Activists Protest Social Media Removal Names of Female Nominees

hamas_elections_gaza — Local elections meant to be held in Palestine in October have been suspended. (Photo: via MEMO)

Farid Tamallah, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Central Elections Commission said the Commission has published the names of nominees for the elections, which exclude names of female candidates, an action which he says was does not reflect the views held by the Commission.

He stated that the omission of names of females nominees is personal and does not represent the Elections Commission. His statement came after some electoral lists did not publish names of female nominees, resulting in his defense that the Commission “has nothing to do with it”.

In some cases, the names of female nominees were replaced by those of their husbands.

Female social media activists took to Facebook and Twitter to protest the move, using the Arabic hashtag #أسماؤنا_ليست_عورة that is translated into #Ournamesarenotshame.

One activist tweeted:

أجمل نساء الدنيا .. أمي "رندة" ❤#أسماؤنا_ليست_عورة

— Areej Al Ashhab (@areejashhab) August 30, 2016

The most beautiful person on earth is my mother, Randa.

Another activist posted:

إسمي يارا ووالدتي جولييت وجدتي سعاد واﻷخرى فتحية أما شقيقاتي أﻻء .اية.اسراء.اسلام.هيا.روزان#أسماؤنا_ليست_عورة

— Yara S.abu Shanab (@Yara_abu_shanab) August 29, 2016

My name is Yara and my mother’s name is Juliet. My grandmothers’ names are Suad and Fathyia. My sisters are Alaa, Ayaa, Israa, Islam, Haya, and Razan.

Remaa Mahmoud said, “We have names to be called by and we are not nameless.”