This is pretty good news for a Muslim country (story by Petty Officer 2nd Class John J. Pistone at Centcom)
IRBIL , Iraq — Women’s rights might not be the first thing one thinks of when someone mentions Iraq , however, some officials in the Kurdish provinces in northern Iraq  would like it to be.
According to Irbil Minister of Interior Karim Sinjari, equality is very important for the residents of the Kurdish provinces.
“We are working very hard to be progressive and set the standard for human rights in Iraq ,†he said.
According to Sinjari, changing the country’s view of women is an important step to separate themselves from the old way of thinking.
Although women throughout Iraq have been given the right to vote and are accepted in the army and police academies, the city of Irbil was the first city to allow women to hold positions of power.
Iraqi Police Lt. Narseed, is one of the first female officers in the city.
She wanted to be a police officer at a very young age but thought that the career field would not be open within her lifetime. That all changed when the Coalition removed Saddam from power. She said she had already graduated college and was becoming a lawyer when she made the decision to become a police officer. “When I heard that the doors had opened for women to become officers, I jumped at the chance and then went to the police academy.†(empasis mine)
She said that she has no issue with men following orders or accepting her as an authoritative figure. “Here, there is no difference between male officers and female officers. If I tell the men to do something, they do it. There is no hesitation on their part.â€
So, where are organizations such as NOW, Code Pink, Human Rights, the International Women’s Rights Action Watch (IWRAW), and other “champions of women’s rights” groups have to say? Bupkus. Nada. Zip. Nil. Nothing. Their silence is defeaning. They were out there talking about how great Saddam was, and how evil the USA was to invade Iraq, but women’s groups and their icons, such as Gloria Steinhem and Barbara Boxer, completely and totally ignored the plight of women in Saddam’s Iraq, as well as in other muslim countries around the world.
Well, something good is happening in Iraq. Women can vote. They can own property. They can serve in the military and the police. And they do not have to worry about state sponsored rape and brutality anymore. And they are being put in positions of power.
Good for them!
