Sara Mohammad facts for kids
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Sara Mohammad was born in 1967 in Iraqi Kurdistan. She is a brave human rights activist and a pharmacist. She moved to Sweden in 1993 to find safety. She had to leave her home because she was going to be forced to marry someone against her will. She escaped the day before the wedding.
Her own experiences made her want to help others. She works very hard to stop violence and unfair treatment related to "honour" in both Kurdistan and Sweden.
Contents
What is Honour-Related Violence?
Honour-related violence is when someone is hurt or controlled by their family because the family believes the person has brought shame or dishonour to them. This can include forced marriages, where someone is made to marry against their wishes.
Fighting for Rights: GAPF
In 2001, Sara Mohammad started an organization called GAPF. The name GAPF means "Never Forget Pela and Fadime." This group works to stop honour-related violence.
GAPF works closely with the Swedish government and local authorities. Since 2005, they have made strong efforts to prevent honour-related violence and forced marriages.
Special Recognition
In March 2017, Linköping University gave Sara Mohammad a special award. They gave her an honorary doctorate because of her "fearless commitment for the rights of girls and young women." This means she was recognized for being very brave in fighting for what is right for young girls and women.
Sara Mohammad's Views
Sara Mohammad believes it is important to speak up for girls and women. She has shared her thoughts on some topics:
- She has spoken about Islamism, which is a type of political Islam.
- She has also talked about the use of the hijab, which is a head covering worn by some Muslim women.
She has also said that some Swedish feminists and politicians do not always fight enough for the rights of Muslim immigrant women. She thinks they might be afraid of being called racist.
The Situation in Sweden
Even with all her hard work, Sara Mohammad feels that the situation for girls and women in Sweden is not getting better. She says that the problems the authorities know about are just a small part of the real issue.
She explains that GAPF sees a much bigger picture. Girls and women are facing more and more rules and questions about how they live. She has even mentioned that very young girls in daycare are sometimes made to wear headscarves.
