Southall Black Sisters win award
Southall Black Sisters (SBS) have been named as secularists of the year because:
They provide a secular space where women fleeing violence or injustice — often resulting from religious attitudes — can find a safe haven.
The £5,000 prize caps an excellent period for SBS, who in 2008 managed to stop Ealing Council cutting their funding. Well done to Pragna Patel, Rahila Gupta and all the other workers at SBS.
| Post to del.icio.us |
Filed in: 'Honour'-based violence,Religion
…bit late to this story, Sunny.
The feisty Bishop of Croydon posted his response to the news yesterday:
http://nickbaines.wordpress.com/2010/02/18/er-surely-some-mistake/
J
Big up SBS!
Thanks A.C.
Johnny:
The reason for the award (of £5,000) was not because they were atheists, or anti-religion, but because they provide a safe space for victims of religious/cultural violence.
Yes. I see what you are saying.
I’ll admit to knowing very little about the SBS or the NSS. I’m going to go away and do a bit of reading on both.
J
Gosh, can’t believe that such a bunch of Islamophobic right-wing neo-cons won the award. Such pandering can only increase the “Decent” drum-beat for war on the progressive government in Iran… *see page 120*
P.
Doublethink is compulsory…
And equally good luck to Southall White Sisters along the road….oh wait.
Gosh, can’t believe that such a bunch of Islamophobic right-wing neo-cons won the award.
I know, if only they’d given it to Nick Cohen for standing up for human rights…
Yes Tory. Boo hiss to SBS.
Can we have a discussion about the horrible time this poor lady has had to go through? Along with the shameful behaviour of the Beth Din courts?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/longestserving-chained-wife-finally-breaks-free-after-48-years-1904136.html
Yay! Nice one, NSS, for giving them the money.
“ And equally good luck to Southall White Sisters along the road….oh wait.â€
Yeah, it may be a wait since that other tory, Boris, is reducing spend on rape centres.
I hope that the £1.4m earmarked by Boris for rape crimes over 3 years (£832,000 less than the original sum promised) is forthcoming regardless of the victim’s skin colour.
Good luck notwithstanding, I am fairly certain that the £1.4m is not solely for SBS but also goes to ‘Southall White Sisters’ et al.
‘I know, if only they’d given it to Nick Cohen for standing up for human rights…’
So an organisation of black women which doesn’t share your hostility to an Indian-born feminist wins an award – and for you this is about a white guy?
@jamie – I read the piece you linked to. I felt very sorry for the poor woman but I don’t think her predicament (on the face of it) seems comparable to the problems faced by the women SBS try to help. She wasn’t facing any legal obstruction to remarrying according to UK law, nor was she suffering violence. I completely accept that her own beliefs and values meant her status caused her suffering of course, but these rather recondite marriage laws aren’t in the same league as, say, forced marriages?
Further, it is clear on reading the article that most Beth Dins are doing all they can to address the situation these women find themselves in and that it is the UK Beth Din that are, seemingly, ignoring it.
“ And equally good luck to Southall White Sisters along the road….oh wait.â€
Yeah, it may be a wait since that other tory, Boris Johnson,is reducing spend on rape centres.
I hope that the £1.4m earmarked for rape crimes over 3 years (£832,000 less than the original sum promised) is forthcoming regardless of the victim’s skin colour.
Good luck notwithstanding, I am fairly certain that the £1.4m is not solely for SBS but also goes to Southall White Sisters’ et al.
“ And equally good luck to Southall White Sisters along the road….oh wait.â€
Yeah, it may be a wait since that other tory, Boris Johnson, is reducing spend on rape centres.
I hope that the £1.4m earmarked for rape crimes over 3 years (£832,000 less than the original sum promised) is forthcoming regardless of the victim’s skin colour.
Good luck notwithstanding, I am fairly certain that the £1.4m is not solely for SBS but also goes to Southall White Sisters’ et al.
” And equally good luck to Southall White Sisters along the road….oh wait.”
Yeah it may be a long wait since that other tory, Boris Johnson, is reducing spend on rape crimes.
I hope the £1.4m earmarked over 3 years for rape crimes (£832k less than originally promised) is forthcoming to victims regardless of their skin colour
Good luck notwithstanding, I am certain that the £1.4m is not solely earmarked for SBS but ‘Southall White Sisters” et al …