The Story of Dua Khalil Aswad

Dua Khalil Aswad was a 17 year old girl from a Kurdish Village in Northern Iraq. She was stoned to death earlier this month for having an alleged relationship with a young man from another sect and tribe. When a rumor about a secret marriage began to spread through her village, she was killed by the men in her clan.... by a mob led by members of her own family.

This is an example of religion run-a-muk, and of the lack of rights, respect and value for women in Iraq. There were supposed to be more opportunities and more rights for Women with the new government, but pockets of Iraq have seen the opposite. In the case of Dua Khalil, Iraqi police stood by and did nothing while she was brutally murdered.

A few token arrests have been made, but this is not enough. Something has to be done by the government in Iraq and governments of other nations to discourage and prevent honor killings.
Is this the kind of system that our troops are bleeding and dying for in Iraq?

These Taliban-like practices have been allowed to thrive in Iraq, despite a new government there. That is not a good sign for Iraq in terms of its committment to Human Rights. Things are so bad in Iraq right now that the death of this one young woman is overshadowed by the dozens who are murdered each day in that country.

It's just an indication of just how much of a failure the Iraq War has been.

Amy Goodman takes a look at the issue of Human Rights and Women's Rights in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WATCH/LISTEN HERE