Purple Hijab Day Against Domestic Violence
Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

International Purple Hijab Day, Saturday, February 13, 2010 is a day to reflect on the deaths which have resulted from domestic violence. A purple hijab is an apt reference for this phenomenon. The hijab—or head scarf, is a symbol of the modesty and piety associated with Muslim womanhood. Purple is a color associated with mourning. Hopefully, a purple hijab will bring to mind what is important for us to remember.

Remember Aasiya Zubair Hassan whose decapitated body was found by upstate New York police after they were told by her husband where to find it. Remember Sandeela Kanwal whose strangled body was found in her Jonesboro, Georgia, bed after someone in her household called the police early in the morning on July 6, 2008. These are just two of the 11 confirmed cases of murder in the US of Muslims by Muslim family members. Two of the 11 cases are of men, one murdered by his wife and the other a murder-suicide. Unfortunately there are other reports of murders in the US due to domestic abuse that can’t be substantiated at this time.

Streets May Be Safer, But Relationships? Not
By Judith Spitzer

WeNews correspondent

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

FBI statistics show violent crime retreating, but it's impossible to say exactly what's going on with domestic violence deaths because total numbers are not tracked. Calls to state anti-violence coalitions, however, suggest this crime is bucking the trend and getting worse.

PORTLAND, Ore. (WOMENSENEWS)--The homicide patterns of this city appear to be mirroring a national trend.

Here, the Oregonian newspaper reported recently that homicides in 2009 declined to the lowest level--21--in almost 40 years, according to preliminary FBI reports.

That stands in shocking contrast to a recent spate of domestic violence that between Nov. 5 and Dec. 2, 2009, claimed 18 lives in Portland. Eight male suspects committed suicide; seven women died in homicides; two young children were shot along side their mothers; and an adult son died trying unsuccessfully to protect his mother. In every case, the murder weapon was a gun.

Domestic violence advocate honored in Duluth for her work
By: Mark Stodghill , Duluth News Tribune

Ellen Pence was honored Friday for her more than 20 years of advocating for the victims of domestic abuse in Duluth. She helped found the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project and is credited with creating the Duluth Model of intervention in domestic violence cases. 

The day in 1980 that Ellen Pence came to Duluth to work on behalf of battered women and children, she went to a local theater to see “The Deer Hunter,” a movie about a trio of Russian-American steelworker friends and their infantry service in the Vietnam War.

Local Authorities Push to Change on Law on Domestic Strangulation
Scott McKane, Reporter and Jared Preusz, Web Content Producer FOX 13 News
11:30 PM MST, January 20, 2010

SALT LAKE CITY - Police, prosecutors and social workers are started discussions Wednesday in Salt Lake City to see if they can begin the process of changing the law on domestic strangulation. Experts said domestic strangulation often goes unnoticed in the overall grand scheme of a domestic violence charge. Experts said strangulation often winds up on the table as a felony or part of a misdemeanor.

"You can die in five minutes or less and not leave a single external mark. In many ways we were dealing with it as if it was a misdemeanor," said Gael Strack, a former prosecutor present at the discussions. "If someone got slapped in the face, there was no visible injury. But then when we learned how serious it was we were dealing with a near fatal strangulation or an attempted homicide."

Strack is a former prosecutor from San Diego and now travels across the country educating and trying to change laws on domestic strangulation. She said some states have reinforced and changed the laws that define strangulation.

Click here to view video.

The National Family Justice Center Alliance and Vital Voices Global Partnership hosted a three day regional conference in Amman, Jordan this week in collaboration with the United States Department of State and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.  The conference held November 16-18, 2009 focused on developing Family Justice Centers and other types of co-located family protection models throughout the Middle East.  Teams from 12 Middle Eastern countries attended the conference to learn about the San Diego Family Justice Center model and the rapidly expanding international Family Justice Center movement.  The participating countries and authorities included: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Oman, Morocco, Lebanon, Iraq, Bahrain, and Palestine.

In August, our President Casey Gwinn, Board member Ashley Walker and CEO  Gael Strack attended the Journey to Healing Conference in Long Beach, California. The Conference was  sponsored by the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community (IDVAAC) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. The IDVAAC was first formed in 1993, when a group of scholars and practitioners informally met to discuss the plight of the African-American Community in the area of domestic violence. The group ultimately agreed that the "one size fits all" approach to domestic violence services being provided in mainstream communities would not suffice for African Americans, who disproportionately experience stresses that can create conditions that lead to violence in the home. It became clear to this group that the crisis of violence in the African American community would change only if individuals or groups focused attention on the problem and took action. The organization has since become a national expert on domestic violence among African Americans, a resource to communities and a strong presence in the field of domestic violence.
 
Casey, Ashley and Gael were humbled to be part of such an important and historic conference let alone be recognized by the leaders of the Institute for their work in helping hurting families heal and bringing professionals together in the co-location model.  The conference focused on Finding the Path to Healing. It was filled with thought-provoking panel discussions, innovative workshops, personal heart-felt stories and beautiful artistic expressions that highlighted the experiences of survivors and how professionals can come together to help survivors move forward in the healing process. It was one of those  unforgettable conferences that touched the hearts of many and will be destined to change the future.
 
The Alliance salutes the great work of the IDVAAC and proudly works closely with Dr. Oliver Williams, the Executive Director of IDVAAC. Oliver is part of the National Advisory Board for the Alliance and has shared his expertise in helping the Alliance craft the Guiding Principles for Family Justice Centers and remain focused to listening to the voices of Survivors.

Please go to www.idvaac.org to find out more about this excellent organization and their leaders.

Bill, if passed, will make strangulation a felony assault under CDV law

November 1, 6:12 PM Columbia Crime Examiner Kimathi Lewis


For more than three hours, Mrs. Felicia Shiver's husband dragged her throughout their Gadsden home, punching, kicking and beating her as she cried out for him to stop.

Then he began strangling her, Mrs. Shiver said. Fearing for her life, she grabbed an hammer and desperately wield it, hitting him in the head.