Worood Zuhair
Worood Zuhair (Arabic: ورود زهير) born Worood Mahdi (Arabic: ورود مهدي) (born in 1987) is an Iraqi women's rights activist who lives in Germany.
Worood Zuhair | |
|---|---|
ورود زهير | |
 | |
| Born | Worood Mahdi ورود مهدي 1987 (age 33–34) |
| Nationality | Iraq |
| Other names | Nardeen |
| Alma mater | University of Karbala |
| Occupation | Biologist, Human rights activist |
| Years active | 2010-Now |
| Movement | Feminism, Secular liberalism |
Life
Zuhair was born in Najaf.[1] In 2010 she graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Karbala in Biology. She relates that before graduating, she was a victim of domestic violence, when her father and her brother attacked her, causing a spinal cord injury, because she left the house without permission and discussed her atheism.[2][3][4]
After settling in Germany, successfully arguing that the danger she faced from her family made her a candidate for refugee status, Zuhair received death threats over her secular blog posts, and is under police protection.[2][3]
Activism in Germany
Upon arrival in Germany, she used her right of freedom of speech in the European Union by starting campaigns demanding the rights for women in the Middle East, participation and organizing protests about the cause and speaking in international media organizations about the horrible situation of women in the Middle East and how to help them, as well as communicating with Iraqis through social media platforms calling for freedom and gender equality and writing about feminism and liberalism and discussion about the political situation in the region.[5] She had many interviews with several media groups, and gave speeches and participated in many international conferences, including the Richard Dawkins Foundation, she talked about the suffering and horrible life she lived which was the life of the women in the Middle East and Iraq and talked about the poor freedom of speech and expression the Iraqis have and that led her to be targeted by the Iraqi government that sent her the threats.[6][7]
Books
- Zuhair, Worood. Naked Revolution [ثورة التعري] (in Arabic). Germany.
Zuhair announced her first book by the name of Naked Revolution to be published soon in Arabic and later in English, She called the book "out of ordinary", she announced it after her Naked Revolution campaign that she started demands women freedom from the intellectual closed state of mind and liberates from body restrictions.[8]
See also
References
- "ورود زهير تقول انها حفيدة عائلة كاشف الغطاء شاهد بنفسك!" [Wurood Zuhair says she is the grand daughter of the Kashif al-Ghitaa family, watch for yourself]. YouTube (in Arabic).
- Germany's atheist refugees: When not believing is life-threatening, DW (december 20, 2018).
- Escape from Allah, Deutschlandfunk (in German).
- DW channel interview in Arabic| 04.09.2018
- Rebellious Women in Islam - The Event, Linkezeitung (Nov 27, 2016).
- The roots of Islam extend from the Middle East to Europe, Richard Dawkins foundation, January 22, 2019 (in German).
- Rebellious women in Islam, Lecture by Worood Zuhair from Kerbela, The Central Council of Ex-Muslims, November 27, 2016 (in German).
- Taking revenge from the conservative society that stole my life by the name of religion, DW Arabia Channel (post by Al-hewar Al-Mutamadin in Arabic).
Sources
- Zuhair, Worood (January 22, 2019). The roots of Islam reach from the Middle East to Europe (Speech). RDF Talk at Richard Dawkins Foundation. Haus der Wissenschaft in Bremen.
- Zuhair, Worood (October 10, 2018). "Escape from Allah". Deutschlandfunk (Interview). Interviewed by Astrid Prange. Germany.
- Zuhair, Worood (September 4, 2018). "They kill me in the name of honor, who protects me? (Arabic)". DW Arabia (Interview). Interviewed by Jaafar Abdul Karim. Germany.