Obama moves to grant political asylum to women who suffer domestic abuse

[jefferson_dem]

Obama moves to grant political asylum to women who suffer domestic abuseBuzz up!
Chris McGreal in Washington guardian.co.uk, Friday 24 July 2009 17.17 BST

The Obama administration has moved to grant political asylum to foreign women who suffer severe physical or sexual abuse from which they are unable to escape because it is part of the culture of their own countries.

The decision, made evident in a court case involving a battered women from Mexico, ends years of dispute over the issue which saw the Bush administration stall moves toward recognising domestic violence as legitimate grounds for asylum made during Bill Clinton's tenure.

The department of homeland security has told an immigration court that it regards the woman, identified only as 42-year-old LR, as potentially having grounds to apply for political asylum because she feared she would be murdered by her common-law husband who repeatedly raped her at gunpoint and tried to burn her alive when he discovered she was pregnant.

Karen Musalo, a lawyer and director of the Centre for Gender and Refugee Studies at the University of California who is representing a second woman involved in a similar asylum case, said that the move is a significant shift in policy that opens the way for physically and sexually abused women to seek the same protection that those fleeing female genital mutilation are already offered.

"There has been so much controversy and back and forth on this over many years. This finally opens the door to these women to seek protection," she said.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/24/obama-women-abuse-political-asylum-us

[jwirr]

1. That includes a great many women from a great many countries. nt

[ThomCat]

6. I hope they are willing to open the gates to all the women

that this could apply to. :)

That would be a Wonderful advance that could really advance our standing in the world.

[jwirr]

10. I'd be willing but I seriously doubt that most Americans would.

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. BUSH 3!!! BUSH 3 I say!!!

:sarcasm:

[Cha]

8. Yeah, bush had bigger fish

to fry..like bringing george orwell's 1984 back to life.

[FrenchieCat]

3. Very very good to hear!

:thumbsup:

[ProSense]

4. Amazing that a post like this receives so little attention. n/t

[chill_wind]

5. K & R.

[Undercurrent]

7. Good news.

Hope this moves forward and abused women from all over the world can find a safe haven in the US.

[Avalux]

9. From a woman - thank you President Obama. K&R. n/t

[ensho]

11. good

nt