SAVE breaks through the barriers of nationalism, religion, and ethnicity to create a global network of women dedicated to creating a united front against violent extremism
On Friday, Norway became the unexpected target of a terror attack that reminds us of the pervasive nature of violent extremism. Norway suffered a bombing in the capital Oslo, which killed 8 people, and what is said to be the gravest mass shooting of modern times, which killed 68. It has emerged that the massacre was the work of a right-wing extremist advocating cultural conservatism, strong restrictions on immigration and the removal of Muslims from Europe. Early speculation claimed that the attacks could be the work of Al-Qaeda terrorist cells, but this was refuted by the 1,500 page manifesto that attacker Anders Behring Breivik published online.
This tragedy reminds us that terrorism is a phenomenon that crosses boundaries and is not restricted to one culture or religion. Terrorists destroy individual lives, but also aim to rip communities apart. We must keep this in mind when formulating responses to terrorism: our approach MUST be inclusive, broad-based and community orientated. We must begin at the grassroots level, rather than relying solely on government responses, addressing all radicalizing forces regardless of the political, social, religious or cultural factors which they exploit. Counternarratives need to be created within Europe, providing alternatives to a growing conservatism that promotes intolerance of difference within our societies. The Norwegian attacker cited Geert Wilders, the extreme right wing Dutch politician, as one of his greatest influences; it is urgent that moderate perspectives advocating for acceptance of the “other” and understanding of cultural difference are strengthened.
For moderate voices to be effective, they must have support at the community level. Women can be a key ally in anchoring tolerance within their community. By targeting mothers especially for self-confidence, political awareness and peace education, they can be empowered to make a stronger contribution to their children’s education, steering the next generation away from discourses of hatred and separatism.
Over-exposure to false narratives that dehumanize the other is a great risk factor for radicalization. Women without Borders / SAVE programs aim to bring Muslim and non-Muslim youth living in the same city together. Through these encounters, they learn more about one another’s lives, ensuring an open mind and removing fear of difference. Knowing the “other” personally makes it far harder to dehumanize and stigmatize entire cultural, religious or ethnic groups, breaking down the potential for the kind of violence that Norway suffered on Friday.
Women without Borders / SAVE practices an integrated approach of empowering women to identify early signs of radicalism in their children and educating them to promote tolerance in the family and community, and targeting youth through educational and exchange programs that re-humanize the “other” and show the human cost and traumatic consequences of terrorism. To learn more about our projects please follow this link: http://women-without-borders.org/projects/underway/
Yesterday, SAVE Sisters and women leaders from around the world sent in their statements of solidarity with the families of victims of Wednesday's bombings in Mumbai. Further statements continue to flow in, showing the strength of international support.
Arshi Saleem Hashmi, Assistant Professor, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, National Defence University (NDU), Karachi, Pakistan
It is indeed sad to see innocent people becoming the target of those who define humans as mere objects of their cruelty and means to achieve their goals. People dying in Pakistan or India, in Afghanistan or Israel or Palestine - it is not just those who lose their lives but hundreds of associated human lives that suffer every day. The only way to counter these acts of cowardliness is to defy their goal; that is, instead of surrendering to this game of death, we must continue to move forward, and women, more than men, need to take the family forward in defeating them through their resolve. Terrorism succeeds when the other side gives up the fight. Just like Pakistani women who, after every act of terrorism, come out and convince their families to continue their life and not to give up, Indian women are a source of strength and we Pakistanis admire Indian women who challenge and resist any act of injustice and violence. I am sure that this time as well, Indian women will encourage their families to fight violent extremism through collective efforts.
Phyllis Rodriguez, Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, USA
As the mother of a victim of the attacks on the World Trade Center in NYC on 9/11/01, I am deeply saddened by this attack in Mumbai. The rich and long tradition of nonviolence in India makes it all the more disturbing. Re-evaluation of domestic and international policies, plus negotiation, diplomacy and intelligence work are the only meaningful ways to lessen the incidence of such extremist acts. Women can be leaders in this.
