An honor and accusation of employment ... a wave of repression chasing women activists in Iraq

Manar Al-Zubaidi-Al-Diwaniyah

She panicked and angered when her friend sent her a picture of a Facebook post that touches her honor and accuses her of working for foreign embassies and organizations.

Nour Qassem, 27, did not expect her photos, which were published on her Facebook page, to be used for her participation in the demonstrations demanding political and economic reforms and fighting corruption, to undermine her and incite her to be killed and expelled from the protest scene, she said.

"I was and still am proud of myself as I lead women in the demonstrations, and I have created a large women's gathering in which I support the protests," Nour told Al Jazeera Net.

More than two months after the demonstrations, a systematic campaign of defamation and incitement launched on social media targeting feminist leaders in the protest movement, and Facebook has become the most used tool to crack down on activists by fabricating charges and publishing fabricated photos, according to Nour.

Nour accused the parties that she described as corrupt by pushing their electronic armies to discredit them and other activists by using their photos during the protest activities that were carried out years ago with funding from international organizations in cooperation with government agencies and volunteer teams, to accuse them of employment.

She noted that it is not strange that activists are targeted in the demonstrations, but it is strange for people to believe and support news of fake pages without ascertaining their authenticity or realizing their seriousness.

Did they succeed in suppressing them?
Throughout the period of demonstrations, Nour and her companions did not feel anxious, but after the attacks of violence and incitement they became fearful, especially since the "unknown gangs" penetrated the demonstrations and may exploit the collective mind to incite against them.

She adds that despite the pressures of her family and relatives to limit her participation in the demonstrations, she continues to perform what she calls a "national duty" to participate in the protests while taking security, protection and disguise measures in a different way.

Women activists at risk
Activists - especially supporters and participants in the demonstrations - are facing an unprecedented campaign of violence that has begun kidnapping, killing, threatening, and defamation through Facebook pages, says Fatima Saad.

She added that "since the start of the demonstrations on the first of last October, Iraqi women participated widely and multi-roles, and they had a great role in promoting and supporting the demonstrations, which contributed to breaking the stereotype embedded in the society's mind about women in general."

Uncertain
She did not die or was injured in the demonstrations, except for one who was injured with her mother in Basra (south of the country). The women activists were not kidnapped except for the paramedic activist Saba al-Mahdawi, according to data of the High Commission for Human Rights, according to the official of the women's file, Faten Al-Halfi.

Faten added that the percentage of Iraqi women participating in the demonstrations reached 12%, and she had a great and effective role in supporting the demonstrations.

Regarding what was reported on social media on the targeting of women activists due to demonstrations by killing or kidnapping, Faten denied her authenticity because the investigations that were conducted around her did not prove her, so she remained just allegations, pointing out that the absence of a culture of complaint and fear among citizens contributed to the loss of their rights.

They are not a target
A campaign launched by women in the "Iraqi Women for Change" initiative to defend and support activists in the demonstrations after the campaign of violence that targeted them, according to one of the initiative's members, Feryal Al-Kaabi.

This campaign is considered the first advocacy campaign in Iraq after "Iraqi Women for Change" issued a press statement calling on the government authorities to protect activists and civilians and hold criminals accountable.

Feryal also called on human rights organizations to support women activists in the field of demonstrations and make them aware of physical protection measures and digital security.

The need for a law
For her part, member of the "Iraqi Media House" Manar Ezz Al-Din believes that the phenomenon of electronic bullying towards women is not only related to Iraq, but this phenomenon seems more complicated in Iraq because of its strength and widening its impact because it is related to the depth of unjust customs and traditions of women despite its continuous struggle to get rid of them.

Manar sees the need to legislate the law to protect against cybercrime in a manner that ensures fair protection of women's rights, calling on the founders of effective pages through social media to support women and adopt advocacy campaigns that include combating the rumors that target them, and reporting on fake pages to be disposed of permanently.