Assita Kanko and other well-known women expressed their disgust worldwide: “Hamas rapes no longer hushed up”

MEP Assita Kanko, together with well-known women, uses a video message to call on world leaders to condemn the Hamas rapes of 7 October and prosecute the perpetrators. “The suffering of Jewish women in the villages surrounding the Gaza Strip touched me deeply. We must not keep this silent out of fear or political correctness, but must shout out our anger and sorrow. We must honour these women by telling their stories and demanding that this never happens again anywhere in the world.”

In the video message, in addition to MEP Assita Kanko, we also see Ariana Huffington (Huffington Post), Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory), Sheila Katz (National Council of Jewish Women) and Ginnifer Goodwin (Mona Lisa Smile) calling on us to fight together against rape and sexual violence. They abhor the fact that sexual violence keeps reoccurring in conflict situations. The video calls for bridging differences and no longer tolerating or keeping quiet about sexual violence, even when there is plenty of evidence.

Silent feminists

“Too many self-proclaimed women’s rights advocates remained silent for a long time before condemning the Hamas rapes of 7 October. The large-scale rape, humiliation and maiming of Israeli women by Hamas terrorists went unmentioned for weeks by many, up to and including the UN chief (António Guterres). While Hamas proudly sent videos into the world showing wounded women being brought into Gaza as trophies, many Western feminists were unable to utter a word of condemnation.” Kanko calls that absurd and she claims that these feminists are unworthy of that title.

Deep disgust

Shortly after the Hamas attack, the terrorists’ brutality became clear. Executions, beheadings and mutilations of young and old were all captured on camera and recounted by witnesses. The extent to which the terrorists targeted women also soon became clear. “The image of Shani Louk’s body on the lorry, while horrible Hamas men spit on her, shout ‘Allahu’ and parade around with her, is terrible. For me, this image is worth more than a thousand investigations and says it all. Shani Louk was young and wanted to enjoy life. Instead, her life ended in the hands of Hamas,” says Kanko. “As a woman, mother and politician, I felt a deep disgust when I heard the silence of so many powerful people after the crimes of 7 October.”