Saba Naqvi, Senior Writer, Outlook News Magazine, Delhi
We have been mostly free of the terror and communal debate for the last few years. An event like this is not just tragic because of the horror and the lives lost and damaged, but because it opens the fault lines for communal mobilization. We should not ignore the fact that in recent years Hindu terror groups were found responsible for strikes that were originally blamed on Muslim terrorists. As far as the terror paradigm goes we must keep an open mind. Whoever is behind this it is a great tragedy for a great city like Mumbai to again face this. Mumbai will again endure, survive, and rise above small passions to get down to business. Samia Al-Haddad, Yemeni Organization for Development and Rehabilitation
The Yemen Organization strongly condemns the outrageous attacks in Mumbai, which took place Wednesday evening, killing 21 people and injuring 113 others. We call upon all regional and international organizations and all the decent people and governments of the world in the East and the West to support Indian efforts to overcome these deplorable terrorist attacks, and to support all countries that are a target to such crimes, mass murders and human rights violations.
Juliann Campbell, Journalist, Derry Journal, Northern Ireland
Obviously this is a tragedy for all concerned and the widespread devastation and fear caused by these latest blasts will last much longer than any clean up operation or police investigation. The international community should unite in condemnation against these terrorists and support the people of Mumbai as much as they possibly can. Violence solves nothing. Discussion and a shared sense of compromise can solve many problems.
Catherine Cooke, Foyle Womens Information Network, Northern Ireland I am sad and disgusted to hear of the blasts in Mumbai on Wednesday the 13th July 2011 – I send my heartfelt wishes of love, sympathy and sincerity to all those affected by the blasts - We all suffer when freedom is threatened and we are resigned to look over our shoulders again – I would like the women of the world to say enough is enough and we need to double our efforts in building the peace globally!
Yesterday, three bombs exploded in Mumbai, India, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 100, in the fourth terrorist attacks on India’s financial capital since 2003. Two and a half years ago, on 26 November 2008, 164 people lost their lives as terrorists invaded the city in a series of coordinated bombing and shooting attacks. For SAVE, Mumbai has a special significance, because it was on that day in 2008 that we held our first international conference, bringing 33 women from around the world together to strategize on new ways to counter violent extremism.
Yesterday’s attacks are a reminder of the importance of the SAVE mission. Mumbai unfortunately seems to be just as vulnerable today as during the fateful days of 26/11. We must recognize the need for smart security that does not rely solely on military or police responses. Prevention of terrorism begins at the community level, where frustrations, anger and disillusion take root. Women can be key allies in educating the next generation to take the non-violent response and to bridge divides rather than exacerbate them. SAVE is currently running the Mothers for Change! Confidence and Computer training workshop in Mumbai with women whose relatives were on duty as police officers during the 26/11 terror attacks. The workshop is an integrated confidence-building, peace education and income-generation program. The program allows women to bring something to the table, therefore increasing their decision-making power in the home, while also teaching them mediation techniques and encouraging them to intervene when youth show signs of radicalization. This pilot program is a first step in the step-by-step process of changing attitudes.
SAVE Sisters and women leaders around the world raise their voices against violent extremism and the latest attacks in Mumbai.
Archana Kapoor, SAVE India
Archana Kapoor, SAVE India
Archana Kapoor was in Mumbai yesterday coordinating the SAVE Mothers for Change! Confidence and Computer Training workshop.
I or any of the women I work with could have been a victim of the 13/7 terror attack in Mumbai. I am so glad that my trainees, trainers and I are safe. But what about those 18 casualties and their families? The 150 injured? On July 12, the day before the attacks, I spent a lot of time thinking about how to commemorate the anniversary of 26/11. A lot of people I talked to were not convinced about doing another event. It seemed that many more people were losing their lives in accidents. But this attack on a normal day, on an otherwise peaceful day, has made us all sit up and think again. Acts of terror and extremism confront us every day, and we cannot just sit back and thank God for keeping us and our close ones safe. SAVE India works towards empowering women to say NO to extremism. It is in this spirit that SAVE started the Mothers for Change! Confidence and Computer Training. The resilience of the women of Mumbai is apparent through the 100% attendance in all three of our classes today.
