Coming Soon: Weekly Country-Specific News Digests

Coming soon, LCHR will begin posting weekly digests of human rights news bulletins from the countries we work in: Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq and Vietnam. Be sure to check back often for updates!

Village Voice explores hardships of Iraqi Kurdish women

A story from yesterday's online edition of The Village Voice caught our eye with the provocative headline, "They Burn Themselves." The piece, by Voice contributor David Axe, focuses on the high suicide rate of Iraqi Kurdish women, who suffer high rates violence and oppression at the hands of men. Layla Ali, program director at ZEEN, an Erbil women's center producing radio broadcasts for and by Kurdish women, says the abuse is perpetrated by "husbands, brothers, fathers, managers. All men." A common method of suicide in Kurdistan is self immolation because, as Axe explains, "sophisticated methods of suicide are impossible." Cooking fuel and matches are the only tools these women possess to carry out their own deaths. A disturbing glimpse into Kurdish women's lives, to be sure, the article also offers some hope as it documents women's progress in the region. Visit The Village Voice to read the full story: http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0602,axe,71630,6.html

Action Alert: Sign the Reporters Without Borders Petition for Freedom of Expression

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right that must be protected. Internet-sector companies that operate in repressive countries are ethically obligated to uphold this right. Reporters Without Borders, an international press freedom group, wants to make sure bloggers and other internet users are able to freely express themselves without government or corporate interference. To learn more about RWB's initiative and to sign its corporate responsibility petition, which contains recommendations on free expression, follow this link:

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16119

Welcome to LCHR's forum for human rights news and views

Thank you for visiting LCHR's blog, the place to go for human rights news and action alerts. We'll be posting frequently on our regions of focus - Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq and Vietnam - and also on specific human rights issues relating to religious freedom, indigenous peoples, gender equality and environmental health. Check back often for updates.