New Malaysia should protect women’s rights & its defenders

KUALA LUMPUR: Regional feminist NGO, the Asian Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), is extremely disturbed and concerned by the decision of the Kuala Lumpur High Court to dismiss a five-year-old Islamic fatwa against Malaysian NGO and partner, Sisters in Islam (SIS), calling it deviant.

“That an organisation which champions the rights of women and girls is declared deviant is shocking and very disturbing,” said Sivananthi Thanenthiran, Executive Director of ARROW, which is based in Malaysia and advocates for sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and young people. “SIS is a civil society working towards advancing the rights of Muslim women in Malaysia within the framework of Islam, universal human rights principles, constitutional guarantees as well as lived realities and experiences of women. Why would they be considered deviant when the issues they champion are issues of justice and compassion?”

SIS has been advocating to end child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), promoting gender equality in Muslim marriages and Islamic Family Laws, and taking a stance against gender based violence and moral policing.

The upholding of the fatwa suggests that helping women to get justice in court, informing women of their rights, proposing reforms pertaining to Islamic Family Law, protecting children and engaging in intellectual discourse on Islam and women’s rights – all constitutes to being deviant.

Ms Thanenthiran added: “SIS gives an alternative and compassionate view of what is possible and, in doing so introduce ideas from various scholars and how these scholars interpret religious texts. What SIS champions are policies already underway in other Islamic countries like Morocco and Tunisia and institutions like Al-Azhar. By saying that the civil court has no jurisdiction relating to Syariah law, it is setting the stage for increasing crackdown on women’s rights organisations by fundamentalist and conservative groups.”

She concluded: “We urge New Malaysia to stand on the right side of history and reconsider this judgement. This would set a precedent and send a strong signal that the courts will protect women’s rights defenders, and are serious about protecting women and girls’ rights and their dignity. And to reiterate what SIS has already said – after 62 years of independence, Malaysian women deserve better than this.”

Vietnam

  • Centre for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP)

Indonesia

  • Aliansi Satu Visi (ASV);
  • CEDAW Working Group;
  • Hollaback! Jakarta;
  • Institut Kapal Perempuan;
  • Kalyanamitra;
  • Komnas Perempuan;
  • Remaja Independen Papua/Independent Youth
    Forum Papua (FRIP/IYFP);
  • Perkumpulan Keluarga Berencana Indonesia (PKBI);
  • Perkumpulan Lintas Feminis Jakarta;
  • Perkumpulan Pamflet Generasi;
  • RUTGERS Indonesia;
  • Sanggar SWARA;
  • Women on Web;
  • Yayasan Kesehatan Perempuan (YKP); 
  • YIFOS Indonesia

Maldives

  • Hope for Women
  • Society for Health Education (SHE)
New Malaysia should protect women's rights & its defenders

KUALA LUMPUR: Regional feminist NGO, the Asian Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), is extremely disturbed and concerned by the decision of the Kuala Lumpur High Court to dismiss a five-year-old Islamic fatwa against Malaysian NGO and partner, Sisters in Islam (SIS), calling it deviant.

“That an organisation which champions the rights of women and girls is declared deviant is shocking and very disturbing,” said Sivananthi Thanenthiran, Executive Director of ARROW, which is based in Malaysia and advocates for sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and young people. “SIS is a civil society working towards advancing the rights of Muslim women in Malaysia within the framework of Islam, universal human rights principles, constitutional guarantees as well as lived realities and experiences of women. Why would they be considered deviant when the issues they champion are issues of justice and compassion?”

SIS has been advocating to end child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), promoting gender equality in Muslim marriages and Islamic Family Laws, and taking a stance against gender based violence and moral policing.

The upholding of the fatwa suggests that helping women to get justice in court, informing women of their rights, proposing reforms pertaining to Islamic Family Law, protecting children and engaging in intellectual discourse on Islam and women’s rights – all constitutes to being deviant.

Ms Thanenthiran added: “SIS gives an alternative and compassionate view of what is possible and, in doing so introduce ideas from various scholars and how these scholars interpret religious texts. What SIS champions are policies already underway in other Islamic countries like Morocco and Tunisia and institutions like Al-Azhar. By saying that the civil court has no jurisdiction relating to Syariah law, it is setting the stage for increasing crackdown on women’s rights organisations by fundamentalist and conservative groups.”

She concluded: “We urge New Malaysia to stand on the right side of history and reconsider this judgement. This would set a precedent and send a strong signal that the courts will protect women’s rights defenders, and are serious about protecting women and girls’ rights and their dignity. And to reiterate what SIS has already said – after 62 years of independence, Malaysian women deserve better than this.”

Morocco

  • Association Marocaine de Planification Familiale (AMPF),
  • Morocco Family Planning Association

India

  • CommonHealth;
  • Love Matters India;
  • Pravah;
  • Rural Women’s Social Education Centre (RUWSEC);
  • SAHAYOG;
  • Sahaj;
  • Sahiyo;
  • SAMA – Resource Group for Women and Health;
  • WeSpeakOut;
  • The YP Foundation (TYPF)

Lao PDR

  • Lao Women’s Union;
  • The Faculty of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Health
    Sciences (UHS)

Sri Lanka

  • Bakamoono;
  • Women and Media Collective (WMC),
  • Youth Advocacy Network – Sri Lanka (YANSL)

Malaysia

  • Federation of Reproductive Health Associations of Malaysia (FRHAM);
  • Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG);
  • Justice for Sisters (JFS);
  • Reproductive Health Association of
    Kelantan (ReHAK);
  • Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM);
  • Sisters in Islam (SIS)

Maldives

  • Hope for Women;
  • Society for Health Education (SHE)

Myanmar

  • Colourful Girls Organization;
  • Green Lotus Myanmar

Nepal

  • Beyond Beijing Committee (BBC);
  • Blind Youth Association of Nepal;
  • Blue Diamond Society (BDS);
  • Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA);
  • Visible Impact;
  • Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC);
  • YPEER Nepal;
  • YUWA

Pakistan

  • Aahung, Centre for Social Policy Development (CSPD);
  • Forum for Dignity Initiative (FDI);
  • Gravity Development Organization; Green Circle Organization;
  • Indus Resources Center (IRC);
  • Idara-e-Taleem-O-Aaghai (ITA);
  • Rehnuma – Family Planning Association Pakistan;
  • Shelter
    Participatory Organisation;
  • Shirkat Gah;
  • The Enlight Lab

Philippines

  • Democratic Socalist Women of the Philippines (DSWP);
  • Galang;
  • Healthcare Without Harm;
  • Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities;
  • Likhaan Centre for Women’s Health;
  • Nisa UI Haqq Fi Bangsamoro;
  • PATH Foundation Inc. (PFPI);
  • Women’s Global Network for
    Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)

Singapore

  • End Female Genital Cutting Singapore
  • Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)

Mongolia

  • MONFEMNET National Network