Dr. Kanchana Mahadevan, Reader, Department of Philosophy, University of Mumbai
These blasts are reminders of how our lives are fragile and deeply interconnected. Like the previous instances, yesterday's violent acts too are perhaps skewed ways of settling scores for not getting justice in courts of law. The people who have died and who have been hurt are suffering for the wrongs that have been perpetuated by others. Our responses have to be empathetic and balanced. Besides helping the victims, what we also need are efforts to build confidence amidst diverse communities, so that such violence is abandoned. For this we need the courts of law to deliver justice, we need jobs, we need cultures that cut across communal lines. Mumbai has risen to such confidence-building in the past - it did so yesterday, it will continue to do so in the future. Citizens- women in particular- have taken the lead in constructing such multiple spaces. All of us have to continue with these measures, and keep our resilience and compassion alive.
Seema Mustafa, Journalist and Television Presenter, Delhi
The government has to be commended for not making wild guesses, as politicians usually do, as to who is behind the attack. But one can say with almost total certainty that once the wails of the victims and their relatives subside, the planted stories aimed at dividing society will start appearing in the media. It is important now for the Opposition to be responsible and not make statements that polarize sentiment along communal lines. Who did it is of course an important question, more so as no organization has claimed responsibility. But given the fact that the Indian investigating agencies have chased shadows for years before realizing entirely different organizations for responsible for attacks such as the Mecca Masjid blasts, the Samjhauta train blasts, it is important for the authorities to establish facts before addressing the media. Scores of innocent persons were arrested, tortured and maimed in custody for crimes they had not committed. This creates tensions that cut into the secular fabric of the country, and this must be avoided. The aftermath of a terror attack, if badly handled, can have long term repercussions as devastating for a wounded country as the blast itself. Professor Anuradha M. Chenoy, Professor of International Relations at Jawharlal University and Author of Militarism and Women in South Asia, Delhi
The bomb blasts in Mumbai, last evening, have traumatized the city and India once again. The purpose of the terrorists remains the same: To create public fear in communities against each other, so that people retreat from secular public spaces into primary identity groups that extract their loyalty and obedience. Fundamentalists use terror for mind control. Controlling the autonomy of women, liberal ideas and peace activists is a critical part of their agenda. It should come as no surprise that India-Pakistan foreign secretary peace talks are to be held next week. Fundamentalist are scared of peace, because it decreases their power and role. State responses should not be the only counter to non-state terrorist groups, because binaries exclude other voices. Rakshanda Jalil, Author, Delhi
This mindlessness has to stop. We have to pluck ourselves off the downward spiral that leads to violence and more violence.
Pamela Philipose, Senior Journalist and Director of Women’s Feature Service (WFS), Delhi
Every time the residents of Mumbai emerge from the trauma of multiple attacks, they are laid low yet again in a pattern that has now become horribly familiar. The attempt now, as always, is to terrorize and demoralize people, pit community against community, create a general climate of fear and undermine the well-being of millions of women and men who want nothing but to carry on with their lives in their chosen city. Such moments demand the coming together of all those committed to human security. They need to speak out against such heinous attacks and condemn terrorism of all kinds, whether by individuals, criminal groups, political outfits or state actors. The region needs to hear their voices as they continue in their efforts to build peace – not in the abstract but as a force that can transform ordinary lives and defeat projects based on spreading fear and hatred.
Shobhaa De, Author of the Column “Politically Incorrect” in The Times of India, Bestselling Novelist and Journalist, Mumbai
I am convinced there is something seriously wrong with us, the people of Mumbai. We are the ‘most attacked’ city on earth… and we accept this dubious ‘honor’ passively, like it is a part of our collective destiny to be frequently bombed. This is not stoicism, it is not resignation, and it most certainly isn’t resilience. So what is it? We think we are being heroic when we react like this when, in fact, we are being foolish. We do nothing about this sorry state of affairs and carry on like blasts are ‘normal’. And they are going to keep bombing us. You know why? Because they can. We refuse to hold anybody responsible. We refuse to make anybody answerable. We refuse to protest. What do we do instead? We show off! We get back to business as usual within hours of an attack and boast about it to the world. As if it’s something to be deliriously proud of. The facts are slightly different. Mumbai is attacked over and over again for the simple reason that it is POSSIBLE!
