Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Mary Richards reportingWomen from Iraqi's first radio station, just for women, will be in Salt Lake City today. The station helps women survive in a country of flux. Now it needs help to stay on the air.
Radio al-mahaba is Baghdad's voice of Iraqi women. Al-mahaba means love. This idea of having a radio station especially for women was something new, not only in Iraq but in the whole region, in the Arab region.
Al-mahaba spokeswoman Bushra Jamil spoke to KSL Newsradio from Jordan on her way to Salt Lake City.
Bushra Jamil : "Domestic violence for example was one issue that Iraq women wanted to talk about, wanted to some women wanted to find a way out...education, equal opportunities, health issues, children, you name it."
Jamil says their radio transmitter was bombed. They're renting one but need a new one to cover the whole area. That's what made Salt Lake City Resident Ako Swabb want to help.
Ako Swabb: "I felt that, that these women and some men are really risking their lives every day...not only in the physical battle ground but also ideologial battle ground."
Jamil will stay with Swabb while in Utah raising funds and awareness about radio al-mahaba.
Bushra Jamil : "I think this is women's issue but beyond a women's issue it's a human rights issue I think.
Swabb answers a phone call from Debbie Bowers, co-founder of radio al-mahaba. Jamil says the station is a voice for women but it's also been welcomed by many Iraqi men.
Bushra Jamil : "We're talking about freedom, we're talking about democracy, we're talking about human rights, we're talking about chances and talking about bright future that's awaiting for all women. "
