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Purity killings

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refugees from islamic coun-tries living in the West urge Canadians to join a worldwide campaign of condemnation in response to reports from Iraq that as many as 50 women accused of prostitution were publicly beheaded by a paramilitary group controlled by Uday Saddam Hussein, the son of president Saddam Hussein.Amnesty International (AI) has issued an appeal for urgent action. “We have been unable to confirm the facts. However, we issued the appeal out of concern that scores of women in Iraq could meet the same fate,” says Keith Rimstad, of Canada’s AI.

The reported executions in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities were part of a campaign to stamp out “immoral crimes,” according to Amnesty.

In Toronto, Homa Arjomand of the International Federation of Iranian Refugees, doesn’t doubt the reports’ authenticity. “This kind of activity is called “honour killings.’ It is another example of the war on women.”

She urges concerned Canadians to lodge their protest by writing to the Iraqi embassy at 255 Mcleod Street, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0Z8. Don’t try to phone. Calls made by NOW to the embassy were not answered.

ANDREW CASH

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