U.S.: New Policy Permits Asylum for Battered Women

http://www.realcourage.org/2009/07/us-asylum-policy-for-women/

(U.S.) New Policy Permits Asylum for Battered Women
-- NYT: "The Obama administration has opened the way for foreign women who are victims of severe
domestic beatings and sexual abuse to receive asylum in the United States."
--- "In addition to meeting other strict conditions for asylum, abused women will need to show that they
are treated by their abuser as subordinates and little better than property, according to an immigration court
filing by the administration, and that domestic abuse is widely tolerated in their country"
--- "They must show that they could not find protection from institutions at home or by moving to another place within their own country."
--- "The new policy does not involve women fleeing genital mutilation."
--- "Any applicant for asylum or refugee status in the United States must demonstrate a 'well-founded fear of
persecution' because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or 'membership in a particular social group.'
The extended legal argument has been whether abused women could be part of any social group that would be
eligible under those terms. Last year, 22,930 people won asylum in this country fleeing all types of persecution;
the number has been decreasing in recent years."

Will such a new United States asylum policy help protect women from Islamic supremacist "honor killings" and
other institutionalized violence against women around the world?

In the past month, these are just SOME of the stories of the continued INSTITUTIONALIZED misogyny and violence
against women, rationalized by Islamic supremacists:

Saudi Arabia: Abused woman flees shelter; shelter "accused of helping woman flee"

Saudi Arabia: Brother kills two sisters in Social Affairs shelter over "honor"

Saudi religious police blamed in 'honour' killing of sisters

Saudi Arabia: Child Marriage Not Prohibited Under "Sharia Law"

Pakistan: 'Violence against women on rise as perpetrators go scot-free'

Pakistan: "122 cases of women being burnt were reported in Lahore"

Pakistan high court orders release of "honour killing" convict

Pakistan: "Honour killings in Sindh rise in second quarter: report"

Pakistan's Lahore: Man kills sister in the name of 'honour' -- in front of other family members

Pakistan "Honor killings": Couple, including teenage bride, mother, sister murdered

Pakistan: 16 year old girl sold to 62 year old man

Pakistan: Another "Honor Killing" of Eloped Couple -- Barki