On Saturday 7th May, security forces of the Assad regime opened fire on an all-female demonstration on the main highway from Merqeb, a village on the outskirts of the coastal town of Baniyas that has become one of the main focus points for anti-regime demonstrations. They shot dead 4 women and wounded 5 others.

On Monday April 11th 2011, the French ban of the face veil will come into force. The new law criminalises the wearing of the niqab in all public places including on public transport, in parks, and in the streets. Any Muslim woman found wearing the face veil in public can now be forced to uncover and will either face a fine of 150 Euros or be required to take French…

Turkey has been hailed by many Western politicians and commentators as a model for the future political system of Egypt and a new Arab world, praised for supposedly marrying a Muslim majority population with a secular liberal democratic system. This scandalous treatment of women within the country should give serious re-consideration of whether such a system can truly herald a positive future for the women of Turkey or the Arab…