Mission Matters…… Feba Bringing hope to women in Iraq...
Alia and Farah are on a mission. The pair, who present, write and produce for Feba’s FM Iraq station, have a passion for reaching the country’s women and families with hope and help. And thanks to radio they have the means to do it.
‘I cannot reach people in Iraq face-to-face,’ explains Alia, 27. ‘But through radio I can
enter their homes and we can share together. They can be very open over the radio, in a way they couldn’t be face-to-face.
‘It’s more than a job,’ she says. ‘Working at the station, I have a chance to encourage
people and tell them about the Lord. I’m able to share my faith with people in a way that I could not otherwise do.’
Alia’s programme addresses issues common to families in the community, from abuse
and infidelity to finance and parenting. ‘I want to see healthy families here and work through the problems and conflicts they face,’ she says.
Her latest series tackles violence against women at home. Working alongside a local
human rights specialist, the programmes aim to educate women about the laws in place to protect them. ‘There is violence in our families,’ she says. ‘Women are abused. Knowing the law is the first step to defending themselves. We inform them of where they can go for help. I also pray with those who want to receive prayer, and we do see things change through that.’
Speaking about her work, 23 year old Farah, is visibly moved. Her programme
addresses the plight of girls and young people in the country, a subject close to her heart. ‘As a girl growing up in Iraq, I felt small, worthless,’ she says. ‘Many girls feel crushed at home. There is no freedom for them. I feel that women are humiliated in my country.’
‘Using radio, we are trying to address the role of women here,’ she explains. ‘But we
have to start again, right at the roots. These beliefs that oppress us are based on old traditions. You can’t change them overnight. We are starting slowly in the hope we can educate and see change come. The voice of a woman on air is, in itself, empowering.
‘Women are trusting us, and talking openly with us,’ she explains. ‘They have no one
really to talk to. Perhaps that is why radio is so appealing. Both women are passionate about continuing to serve the country they love. ‘I want to
keep on doing this until I see change,’ says Alia. ‘My husband and I, we want to stay in Iraq,’ she explains. ‘This is our country; this is the place for us to serve the Lord. We love our country and we have faith in God that, one day, our community will change because we stayed. We don’t know what the Lord has in store for us, but for now we know we should be right here.’
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