An interview of the social activist from Hillah, Rawan Salim with Dr. Akeel Abas. Rawan’s childhood and upbringing was filled with conflict between her father and mother. The father was open minded and liberal, and the mother was conservative and religious.
Funded by the EU, CGDS is producing podcasts, in Kurdish, Arabic and English to promote understanding of gender issues in the region. The following is one of the podcasts produced for the project.
Her father and liberal views had impacted her way of thinking and growth significantly. He used to tell her: “The ones who build their nest within a nest, will forever live in slavery (Intellectual)”. From an early age Rawan would read Ali Al-Wardi, Russian literature and various other books and journals. All these aspects helped shape her current mentality and understanding of equality and equity for women. Hanaa Edwar additionally had a tremendous impact on the growth of Rawan’s mentality.
Even though she lives in a conventional city (Hillah), her neighborhood is considered extremely conservative. People got accustomed to Rawan being liberal, as they saw her grow up and evolve into it. However if other girls were to do this they would be subject to suspicion and questions.
Rawan’s family has different opinions, for example her mother wears Abbaya, and some of her sisters wear Hijab. Rawan has faced harassment from her Islamia Teacher (Islamic Studies Teacher). If she was to not wear the Hijab, she was threatened with being failed in her classes. She faced difficulty in making friends at her school because all the girls there wore Hijab. She would occasionally face problems. Thus the following year she changed her school to another one which is 30 mins away by car. It was better in terms of education and toleration in regards to diversity. There were many girls at that school who didn't wear the Hijab.
Rawan faced both alot of criticism and support throughout her activism, there was no moderation; either extreme support or extreme criticism. She participated with the protests that occured on the streets of Tahrir Square, Baghdad, in October. Taking an extra bold step, she took her piano from home and placed it in the Demonstration Square and played the national anthem and music. Her family became more supportive to her after the demonstrations, as her other sisters participated in the protests as well.
Rawan wants to become a journalist once she finishes 12th grade. She believes that journalism and media always delve deeper into the social problems of the community, helping society improve its mentality and the way people think.
Rawan’s final message to girls and women who want to be free from boundaries and restrictions is that: “The journey is very long, but the destination is strong and happy. Always struggle and fight, and as Ghandi once said (People threw stones on me, and I collected the stones and built my own home).”