Many people who are concerned about obtaining nationality often ask me, “Is there any hope?” or “Is it impossible?” They feel burdened by the frustrations of facing an unjust and discriminatory law that denies them and their families their natural rights. In response, I calmly and persistently answer, “No, there is action.” I cannot create hope as a mere dose of sedative with temporary effects. Instead, I believe that action is necessary. We cannot simply be concerned with the cause or identify as activists and defenders; we must wholeheartedly believe in our just demands and pursue them with determination and attention to every detail.
How can the Law violate Rights?
Although the law is supposed to safeguard human rights, these rights have been violated in various parts of the world, especially women’s rights. This is not only because of stereotypes, prevailing cultures, and a patriarchal mindset, but also because this discrimination is enshrined in applicable legislation and laws. Blatant gender-based discrimination in the granting of rights deprives women of equality with men in their homeland.
Inequality in nationality laws prevents access to all basic rights with the violation of one right leading to the violation of other rights, such as the right to healthcare, education, and work. In this article, I will not address the reality and repercussions gender discrimination in nationality laws on the daily lives of women and their families. Here instead, I will express the concerns that haunt us in the struggle to end injustice in laws and legislation. Violence in law is more painful as it is protected by authorities, systems, and administrative institutions.
Although Arab countries revere women’s achievements and commend their legacy of leadership throughout history, their laws and policies have not yet risen to achieve equity and justice for women citizens. Women are denied the enjoyment of their most basic rights, such as the right to confer nationality, which is the basic relationship between a citizen and the state and facilitates access to all basic rights.
No matter how hard the system tries to hinder or discourage us from our goals and purpose, we must always resist and maintain our faith that what we demand is achievable. Believing in the possibility of change is the main step in achieving success on the ground.
How can you persevere in this long-standing struggle?
Researchers and journalists who specialize in documentation and monitoring often ask us how we manage to maintain our campaign, “My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family,” and its principal demand over the years. With unwavering determination, I answer that in our activism and advocacy, every day is both the first and the last day until our demand is fulfilled. We believe that our cause and vision are essential to achieve justice and obtain the right to equal citizenship for all. Each day that passes without reaching our goal is a day to start anew, with renewed struggle and perseverance.
This is especially true after every interview with politicians or officials who oppose this right. Instead of getting frustrated or disgusted by their arguments, some of which are direct, racist, and provocative, while others are disguised with hate speech, we turn that energy into a positive force for change. We focus on inventing messages, methods, and means to raise our voice and lift the existing injustice. Thus, we have invested in building an impregnable fortress against their flimsy and inhuman arguments with a human rights-based discourse refuting what they disseminate.
To all who bet on our perseverance and wait for our surrender, our demands are like our children, and our cause is the product of what we believe in. With every sunrise, we will hold more tightly to them, otherwise our loss will become greater. Do not bet on our retreat; we will not give up any of our rights.
We were not born immune to frustration. Rather, every day and every effort we make to defend our rights; every time we listen to the pain of women and their families; every argument and advocacy we make in the face of opponents; every day activists, students, or young men and women join our cohort; every day the forces of coordination, networking and alliances join together, all this helps us build a protective shield and gives us fuel and renewable energy to demand our full rights. Our fight is against injustice and nothing will stop it except justice for all.
We were not born immune to frustration. Rather, every day and every effort we make to defend our rights; every time we listen to the pain of women and their families; every argument and advocacy we make in the face of opponents; every day activists, students, or young men and women join our cohort; every day the forces of coordination, networking and alliances join together, all this helps us build a protective shield and gives us fuel and renewable energy to demand our full rights. Our fight is against injustice and nothing will stop it except justice for all.
So, why don't you lower the bar?
On the other side of the proposals, we hear, “Why don’t you lower the ceiling of demands?” Before I express myself fully, let us agree on the principles and foundations of rights, particularly as it pertains to such proposals from those who are nominally from civil society. How can rights have a limit? How can we compromise on rights? How can rights be divided? How can exceptions be made in granting rights? There should be no discretion, favoritism, or discrimination in rights. We must review the principles of human rights, which are universal, complete, and indivisible to avoid falling into the trap of not unifying our demands. Politicians often use this fragmentation against us and exploit any loopholes in the law we want. The most common sentence opposing politicians use is “Go [civil society] and agree among yourselves!” My consistent response is that our ultimate goal will always be a comprehensive and complete right, and nothing less. There can be no compromise on rights.
No tiredness, no boredom
I recall a short story that taught a valuable lesson. It’s about a man walking around an animal camp who noticed the elephants were not placed in cages or shackled with iron chains; rather, there was a small rope tied to one of their feet. The man was surprised; why didn’t the elephants use their strength to rid themselves of the small, negligible rope and flee the camp towards the vast forests? When he asked the camp curator, he learned that when elephants are young, they tie such a rope on their feet, and at that time, this thin rope is enough to prevent them from escaping. As time passes and they grow, the elephants continue to believe that they are unable to free themselves from the rope based on their age at that time. So, they give up and do not try to save themselves. Here, what prevents the elephants from freedom is their delusional belief that escape from captivity is impossible, shaped over the years.
Therefore, no matter how hard the system tries to hinder or discourage us from our goals and purpose, we must always resist and maintain our faith that what we demand is achievable. Believing in the possibility of change is the main step in achieving success on the ground. There are no elements in legislation that cannot be changed, and no restrictions from which we cannot be freed. We cannot give up; there is no room for tiredness or boredom.
Let us begin by shattering the illusion that the demand reform and non-discrimination in law is not a right held by those concerned. The first step is to convince them that they have the right to demand such changes, contrary to what some believe. Many people think that certain laws have been in place for so long that they have no right to demand any changes. For instance, the law that denies equal nationality rights to any woman married to a foreigner has been in effect for years. However, this does not mean that it cannot be changed. We must remind everyone that laws, policies, and constitutions are created by humans and are not set in stone. Laws that do not guarantee the equal rights of every human being are worthy of falling. Laws exist to protect the rights of every human being, and all countries must guarantee and safeguard all rights.
