Amal from the Arab Woman Progressive Voice writes:

Rape and war go hand in hand. That’s the lesson of history. That’s the lesson of Iraq. Iraqi women are being raped and for the most part are silent about it. The rapists, unfortunately, will get away.

When Sabreen al Janabi came forward with accusations of rape, the issue became a sectrarian one. Those who did not believe her, and in fact just issued a warrant for her arrest on the grounds that she’s has more than one husband, tarnished her reputation. Her supporters saw in her rape a violatioin of their sunni honor and slaughtered 22 men who had nothing to do with the rape in her name. Both parties were acting as if this is the first rape that ever happened. A woman’s rape is outrageous only if it fits in one group or another’s politcal agenda.

But Iraqi women are being raped. We will never know how many and their rapists, in the majority of cases, will never be punished. They will live silently with the pain and stigma.