Quote from Gerry Spence, trial attorney: ôWhen the law is with you, argue the law; when the facts are with you, argue the facts; when the law and the facts are against you, shout.ö
Today, in Bahrain, women are beginning to shout.
1. The law is the adhesive of society
2. In most countries, the law is there to protect all citizens.
3. In Islamic countries, it is not, because women are not only not protected by law, it is rare for them to even have a say in how the laws are either made or enforced.
4. (First Slide) Eleanor Roosevelt, the American statesman, who basically created the United Nations Human Rights Charter in 1952 has this to say. (Read quote).
1. In Islamic countries, to paraphrase a clichT, a womanÆs place is not just in the home, but also sometimes in the oven.
2. Along with the official governments, there is a parallel and powerful Islamic court, the Sharia, consisting of scholars of the Koran. It is the job of this council to weigh each civil law against the law of the Koran. If it isnÆt in the Koran, it does not exist. (There are still councils debating whether the Internet can be found in the Koran!)
(Refer to chart, and go through the demographics and numbers)
Thus we can see that the path to becoming a Female Lawyer in Bahrain is challenging. So why bother? LetÆs let one sample law from some 44,000 speak for itself. (Use third slide)
According to Amnesty International, Bahrain is one of the most liberal of the Islamic nations, but it still is woefully unfair. Citing a few of the violations:
1. People can be detained without charges for as long as the state feels necessary
2. Women are not allowed to vote, to work in certain all-male professions
3. Women have little or no say over their bodies, their minds, and their futures.
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