ISLAM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE

274 WOMEN UNDER THREAT Corsera - 29/1/2007 Veil: "Put it on or I'll kill you!" I would like to comment on a news item that repeats that it causes human drama for the families involved. "Put on your veil or I'll kill you". How often do these threats occur within the walls of the house? Those raised by the newspapers are only the tip of the iceberg and involve immigrants who are mostly Arab Muslims. Moreover, some centres of aggregation of immigrants in- cite in the name of religion to introduce in Italy medieval customs and traditions still existing in the most remote corners of the country of origin. In certain areas of the Arab world, wo- men live in a state of inferiority without any chance of rebellion because of the social and religious pressure. In Italy, in contact with such a different reality, the family remains disoriented and the man tends to forcefully assert his dominion over the woman and the daughter, while giving the sons freedom. In the rare cases advertised, the woman, victim of abuse, is doubly penalized: by the harassment received and even more by the removal from his family while she is placed in a safe place. This leads to trauma and acts as a deterrent against the use of our ju- stice; the violent man should have been removed and subjected to the rigors of Italian law. The victim is doubly penalized physically and psychologically. In such cases, it is imperative to adopt de- terrent and preventive measures: Publicize the follow-up to the complaints made and the penalties that our institu- tions will have applied to these offen- ders. By doing so, we will make the vio- lent partners aware of the consequences they face and we will give courage to the threatened and terrified women to ensu- re that their rights and human dignity are respected. To make non-EU citizens aware in per- son of the fundamental rights and duties of spouses according to Italian law, and to whom to turn in case of need. Unfor- tunately, women are often illiterate and therefore unable to use the guarantees provided by our bodies. Raising woman from the blackmail of her husband, who threatens to forcefully take her children back to their country of ori- gin, removing them from their mother, or the threat of not renewing her mother's residence permit, forcing her to submit to the will of the man at home. In cases of mixed marriages, encourage couples to go to cultural mediation offi- ces to facilitate mutual understanding and knowledge of the situations they face. In order to put all of that in practice we need to provide information about family laws and human rights in Italy, we need to seize the moments and when it is neces- sary, to approach the offices: for example, the renewal of the residence card or per- mits, to demand the physical presence of people, without the man not representing the woman, each one has the same digni- ty, duties and rights. They are comments based on facts in or- der to promote the integration into Italian society with the minimum trauma of men and women and children from worlds far away culturally and socially to ours.