Abuses and injuries, difficult March 8 for women in Iraq

 Doha saw his 4-year-old son killed by Isis, in his garden in Qaraqosh. Rafah is left alone in Basra: her children, brothers and all relatives have left Iraq in search of fortune. Nadia, a Yazidi, after her sufferings, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but still asks for things to change and welcomes Pope Francis' visit to Iraq. These are the voices of Iraqi women in the foreground of Pope Francis' visit. Christians, Yazidis, but also Muslims, united by a difficult life in this country wounded by wars and terrorism. In Iraq, which, up to the 1970s had seen an advancement of the female universe with the increase in schooling and the right to vote acquired in the 1980s, for forty years has instead seen a deterioration in the conditions and rights of women. women. The eruption of Islamic fundamentalism, with Isis, is only the last of the pages that marked an increase in subordination for women, to husbands, fathers, brothers. Then the sufferings of wars and terrorism: many have been left widows or without their sons killed on the 'front' that is the country in Iraq, not a single line of war. The Pope read in their eyes and hearts and asked for respect for them who have suffered the deepest wounds. "Mothers console, comfort, give life. And I would like to say heartfelt thanks to all the mothers and women of this country, courageous women who continue to give life despite the abuses and wounds. May women be respected and protected! they are given attention and opportunities! ", the Pope said on the eve of 8 March. His journey began with a gift from a Spanish journalist on the papal flight: a reproduction of the ISIS 'price list'. Women were kidnapped, raped, sold. But the prices, also posted on the doors of shops and mosques, varied according to age, religion or ethnicity. "A tragedy", Francis commented, pointing the finger but also against Europe "where there is trafficking", he said referring to women who are brought to Western countries, by poor ones, to prostitute themselves. Women and Iraq, a difficult combination. Even more so if you are a Christian. Doha Sabah Abdallah recounts how she saw her child die: "That morning we were busy with the usual things and the children were playing in front of our houses, when an accident happened that forced us to go out. I heard a mortar strike and they are I ran out of the house. The children's voices fell silent as the screams of the adults increased. " Her baby had died along with the cousin she was playing with. Mother's suffering is immense even if, in the name of God, she has forgiven. Rafah Baer is from the small group of Mandaeans. She is from Basra and is left alone. Children and relatives have emigrated and "I too have a passport ready" but in reality "I want to stay in my land", "be buried here", "hope that there is respect for everyone, starting with women". The most famous is Nadia Mourad, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2018, a young Kurdish Yazidi ethnic prisoner and victim of ISIS violence. For the Pope's visit he wrote an open letter: "It is an opportunity to fully address the needs of the affected communities". We still need "therapeutic support for survivors, especially women".