From: csulaima@titan.ucc.umass.edu (CYNTHIA R SULAIMAN)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Violence Against Women.  What can Muslims do?
Summary: Act before United States Congress
Date: 8 Nov 92 16:09:16 GMT
Article-I.D.: romeo.721238955
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst


22 October 1992

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam,

Assalamu Alaikum

Many of you are aware of the public assault of a sister as she crossed
her university campus a few months ago.  Unfortunately these types of
crimes are rising across this country, and the more they happen the
more our Ummah is at risk.

Several pieces of Federal legislation has come down in recent years to
help women and men, of many different religions, and many different
races fight violence and hate crimes.  But there is no need to tell you
that still more need to be done.

As part of the Education Bill in June 1992, four provisions were
inacted to help women in this country.

1.  Promoting arrest of abusive spouses.

2.  Tripling the funding for battered women's shelters.

3.  Funding of rape prevention programs.

4.  Strengthening campus security and closing loopholes in existing
campus crime reporting laws by requiring that campuses report not only
rape, but ANY form of sexual assault.  (side:  demanding full exclosure
of these reports should help sisters choose safer more administratively
responsive campuses -- and force campuses to make themsleves safer)  


The bill that will be before Congress in this next session will:


Reinforce penalties for sex offenders.

A.  Orders mandatory treatment for sex offenders.

B.  Increases monetary damages offenders must pay victims

C.  Requires states to pay for a women's medical examination to preserve
evidence of rape.

D.  Extends existing "rape shield laws" to all criminal and civil cases.

E.  It will protect inquiries into women's sexual history, or the use of
their clothing to argue that they incited or invited a sexual assault.
(side:  there have been cases of rape acquitals because the woman was
dressed modestly inviting what they defense attorney and judge said "a natural
male curiosity".  In this country a women can be found guilty of causing
her own rape whether dresses in sexually revealing attire or modestly)


Targets places most dangerous for women

A.  Authorizes $300 million for law enforcement efforts to combat sex
crimes, with $100 million targeted for the 40 metropolitan area most
dangerous for women.

B.  Creates special units of police, prosecutors and survivor advocates
to fight crime against women.


Creates Safer Public Transit and Public Parks

A.  Increases funds for lighting and camera surveillance at bus stops,
bus stations, subways and parking lots adjacent to public transit
facilities.

B.  Targets 425 million in existing park funds for increased lighting,
emergency telephones and police.


Establishes a National Commission on Violent Crime Against Women

A.  Deters perpetrator from learning the whereabouts of a fleeing women,
thus preventing additional violence.

B.  Creates federal penalties for spouse abusers who follow the women
across state lines to continue the abuse.

C.  Requires all states to enforce "stay away" orders from any other
state.


Indentifies sex crimes as "Bias" or "Hate" Crimes

Defines gender-motivated crimes as "bias" crimes that deprive women of
their civil rights.


Extends "Civil Rights" protections to all gender-motivated crimes

A.  Makes gender-based assaults a violation of federal civil rights
laws.

B.  Allows survivor of all felonies "motivated by gender" to bring
civil rights suits against their assailants.


Judicial education on violence against women

Educates state and federal judges about domestic violence, sexual
assault and gender bias.

********

Many of you know why I feel so impassioned about this bill that I would
post it and seek to get it passed.   

Before coming to Islam my first marriage was four years of violence and
fear.  The love, support, and protection I have had from my husband and my 
brothers and sisters in Islam, and family has been a God send.  But other women 
are not so fortunate. 

Good strong local laws are far from the reality on a national level.  

Many sisters and I have worked very hard to distroy the myth that this
country has that Islam promotes and encourages violence toward women.
In supporting this bill, I hope another blow is struck against that
myth.

But I also see it as part of Da-wah.  Many women have only heard of the
harsh brutality that "is" Islam, and the "natural" sinfulness of their 
gender is their own religions.  By showing them a different way, some
have learned to feel better about their lives and embrased Islam.

I sure this has been the case for many men also.

I you are a citizen of this country I urge you to support this bill, and
send in the two provided forms.  In a small but very necessary way you
too will help strike a blow against the myths that western media and
western ideas have against Islam, help support Da-wah, and show that
Muslims are a political force in this country to be reconned with.

If you are not a citizen of this country, but do support this bill, give
the provided form letters to friends who are and urge them to support
it.

Encourage others to support this measure.  Take copies to your friends,
your mosques, your womens and mens groups, your families, even to your
schools and classrooms.

Every 3 to 6 minutes  a woman in this country is raped.  It will happen
to one woman in every three.  And a quarter of these will happen to
young girls not even 18 years old.

Answering that this is why woman should be kept solely at home, is an
answer, but not totally realistic as homes themselves are invaded.  And
what about those other women in this country, those who will never come
to Islam and those who eventually will?  Many of them will be looking
for protection and guidance, we can help provide it.
 

Assalamu Alaikum


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The Honorable Thomas S. Foley
Office of the Speaker
United States House
Washington, D.C.  20515

Dear Speaker Foley,

     Because violence, ot the threat of violence, touches every women in
this country -- reguardless of who she is or where she lives -- no woman
can truly be free until every woman can feel safe in her own home or
walking down her own street.

     With as many as 150 new members joining the House in January, we
now have an unparalleled opportunity to finally end this outrage -- by
adding the support of these new members to the support that already
exists for Barbara Boxer's critically important Violence Against Women
Act.

     Therefore, I urge you to put the full power of your office behind the
Violence Against Women Act as the first step to stemming the rising tide
of violence against women.  And I want you to know I am counting on you
to see that this landmark legislation is passed by the House
immediately.

     Sincerely,



Signature _____________________________________________________________


City ____________________________________________ State _______________





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The Honorable George J. Mitchell
Office of the Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, D.C.  20510

Dear Senator Mitchell,

     Because violence, ot the threat of violence, touches every women in
this country -- reguardless of who she is or where she lives -- no woman
can truly be free until every woman can feel safe in her own home or
walking down her own street.

     The coming session of Congress offers us an unparalleled
opportunity to finally end this outrage -- by passing a critically
important Violence Against Women Act.  This necessary legislation is the
first step to stemming the rising tide of violence against women.

     Therefore, I urge you to put the full power of your office behind the
Violence Against Women Act.  And I want you to know I am counting on you
to see that this landmark legislation is passed by the House
immediately.

     Sincerely,



Signature _____________________________________________________________


City ____________________________________________ State _______________



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