Mossarat Qadeem, SAVE Pakistan
Mossarat Qadeem, SAVE
Pakistan
We in Pakistan share our solidarity and sympathy with those who lost loved ones yesterday. Pakistan is affected by terrorism daily, and we do not want anyone to suffer the way we suffer. Women are the most affected by conflict and violence, and it is time for the women of India and Pakistan to come together and make a pledge to address violent extremism. Women must start working on their home ground through advocacy, education and creation of awareness for peaceful resolutions. We must build trust between our countries. The international community should come forward and pressure the governments of South Asia to deal with these incidents with maturity. India and Pakistan must join hands and understand the roots of the problem to try to resolve it together, rather than blaming one another. Maureen Fox, SAVE Northern Ireland
Maureen Fox, SAVE Northern Ireland
Fellow Survivors, I am disgusted and appalled by the blasts in Mumbai on Wednesday 13 July 2011, happening in a week that already marks the fifth anniversary of the Mumbai Train Blasts. I send my love and thoughts to ALL who have been affected by this tragedy; the mothers who have lost their sons or husbands, the daughters who have lost their father or brother or sister. You are not alone! I am sad - I am sad because I am neither shocked or surprised. Is this what we have become? Is this our 'normal' existence? This language of bombs, hurt and death is a 'disease' in our world. Who is next? Is it you? or your family? What choices can we make to change this violence, this mindset, this way of life?
This, my sisters is OUR world, when our child is sick we want to cure them, when our family is hungry we want to feed them, when our friends are in need we want to help them, and we can! Let's help our world to rid itself of this global disease. Use our voices and lead by example. When we educate our children, we educate our family, when we educate our family, we educate a community. Educate a community and you can educate a nation. Educate a nation? Well, that's where we go global! Together we WILL be heard.
Anne Carr, Dialogue Practioner, SAVE Northern Ireland
My heart goes out to the wonderful people of Mumbai in the aftermath of another senseless, brutal attack on their people. I was so privileged to spend a very special week with women and children who had been bereaved and injured in the previous attacks on Mumbai, helping them to share their stories and learn with, care with, understand with one another whatever their background, whatever their faith, women so brave and so violated through violence. I stand close to you all today and to those families again having to come to terms with this latest vicious attack on humanity. Women of the world will continue to work together tirelessly and with absolute resolve to build a global community with a special place for everyone, where there is ease with difference and where our children can grow up free from the disastrous realities of violence in all its forms.
Shaimaa Abdel Fattah, SAVE Egypt
Shaimaa Abdel Fattah, SAVE Egypt
Such attacks are only the result of ignorance and ruthlessness. There is no justification whatsoever for murdering innocent citizens. None of the religious sects support violence per se. It's our role now, to fight terrorism in all its forms and condemn those guilty of it. I take this chance to extend my condolences to the crisis-stricken families and promise to be a part of making this world a better place for us to live in. Shahira Amin, Journalist, Egypt
I was deeply shocked to hear about the blasts in Mumbai. We have seen the power of peaceful protests, so no one can condone this kind of violence. I am sure that it won’t realize the goals of whatever these terrorists were trying to achieve. Violence only breeds more violence. It’s really regrettable that some people are still resorting to violence, for the killing of innocent civilians will never succeed in achieving any goals. I feel very strongly about this because we have seen the power of peaceful protests.
Dina Sadek, Journalist, Egypt
Those people [who carried out the attacks] are programmed to believe that what they are doing is the right thing, and that is the real problem here. They justify their terrorism attacks as “for the sake of God”, but God himself said in the Quran “God never changes the condition of a people until they change within themselves”. Nothing will change unless those people understand religion the way it is supposed to be, rather than their messy interpretation of it. Hibaaq Osman, SAVE Board Member, Egypt
There is absolutely no justification for killing innocent people. Everyone should make a strong statement against such acts. Acts of terrorism do not only occur in India or Afghanistan, they could happen anywhere. No one is safe. This was not an act of justice; it was an act of murder. We need to call it what it is.
Robi Damelin, SAVE Israel
How many more people must die, how many more bombs must explode, how many more bereaved families need to be created before we all recognize that the nonviolent way is the only way to achieve a goal? It is time for women from every corner of the world to say enough. We all must say enough.
