CSBR-GA Press Release

 Press Release

The Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR), which includes 39 members coming from 15 different countries is celebrating its tenth anniversary at the same time as the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions are taking place:  Is that a sign of the importance of the struggle?

Istanbul, May 9, 2011 – The Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) held its second general assembly on May 5-8, 2011 in Istanbul, with the participation of 25 representatives from organizations in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Turkey, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria.

Participants were happy with the wind of freedom blowing on the Arab world thanks to the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions, and they reevaluated the opportunities and the challenges that these upheavals would bring to their future actions.

The people's cry for dignity, justice and freedom was accompanied by a sudden movement for creativity, hope and extraordinary openness. With the energy and exercise of individual freedom regained at last, emerges the possibility to reinforce the movement for human rights, including sexual and bodily rights. This is a first step, an introduction to a deep change, and the CSBR knows full well that liberation at the individual level is the hardest one to gain.

Attacks led against this movement of liberation arrive from all sides: First, there's the  fundamentalists, followed by the counter-revolutions from all sides, and  international politics which always prefers to keep people in bondage rather than free.

Many participants noted the narrowing of spaces for militants struggling for sexual and bodily rights in many Muslim countries under the influence of fundamentalist movements. Many participants from Asia told of a very serious regression and extreme violence on the part of fundamentalists.

They noticed nevertheless that they benefit, thanks to their perseverance, of a greater recognition of their work and the importance of raising questions on sexuality through other organizations working on women's rights and human rights.

At the end of the general assembly, it was decided that the coordination of the coalition, which had been insured for ten years with great success by WWHR in Turkey, would from now on be taken over by the feminist collective Nasawiya in Lebanon. Thus, the activities of research and analysis, membership strengthening, lobbying before international instances and the “One Day One Struggle” campaign would continue with even greater strength.

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Editors' Note

The Coalition of Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) is a globally renowned solidarity network of progressive NGOs and premier academic institutions in the Middle East, North Africa, South and Southeast Asia, working to promote sexual and bodily rights as human rights in Muslim societies. Website: www.wwhr.org/csbr.php.