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Why I’m Angry: Abeer Qasim Hamza

People ask me why I am so angry all of the time. Putting aside the fact that I don’t spend 24/7 angry, I tell them that I have plenty of reason to feel this way. Today’s reason? This post by blogger Y. Carrington.

The short story is that a young (teenage young) Iraqi woman was gang-raped, murdered, and set on fire. By U.S. soldiers. In March of this year. Never heard this story until recently? You wouldn’t be the first.

I forgot to mention that her family was also murdered.

Why? Were they suspects, insurgents, terrorists? No. They were simply parents and sisters to a girl that U.S. soldiers perpetrated two of the top ten most heinous crimes upon.

Why did they rape the girl? Apparently because she was there and they were men.

Y. Carrington correctly points out that the root of this problem stems from something the majority of women have to put up with all the time – street harassment. The poor woman suffered this at the hands of OUR SOLDIERS for months before her last, torturous moments. Don’t tell me that one had nothing to do witht he other.

The Iraqi woman’s name? Abeer Qasim Hamza. Remember that. Remember her next time you’re on the street and some guy comments on your anatomy or his. Remember that next time you see it happen to another woman, even if she’s someone you don’t know. Remember Abeer Qasim Hamza and what happened to her because our culture teaches men that sexualizing and objectifying women is not only okay, but it’s funny, or flattering, or a great group activity. Remember Abeer Qasim Hamza when you start to wonder why I’m so angry.

This. Is. Why. I’m. Angry.