Minimization of weapons curtails killing of women in Kurdistan, activist says:

ARBIL / IraqiNews.com: An Iraqi Kurdish woman activist has said on Wednesday that the minimization of weapons among citizens have curtailed the killing of women in northern Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, demanding the Kurdish government to “take serious measures to minimize the phonemena of carrying of weapons by men in the Region.” The confirmation took place, being part of a symposium held by an organization involved in defending women’s rights in Iraqi Kurdistan, carrying the name of “WARFIN,” on Tuesday, about carrying of weapons in the Region, attended by representatives Kurdistan’s Interior Ministry, its Peshmerga (Kurdish guards), the High Judiciary Council and the Social Community organizations in the Region. “The symposium has called for limiting the phenomena of weapons spreading among Kurdistan citizens, pointing out that the Organization had noticed that ‘the majority of killing of women in Kurdistan had been carried out by guns, which exceed one million spread in the Region.” “The limitation of possession of weapons among (Kurdistan) citizens shall minimize the killing of women,” the symposium pointed out, demanding the the Region’s government to ban “trading with weapons, in order to share in limiting their spread.” On his part, the Director of Arbil’s Police, Brigadier Abdul-Khalilq Talaat, expressed support for WARFIN Orgnization’s Chairwomen, Linja Abdullah, telling IraqiNews.com: “There is more than one million weapons in the hands of citizens in Kurdistan, despite fact that the law prevents carrying weapons in public places, but not to keep them inside houses.” “The Police can’t take measures against those who keep weapons in their houses, because it can’t search all houses without judical orders,” Brigadier Talaat said, adding that “licenses are given to officials and merchants, who are afraid of revenge cases, or those who live in remote areas that the police can’t reach easily, in case they face any threats.” KNM (A) / SKH 612