Assaults in Cologne and other European cities part V

[hiddenhome2]

Thread V

I can't do the petition. I will promote it.

Thank you to those writing and editing the petition, I also have to be off for a few hours. Happy to give feedback on wording in the intern if needed but I can't write it from scratch as not my forte

*interim

I can't start the petition for a few reasons.

I started one previously. I had a lot of comments on my English and people refused to sign as a result.

I was contacted by Government departments as a result and again my English let me down communicating with them regarding the matter.

It really needs someone else to start it as they "own" it when it takes off.

I am an ethnic minority, and an immigrant (from a Muslim country!) so we can hope my "credentials" will be acceptable to the critics among us. And I have two young daughters, whose future I fear for sad.

Of course you want the same future full of freedom, opportunity and dignity that we all want for our DDs! I live in East London. The Muslim families around me are not excusing these attacks, far from it. It's just some of the media, and politicians who are afraid of the media who are. TheElementsSong please don't think that because you are from a Muslim country, we all assume that you are anti-women. We all have much in common.

Would also like to add a word of encouragement for anyone starting the petition. I will be signing and sharing, once it is up.

I will sign and share petition on fbk

Don't stress Vertigo - I've just sent you a pm ...but no worries - let's see if someone can take it on .
(I'm more worried about just not having time to deal with it ...reporting back, replying to government depts etc.

There was a local group out who desperately needed help - I offered to do something that I knew I could (and I do lots of different voluntary work anyway) but then they wanted (or needed) me to do more and more - and I felt guilty that I just couldn't do it...and had to step away and felt dreadful)

DespicableBee Thu 14-Jan-16 09:55:52 The Guardian's article tune is same as the others before. Critical posters there raise now economic issues.

That's why we need the right person to start the petition and see it through.

I have emailed my MP. Female. Labour.

That's a ridiculous justification for a deliberate fudge from the Guardian, if they are going to make that distinction they should have made it in the article itself.

Many women in Germany have been using the hashtag ausnahmslos.

ausnahmslos.org/

These women condemn the attacks on women on New Year's Eve and they demand that those that attack and rape women must not be protected. They call for action against sexual violence be and state this must be prioritised.

They also assert that sexual violence must not only be addressed if the offender is seen by society as 'other¨, eg. Muslim, Arab, black or North African. They point out that focusing on those seen as 'the other' and "non-German" is only helpful to the spread of the right wing and populism

They state that all victimsof sexual violence should be taken seriously, regardess of ethnicity.

The women state that sexual violence must also become a political priority and point to statistics by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), that more than half of all women have been sexually assaulted and a third sexualized and / or experienced physical violence and the police crime statistics, annually more than 7,300 displayed rape and sexual coercion in Germany OFF3, which are twenty everyday, the number of unreported cases being much higher.

It is interesting that these German are not focusing on one particular race or culture, but focusing on all forms of sexual violence become a priotity and I hope they are effective in bringing this to the attention of German political leaders and police chiefs.

Reading some comments after the Guardian article. Does anyone agree with the author?

I've just emailed my euro MP,
Perhaps we should be all contacting our euro mps, as it is a Europe issue

Emily isn't doing well when ignored. She has started another thread.

I won't bother with my MEP. He isn't into Women he has form of putting others rughts ahead of Women when two groups rights clash.

This is the site in English for anyone reading the thread that would like to take a look or use the hastag on twitter.

ausnahmslos.org/english

Here are the political and social solutions they advocate for.

Political solutions:

1. Counselling services and rape crisis centres must receive stronger support and their services must be expanded.

1. Laws must be adapted and changed: Sexual harassment is not a criminal offence in Germany yet and what constitutes rape is contingent on the victim’s behaviour.

1. Increased educational work and awareness campaigns can help prevent sexualised violence and assist survivors in receiving support. We want to sensitise society to the fact that sexism and sexualised violence is most likely to occur in close social environment and across all sectors of society.

1. A gender-sensitive education can further prevent (sexualised) violence.

1. Police and law-enforcement must receive gender and sexualised violence sensitivity trainings to ensure prosecution and appropriate behaviour toward survivors.

Societal solutions:

1. The discussion on sexualised violence must be led in an open and differentiated way, including the focus on sociocultural and ideological reasons for violence, and the stigmatisation of survivors.

1. Survivors of sexualised violence must be taken seriously. Victim blaming must stop.

1. Sexism and racism are not problems of ‘the others’: All of us are shaped by structural discrimination and we have to learn to reflect upon our prejudices.

1. Witnesses of sexualised violence must not turn a blind eye to these incidents but intervene – from direct support in the case of sexualised violence to opposing sexist statements such as rape jokes.

What are his interests?

I believe taking this seriously can be angled to most people who are not in Open Borders territory.

I have placed a request in chat for a volunteer to start the petition who is a pedant, happy to communicate with government departments.

I wrote to one of the female MPs for NI (well I wrote to both and my own MP to no avail) and got a response within the hour, she was with me and has forwarded it to other MPs who have the same mind-set.

I'm sorry I don't want to name her, as I don't want her inundated with emails, she's made it clear that she is as concerned as we are, and will try her best to help.

When Europeans travel to a ME or NA country they are asked to cover their heads with a scarf and cover their arms. My friend was in Morocco 18 months ago and she was happy to confirm that her batwings were viewed as provocative. So she covered up. Why should the same not be expected of that demographic who settles in Europe?

How to chastise your wife. Pls look at this link. This moron was invited by students at Sheffield University. Something is clearly wrong with student unions in so many of our unis. I wonder what is driving this phenomenon? Answers on a postcard, winning entry will receive prize of a set of 6 hitting sticks of differing thickness.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3391194/Speaker-tells-students-s-fine-hit-wife-doesn-t-string-extremists-touring-British-universities-unchallenged.html

I'll be totally honest and say I haven't offered to start the petition because I'm scared to. I've seen the threats women get online when raising issues surrounding the way some men treat women, and I'm absolutely shit with putting my point across.

I'm totally the wrong person as I'm worried I'd buckle under any limelight. I'll sign and make the petition spread further than a mumsnet chicken but I'm scared to own it and start it. I'm so sorry.