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<H4 align=left><FONT face="Albertus Medium"><FONT size=5><U><SPAN
style="COLOR: red"><IMG height=84 src="cid:018e01c58ca4$354d22e0$ec533bca@pmmx"
width=80 v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"><FONT size=6>All Pakistan Trade Union
Federation<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
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<H1 align=left><FONT size=3><B><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: #f2f2f2; COLOR: #3366ff; mso-shading: windowtext; mso-pattern: gray-5 auto">Women's
Liberty Under Attack in Northwest Pakistan</SPAN><I><SPAN
style="COLOR: #3366ff"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></B></FONT></H1>
<P align=left class=MsoBodyText style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #ff6600; FONT-FAMILY: 'Albertus Medium'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">A
religious alliance in Pakistan's ushering in strict new laws that threaten the
rights of women <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Muttahida
Majlis-e-Amal are pursuing a political agenda, using religion as a way to whip
up emotions on issues that, at the end of the day, are not issues that address
the basic needs of the population. "In fact, instead of addressing basic needs
like job creation and education, the result is a deteriorating
situation."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Orakzai
is one of a dozen women in the assembly of this impoverished area along the
border with Afghanistan. They are there as a result of an inclusion process
instituted by President Pervez Musharraf last year. The spunky outspoken 43-year
old mother of four doesn't describe herself as a women's rights activist. For
her, that would be too narrow. She says she is a concerned mother and politician
seeking to better living conditions in her home province.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">"Women's
rights are human rights," Orakzai fumes, "and with this government we see the
protection of neither. We don't even see the rule of law."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Recently,
over a 100 student activists of the Jamaat-I-Islami, one of the religious
alliance's lead parties, rode around Peshawar with bamboo sticks and ladders
tearing down advertisements for soft drinks and tea products containing the
images of women as part of a loosely defined "anti-obscenity" campaign. Peshawar
police did nothing to stop the mob, which was led by Jamaat-I-Islami's district
chief and former mujahideen commander Sabir Hussain Awan, <B><I>setting off
fierce argument and protest from the secular political parties. Religious
zealots have also attacked musicians, cable networks, cinemas and video
stores.<o:p></o:p></I></B></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Many
of the religious alliance's leaders were schooled in the same madrassas
(religious schools) as high-ranking members of Afghanistan's former Taliban
regime where the Deobandi school of thought teaches young men that music is
sinful and education for girls beyond 8-years-old is a waste of
time.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">At
the assembly's opening session, Orakzai repeatedly jumped up alongside other
opposition members to call the ruling alliance to task for that recent bout of
vigilantism. She argued that not only is the tearing down of billboards
according to one small groups' rigid interpretations of Islam illegal but that
nowhere in the Koran does it state that a woman's face is
"obscene."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">"Instead
of creating jobs, they're destroying them," Orakzai said, in a furious mix of
Urdu and broken English.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<H2 style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Similarities
to the Taliban<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H2>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">After
winning their surprise landslide victory last October, the religious alliance
outlawed male coaches of female sports teams, moved to ban male doctors from
treating female patients and to segregate educational
institutions.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">"It
reeks of Taliban-like influence there is no place in Pakistan for that type of
religious extremism and must be opposed," says Ilyas Bilour, a male assembly
member from the more secular oriented Awami National
Party.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Despite
opposition parties' ability to join hands on certain issues, the religious
alliance holds a commanding 74-seat majority in the 122-seat provincial
assembly. Only a simple majority is required to pass laws.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Supporters
of the moves argue the changes are meant to bolster women's security and access
to services.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">"Some
families do not wish to send their girls to school with males or to male
doctors," argues Qazi Hussein Ahmed, national leader of Jamaat-I-Islami. "We
will do everything to ensure women have their proper place in
society."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><B><I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">But
in a country where more than 60 percent of women are illiterate, there are
precious few qualified female professionals to step in where males
dominate</SPAN></I></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">"If
a man and woman are standing in an operating theater, they are just doctors
trying to save a life and the patient certainly deserves the best treatment
available from a doctor of either sex," says Orakzai. "Banning treatment of the
opposite sex is going to deprive many people their rightful claim to health
care."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<H2 style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Worst
May Yet Be to Come<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H2>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">A
month ago the religious alliance unveiled two new acts designed to bring the
province in line with their beliefs--the Sharia Implementation Act of 2003 and
the Hisba Act.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">The
vaguely worded Sharia initiative, which passed unanimously earlier this month,
provides for the enforcement of Koran-based Islamic law covering the judiciary,
education, and the eradication of social evils. Prepared by a 21-member
religious council, the law bans honor killings and "swara"--the forced marriage
of women as compensation for family feuds or murders--a move applauded by most
women here.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Despite
opposition worries that danger may lie in the ruling clerics interpretation of
the law, all political parties in the provincial assembly voted in favor, lest
the clerics brand them as "bad" Muslims who refute God's law as given in the
Koran. As the results were read out to the gathered assembly, ruling alliance
supporters jumped up screaming "Allahu Akbar!" (God is great!) and placed
chocolates in each other's mouths.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">More
worrisome for frontier province women is the Hisba Act--Islamic duty to promote
virtue and prevent vice--slated for debate in the coming weeks. The proposal
calls for the formation of a Hisba force to mete out punishments on the spot.
The new department will be headed by a muhtasib (Islamic law officer) whose
dictates cannot be questioned even by the assembly.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">While
the new laws under solid circumstances could serve to strengthen the position of
women in some spheres, most here worry their implementation will more closely
resemble that of the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan where the religious
police regularly beat women in public for even the slightest perceived
infraction.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">"We
are not the Taliban," insists Jamaat-I-Islami leader Ahmed. "We want to ensure
justice for all members of society, set an example that, God willing, will
spread across the country."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">"Issues
under discussion are very woman focused and that is frightening," says Palwasha
Bangash of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. "On the one hand, the
federal government says incidents of violence and militancy are going down, and
yet at the same time it is being institutionalized in the Northwest Frontier
Province."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Violence
is a common way to settle disputes, especially in tribal areas, which dominate
most of the region. Retaliatory murders, rape and banishment are punishments
often condoned, and sometimes even prescribed, by local councils made up of
tribal elders.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">"Even
if the ruling parties respect the true spirit of the laws, which remains to be
seen, that may not trickle out into the areas where the situation is most
severe," believes Bangash.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P align=left class=MsoBodyText2><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'">Cognizant of growing fear amongst the general
population, opposition parties jointly requested more time to study the
proposals, in order to forge a common position on amendments before putting the
motions up for vote.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P align=left class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> </SPAN></FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">"We're
going to do what we can to forward debate on concrete issues that speak to needs
of the common people, forge a government that can achieve results" says Orakzai.
"But at the end of the day, the religious alliance is in control and what agenda
they want, they're likely to get."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> </SPAN></P>
<H3 style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'CG Omega'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></H3>
<H3><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Albertus Medium'; FONT-WEIGHT: normal">Rubina
Jamil<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H3>
<P align=right class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: right"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Albertus Medium'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Chairperson
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<H5><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Albertus Medium'; FONT-WEIGHT: normal">All
Pakistan Trade Union Federation<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H5>
<P align=right class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: right"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Albertus Medium'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">14-N,
Industrial Area, Gulberg III, <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P align=right class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: right"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Albertus Medium'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Lahore,
Pakistan<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>