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Pen Points
Letters to Gay Today |
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Defend this Egyptian Woman from the Mufti's Charge
Even if you do not support everything she stands for or the entirety of her interpretation of Islam, limiting her right to freedom of expression is an attack against us all!
Yours, An Appeal by Nawal Saadawi (Including a Sample Letter): On the 6 March 2001 a weekly newspaper published an interview I had given a few days before I left for a long lecture tour in Germany, France and the United States. In this interview I reiterated the views I have defended in all my writings during the last forty years and pronounced publicly in many parts of the world including the Arab Region. In these views I link questions of sex and gender to politics, economics and culture at the local and international level and strike at the roots of all forms of exploitation and oppression whether class, patriarchal, racial, national, or religious Those who are in power have always tried to silence my voice. These attempts to silence me have increased steadily in the past years which have witnessed the predominance of capitalist neo-liberal forces and their allies including religious fundamentalism. In the interview which I gave I repeated my opposition to the veiling of women which implies that women are only bodies, to polygamy, to inequality in inheritance rights and insisted that all of these were in contradiction with the true spirit of Islam and the correct interpretation of the Qoranic text. I also mentioned that some of the practices of Islam had been inherited historically from the pre-Islamic era and that this was a natural phenomena in all religions and gave as an example that of the pilgrimage.
The case is appearing before a personal law court ( Shariat Court ) on the 18 June 2001.But since all cases must be raised by the General Prosecutor himself according to the amendments made to the law of Hizba, the same lawyer sent a request to the General Prosecutor asking him to have me tried on the same grounds. If the General Prosecutor agrees I can be tried and sentenced to a period of imprisonment for attacking religion or separated from my husband by Hizba on grounds of apostasy. We are waiting to see what will happen. What you are all doing is wonderful and we are very thankful to you. Expand it more and more until it becomes an irresistible wave. You will be defending the human rights and dignity of many men and women in our region and all over the world. Send your protests: Farouk Seif Al Nasr, the Minister of Justice, Lazoughly square, Cairo, Egypt; Maher Abdel Wahab the General Prosecutor, The High Court, July 26 Street, Cairo, Egypt ( Fax 202 5757165 ); Hosni Mobarak President of the Arab Republic of Egypt; The First Lady Suzanne Mobarak with copies of everything to the respective Egyptian embassy in your country. Nawal El Saadawi Sample Letter The Hon. Mr. Mohammad Hosni Mubarak, President Abedine Palace, Cairo Arab Republic of Egypt Geneva, 11 May 2001 Your Excellency,
According to information received by OMCT, the divorce case against Dr. el-Saadawi will be heard by a Cairo shari'a court on 18 June 2001. In early March 2001, Dr. el-Saadawi gave an interview to an Egyptian weekly in which she spoke about women's rights issues. Following the publication of the interview, on 27 March 2001, the Mufti of Egypt published a statement condemning the views of Dr. el-Saadawi and accusing her of having infringed the teachings of Islam. A few days later, lawyer Nabih Wahash commenced proceedings asking that Dr. el- Saadawi be tried for her views and legally separated from her husband according to the procedure known as "hizba." The International Secretariat of OMCT notes that Article 23 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which was ratified by Egypt in 1982, states that the rights of men and women of marriageable age to marry shall be recognized. The right to freedom of expression is recognized under article 19 of the ICCPR. A failure by the Egyptian government to intervene in order to stop the divorce proceedings currently underway against Dr. el-Saadawi would clearly be a violation of the State's duty to protect her right to freedom of expression and her right to marry and to remain married. OMCT would also like to stress that the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which has been ratified by Egypt, calls upon States Parties to "condemn discrimination against women in all its forms" and to actively pursue policies of eliminating discrimination against women. Article 7 of CEDAW provides that States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in public life. The International Secretariat of OMCT urges you to take action to ensure that the divorce proceedings against Dr. el-Saadawi are discontinued and to protect her right to freedom of expression, guarantees to which she is entitled under the ICCPR and CEDAW. The International Secretariat insists upon the necessity to ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in all circumstances in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards. Thank you for your kind consideration on this matter.
Yours sincerely, Give to the Lesbian & Gay Activists of Your Choice I've decided that because I do not need the Republican tax refund (that I never asked for in the first place) that I will be donating my $300 to the Human Rights Campaign to help defeat Republican causes. I'm sending this suggestion to Gay Today in hopes that the idea catches on and all gay people (who don't need the money) will do the same. Scott Hutcheson Denied the Right to Marry
Readers, are you still checking off "single" on forms asking about marital status, when there is no "domestic partner" checkbox offered? It's time to stop. I scrawl "Denied the right to marry by law" across the forms whenever I can, and if that is not possible I just refuse to fill in that section of the form, and I am not bashful to explain why when asked. We can't afford to just lie down and roll over when we are insulted, and a questionnaire which ignores our relationships is a huge insult. Stand up for your rights. Speak out!
Paul Barwick Berlin's Homopolis
Whether it's a beer at the world famous Tom's, a stroll through the Gay Museum, a cocktail at the chic Schnall & Rauch, a flirtation at the lesbian café Begine or an all-night party on Oranienstrasse in Kreuzberg, Berlin is one of the most fascinating cities in Europe for lesbians and gays. It was here that educator Magnus Hirschfeld began the modern gay rights movement over a hundred years ago. Today, visitors to the city of Berlin, whose unification continues apace, can expect to find a wide range of cafés, pubs, restaurants, accomodations and nightlife. This extensive guide features insider information on Berlin's best gay and lesbian bars, pubs, cafés, clubs and parties, as well as cultural destinations such as Europe's only gay museum, the Marlene Dietrich Collection and Christopher Isherwood's former residence. There's also a list of Berlin's gay/lesbian events which happen throughout the year such as the Leather and Fetish Summit during Easter, the Teddy Awards at the Berlin Film Festival in February and Europe's biggest gay and lesbian street party every June. Thumbnail guides to the Berlin neighborhoods of Schoneberg, Berlin-Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg and Kreuzberg complete this thoroughly unique collection. All locations in The Best of Queer Berlin are conveniently referenced on easy-to-read, printer-friendly city maps. Hailed as the first (and only) feature film about gay life ever produced in communist East Germany, Coming Out premiered on the very night the Berlin Wall came down. It was awarded the Silver Bear Prize at the Berlin Film Festival as well as the (gay) Teddy Award. Along with The Best of Queer Berlin, this state-of-the-art DVD also features newly remastered sound and picture, the original theatrical trailer, a featurette highlighting The Best of East German Cinema, a biography & filmography of the director, interactive menus, and scene access. The Coming Out DVD with The Best of Queer Berlin is available beginning June 12 at a suggested retail price of $29.95. Press screeners are available upon request. For a preview of The Best of Queer Berlin you can visit: http://www.bizzcomm.de/ComingOut/mainmenu.htm but please note that the DVD version has been enhanced and will be a much smoother and faster trip through Homopolis! Make it easy for your readers to find us. Include our toll free number 1-800-488-6652 and our website address www.firstrunfeatures.com |
Nawal El Saadawi 
President Hosni Mubarak 
Introduction to the Web version of The Best of Queer Berlin 
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