SAVE brought Hayati Eka Laksmi from Indonesia to Vienna in June for the Mothers MOVE conference. This is her story, published first by Common Ground News Service.
On the day of the Bali bombing in 2002, Hayati Eka Laksmi received a call from a representative of a car rental firm. The car her husband rented with some friends had been caught in traffic in the nearby tourist district of Kuta and a bomb had exploded just three vehicles away.
Eka had already heard about the bombing, but it never crossed her mind that her husband could have been affected. Her initial horror that a group could perpetrate such an attack in the name of Islam gave way to personal grief. She began a frantic search for information, trying to find out if her husband was still alive.
It took seven days before Eka found her husband’s body lying in a mortuary. “I had to identify his body based on marks pointed out by the forensic team and through DNA testing,” said Eka. “I was deeply shocked when it was confirmed that ‘Mr. X’ in Bag Number 145 was the body of my husband.”
The loss of her husband left Eka to bring up her two young sons on her own. “I relied on my husband’s income. My two boys were very young at the time, two and three years old. We were all deeply affected. I became traumatised and depressed.”
Eka noticed that her children were also becoming angry, sad and sometimes aggressive. On the first anniversary of the bombing, she felt that she must do something to move her family out of the grief into which they had sunk.
For six months, Eka received counselling from at a non-governmental organisation that actively helps survivors and victims’ families. Once she completed therapy, the organisation asked her to start working for them, which allowed her to earn some money. Like many women affected by terrorism, she had lost the household’s main breadwinner, and struggled to keep the family going economically. With the help of her mother, she opened a small shop selling domestic goods like sugar, coffee and gas.
Once she had resolved the most pressing needs of everyday life, Eka turned to the emotional needs of her children, taking them to counselling. She recognised that many families were going through the same trauma, and decided to bring friends who had also lost relatives in the bombings to counselling as well.
Gradually, Eka helped create a network of victims called Isana Dewata (Wives Husbands Children of Victims of the Bali Bombings). Through discussion and mutual support, victims were able to find the strength and spirit to overcome their hardships and turn their grief into positive action. The group now consists of 22 families, including 47 children.
The Bali bombings killed people from 22 countries around the world and from several different religions.
Eka recently travelled to Vienna for the Mothers MOVE conference, organised by SAVE-Sisters Against Violent Extremism, the world’s first female counter-terrorism platform. SAVE aims to break through barriers of nationalism, religion and ethnicity to create a global network of women dedicated to ending violent extremism, and to highlight the voices of victims to expose the human cost of terrorism.
In Vienna, Eka joined women from Nigeria, Yemen, Egypt, Pakistan, Palestine, Israel and Northern Ireland, all of whom have lost relatives to terrorism or who are working actively to counter violent extremism. Eka shared her own story and learnt from the experiences of others. Over the three days, the women built up an intimate trust. They gained inspiration from each other’s stories and recognised that even across cultures, the pain a mother feels on losing a husband or child is the same.
Eka recognises that a mother’s influence is very important: “Mothers are the basis of the family. [A mother] can give her children direction. Those children who were affected by the Bali bombing might have anger in their hearts. Mothers can explain to them that it is no good to seek revenge. Through cooperation with other mothers, women can better support their children.”
“My children’s lives were changed because of cowards who acted in the name of religion, but these bombings are not about religion,” Eka adds. “Islam does not teach us to kill each other. Religion is a basic need, and it is my foundation for life. I have learnt to appreciate the blessings that God has given to us and accept all of this with a sincere heart and without a grudge against anyone, not even against the terrorists who killed my husband.”
From June 6-8, 13 inspirational women came together in Vienna to share their experiences as activists and mothers in countering violent extremism. The Mothers MOVE conference gave participants from Yemen, Northern Ireland, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Israel and Palestine the opportunity to hear from women from different cultural contexts, with the aim of learning from each other’s experiences, sharing best practices and comparing the similarities and differences of mothers’ role in the security arena between cultures.
Our good friends at the US-European Media Hub in Brussels captured these women's voices in a short film that captures the essence of the discussions over the three day conference. This video is dedicated to the memory of Werner Ertel, the cameraman who filmed the conference and many other Women without Borders events. Werner was truly a brother to our cause, and he will be deeply missed.
