Local women shine spotlight on plight of Syrians
EMBROIDERED scarves tied around the bordered fence in Syria by women of the Convoy of Conscience and members of the local Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) women’s forum will be splayed to highlight the plight of thousands of Syrian women.
The women carrying these scarves form part of the “save the women, save humanity” Convoy of Conscience and left for Turkey yesterday. They will be passing by Izmit, Sakarya, Ankara, Konya and Adana to reach the Syrian border where they will make a call to the world on World Women’s Day on Thursday to demand the release of prisoners of the Syrian regime.
Seven women in the Western Cape will participate and their departure comes shortly after the shipping of two containers with food, sanitary supplies and items of relief to Syria by the MJC women’s forum on Saturday.
The women’s forum chairperson, Khadija Patel Allie, said: “It’s a great opportunity to get involved in the international arena and women from the MJC and other institutions are leaving today or tomorrow to join the convoy.”
MJC deputy chairperson Abdul Allie said: “The initiative is by women for women to raise the plight of women who suffer because they are the most vulnerable. We have a working relationship with relief institutions.”
IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation said that since the beginning of the war, women have been massacred in Syria, taken into custody, raped and used as hostages to blackmail male relatives. The convoy hopes to speak out on behalf of these women. “The Convoy of Conscience is the voice of victimised women in Syria. “We will be carrying 6 536 embroidered head scarves, our symbol, on behalf of these imprisoned women.”
Convey of Conscience member Gülden Sönmez said women were arrested, abducted during pregnancy and some gave birth in prison or detention centres, while others were impregnated while detained.
“There are many unanswered questions; the only known truth is that sexual violence against women has been commonly used as a weapon of war. We are undertaking the journey of a Conscience Convoy to communicate the voices of the women detained and tortured in Syria.”