The Global Sisterhood Network was created back in 1997, specifically to unify the efforts of feminists from around the world in the struggle to improve women's lives.

More recently, on October 23 2004, we implored British Prime Minister to break ranks with US President George Bush and intervene to save the life of long-time friend of Iraqis, Margaret Hassan.

We also implored Margaret Hassan's abductors to spare her life and return her unharmed to her grieving family. Eight weeks further on, evidence indicated that Margaret Hassan's abductors had carried out their threat to kill her.

Margaret's death in such cruel circumstance indelibly stains Iraq's sands, but neither her murder, nor our tears for her passing, will ever wash away the injustice of this war. The infamy of Margaret's unwarranted and cowardly murder is also the shame of the spineless politically-elected allies of Bush Jnr who failed to lift a finger to rescue Mrs Hassan because it was not in their newly defined "national interest" as they toe the line with the US President in his fake war against terrorism.

History will be the judge of Bush Jnr and his allies conducting a genocidal war against our Muslim sisters and brothers, but in the words of Australian folk singer Judy Small, "they do not speak for me".

GSN has co-opted Judy's "me" to refer to feminist collectives which gather in every corner of the planet to resist today's insane and barbaric injustices, and as a reminder that war-mongering political leaders do not speak for GSN - neither now, in the past, nor in the future!

Dr. Lynette Dumble.
Founder and International co-ordinator of the
Global Sisterhood Network [GSN]