The Ambassador from Iraq, Dr Hamid Al-Byati, addressed asession on the influence of faith in the elimination of violence against women today at the CSW. The following are some excerpts from his presentation:
“We, of the Abrahamic religions (Jews, Christians and Muslims), are all one family in our faith. As brothers and sisters in this family, we must treat each other well….The biggest heart in the whole world is the heart of a mother…..
Mistreating any woman is a shame on men and it cannot be tolerated….We must work together to end all forms of violence against women….
The hero of my life is my mother. She supported me when I rebelled against Saddam Hussein. Many of my family members were executed and tortured. I left, but my mother would not leave Iraq because she wanted to start a charity for orphans and widows….
We each need to be a drop of water, like her, and come together to make a tsunami that changes the world….”
He was challenged by many during the question and answer period about the gap between what he was saying and the realities on the ground in his country.
By Erica Higbie, FAWCO Representative to the United Nations