr City. These
courts allegedly operate in secret locations and prosecute
people for such "crimes" as drinking alcohol in the privacy
of their own homes. The courts also sometimes prosecute
women for adultery, not covering their heads, and talking
to men. The women reported to PolOff that these "courts"
hear cases based on rumor and hearsay. Women accused of
immoral conduct can be sentenced to death by beating or be
banned from the community. (NOTE: Other contacts in Sadr
City have told us about similar "courts" as well. END
NOTE.) The group also told Poloff that women face
discrimination in legitimate courts, e.g. in child custody
cases.


6. (C) Poloff asked the women about the frequency of so-
called "honor killings" - the practice of killing a woman
who has stained her family's honor. They replied that such
murders do occur in Sadr City, but have been on the decline
since the 1990s. Soad, who practices family law, lamented
that these crimes are to some degree sanctioned by Iraqi
law. She told PolOff that the maximum penalty for a man
who kills his wife or sister in an honor killing is three
years in prison.


7. (C) Honor killings can be incited by rumors and hearsay,
according to these women. Consequently, women strive to
protect their reputations by avoiding public contacts with

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unrelated men. Nadam told PolOff that her cousin was
killed simply because a man dialed her cell phone number by
accident. For women in Sadr City, receiving a wrong number
can lead to death. The women also reported that sometimes
husbands kill wives based on the often erroneous belief
that their wives were not virgins at the time they were
married. (reftel).

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Comment
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8. (C) PolOff was struck by the openness and frankness with
which these women spoke about these topics. These women
expressed the view that Iraq was at a critical juncture in
its history, and women are losing out. While these women
dressed as conservative Muslims - they all wore the hijab-
they appeared equally concerned about having their voices
heard in the new Iraq. As Islamic parties increasingly
dominate Sadr City politics and squeeze out independent
candidates, the women feared that they will find it
increasingly difficult to be politically active.
KHALILZAD