Consultant Mehru Jaffer and film-maker Ali Hasnain also filmed the event, capturing the activists' statements about how women as mothers can combat violent extremism.
A new study by Women without Borders shows that young Muslim men in Austria do not enjoy the same chances as non-Muslims, endangering the integration process.
Debates about multiculturalism in Europe have been raging over the past years. The increase in Muslim populations in many European countries has led to tensions between different cultural and religious values. Public demonstrations of religious belief, such as wearing a headscarf or hanging up a cross, have become increasingly controversial as diverse peoples try to find ways of living peacefully alongside one another.
Europe often views Austria’s dialogue with Islam as a leading example. Since 1910, the law has guaranteed the free public practice of religion. In recent years, a series of provisions for Muslims in Austria have been established, for example the possibility to follow an Islamic education from Kindergarten to high school. The international literature talks about a “Muslim Space” that Muslims have created for themselves, which includes education, grocery stores, prayer rooms and cultural centers.
Today, 400,000 Muslims live in Austria, a nation with a total population of just over 8 million. Almost half of Austria’s Muslim population is under 25, and nearly a third is aged between 25 and 39. The number of Muslims in Austria has doubled since 1991, and they are now the second biggest population group in the country.
Often, Muslim women find themselves the focus of attention; they are given support, provided with drop-in centers and discussion forums, to ensure that they integrate despite their lower participation in the employment market.
Young men, on the other hand, are often viewed with skepticism and left to themselves due to the perception that they are potential hardliners. A new study by Women without Borders entitled “This is who we are! Young Muslim Men in Austria” exposes the real lives of male Muslim youth. The study finds that they often live in a parallel world with fewer opportunities than their non-Muslim counterparts. Their educational paths diverge at a very young age, leaving many more young Muslims to go to less academically-challenging schools and to focus on traineeships rather than university education. In fact, only 2% of young Muslim men in Austria study at University.
However, career success is right at the top of their personal wish lists, closely followed by the desire to be an open, progressive person, who is at the same time a traditional man living according to his religion. These young men’s lives are strongly regulated by religion. Nearly 80% reported that they live according to Islam’s commandments, whereas religious guidelines are only relevant for about one quarter of non-Muslim respondents. Almost a half of the surveyed Muslim young men argue for a European Islam, providing clear evidence of the need for a successful symbiosis of religion and everyday life. However, there is a further discrepancy here between vision and reality; a third of the young Muslims report that “only in the Mosque do I find people who accept me as I am.”
Identification with Austria is part of the identity of young Muslims. Three quarters of respondents agreed with the statement: “I am proud to be Austrian and Muslim.” Patriotism and pride of their ethnic origins is another important element. 82% find criticism of their land of origin to be hurtful. Additionally, almost a fourth of the surveyed Muslims and non-Muslims report that they feel rejected by “the other”. The desire to get to know one another and engage in intercultural exchange and friendship is expressed above all by the Muslims: 42% would like to have more “Austrian” friends.
Positive interventions must be implemented that address the gap between these young men’s career goals and the opportunities they are provided with, as well as the social divide between Muslim and non-Muslim youth. It is clear that the motivation for engagement exists among the Muslim community, but the possibility to do so is lacking.
The study recommends that increased advice be aimed at young Muslims at critical ages, such as at the age of 15 when teenagers are choosing their career paths. Additionally, they should be encouraged to consider non-traditional careers, such as teaching or nursing, where their cultural and linguistic skills could serve as a great advantage. Mentoring programs that offer targeted individual support and programs that promote diversity in the workplace should be developed. What is more, male Muslim role models from the social and economic arenas should be highlighted to encourage younger men to follow in their footsteps.
Austria finds itself in a critical position. Austria is in the centre of Europe, and has historically formed the bridge between Western Christian Europe and the Muslim East. From Naschmarkt to Kipferl, the influence of Muslim culture in Austria is clear. The country must acknowledge the young Muslim men in its midst and provide leading ideas for integration to ensure that the coming generation in Austria embraces its own diversity and is able to live together in harmony.
