Iraq’s Other War: Violence Against Women Under US Occupation

Last week, Houzan Mahmoud, the international representative of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (a partner organization of MADRE), opened her e-mail and found a message from Ansar al-Islam, a notoriously brutal Sunni jihadist group. The message read simply, "we will kill you by the middle of March." Houzan is an outspoken Iraqi feminist. … Continue reading “Iraq’s Other War: Violence Against Women Under US Occupation”

Iraqi Police Commit Rape – ­Armed, Trained, and Funded by the US

The international news media is flooded with images of a woman in a pink headscarf recounting a shattering experience of rape by members of the Iraqi National Police. Most of the coverage has focused on her taboo-breaking decision to speak publicly about the assault, but has ignored the context for understanding­and combating­sexual violence by Iraqi … Continue reading “Iraqi Police Commit Rape – ­Armed, Trained, and Funded by the US”