Hello,
we are very proud to let you know that we are organizing an event in
New York City in Solidarity with the Great Walk Against Anti Women Laws
in Iran's Islamic Republic. Below is a letter we are sending out
about
the event. Also there are other solidarity events in Los Angeles and
Atlanta so far that we know of. We stand firmly with you in this and
will let you know as things progress here.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We
are writing to invite you and your organization to stand in unity
and
solidarity with the Great Walk Against Anti Women Laws in Iran's
Islamic Republic in Europe on International Women's Day 2006. Here in
New York City we will be rallying and marching in Jackson Heights,
Queens on Wednesday, March 8, in support of the Great Walk in Europe.
We
invite you to show your solidarity with this event by endorsing
(response requested below), helping to organize for the march and
rally, writing a statement of solidarity, donate and
fundraise,
inviting others to participate, etc. If you are holding another event
for International Women's Day please read the statement there and
distribute copies of it at your event.
The call for
the Great Walk in Europe starts off with:
If you are
against death by stoning!
If you are
against forced veiling!
If you are
against the prosecution and imprisonment of women!
If you are
against lashing a woman's body!
If you are
against any form of patriarchy!
If you are
against the medieval laws of Iran's Islamic Republic of Iran imposing
inequality on women!
Join the
[European] great walk against anti-women laws in Iran's Islamic
Republic on 8 March 2006!" (European
Great Walk: www.karzar-zanan.com, www.8mars.com)
And another
statement by them titled "On the
occasion of 8th March 2006" goes on to
say:
"For
over 27 years, the regime has turned life in Iran into hell-on-earth
for women. Daily, thousands of women have been publicly lashed, for the
crime of 'inadequate veil'. Hundreds of women have been stoned to death
for adultery. Any talk of women's right to divorce weakens Sharia
(Islamic
Law). But women have always been resisting these laws and have now
become a serious force of opposition.
"Today the
Bush regime and their
European
allies, on the one hand, and the Islamic Republic, on the other, try to
convince everyone that we have to choose between neo-liberal slavery
and Islamic fundamentalism. But we know that these two are not mutually
exclusive and we have seen them cohabit. We boldly declare that we do
not need 'saviours'
like
the invaders of Afghanistan and Iraq. We know that another world is
possible and that we cannot get there with the help of the oppressors.
"The women of
Iran are standing up and challenging one of the most oppressive and
anti-women regimes of our times.
"Join
us, stand with us, so that the world can see that we are not alone in
our struggle against the anti-women laws of a medieval regime."---
[http://www.8mars.com/english/rdata.php?rdat=080306.htm]
A
future of Islamic Fundamentalism vs. the Bush regime's 'McCrusades' is
a brutal disaster for the world's women and people, and we cannot
and will not accept it. Support
those risking their lives to oppose barbaric Islamic fundamentalist
laws and practices against women -be part of bringing forward movements
of
women
and people the world over to reject both deadly and crushing ruling
orders, instead fighting for relations of equality between women and
men, and against domination and plunder of the world's nations and
countries by a handful of imperialist powers.
And
to those who still wonder whether George Bush and his regime can
deliver some kind of liberation to the women and people of the Middle
East or any corner of the globe - as one of the Great Walk statements
says: "The American
government
has declared that it seeks to liberate the women of the Middle East
from the yoke of Islamic fundamentalism. This is a ridiculous claim
that makes a mockery of real liberation and is an insult to the women
of the Middle East. The march of events in Afghanistan and Iraq should
have helped those who were taken in by these self-styled liberators of
Middle Eastern women to realize how badly they were fooled. If anyone
still believes that George Bush and his ilk are liberators of women,
please talk to American women fighting to prevent him from taking away
their right to abortion as well as against the efforts of the Christian
fascists to dominate every aspect of the lives of women in the U.S.
What George Bush is taking away from
the
women in the USA he will not deliver to women in Iran, Iraq,
Afghanistan or any other country."
Sincerely,
Ad-hoc
Committee in Solidarity with the International Women's Day Great Walk
in Europe.
Wednesday,
March 8th, 2006, QUEENS, NEW YORK
International
Women’s Day
March: 5:00
PM
Starts at
83rd and Roosevelt Ave. (7 train to
82st St.)
Rally: 6:30
PM
73th Street and
Broadway (7, E, F,
R, G trains to 74th St/ Roosevelt)
PLEASE
RESPOND BY RETURNING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
I/WE
ENDORSE THIS CALL FOR SUPPORT FOR THE GREAT WALK IN EUROPE.
NAME OF
INDIVIDUAL
ENDORSER:
NAME OF
ORGANIZATION THAT IS ENDORSING:
IF YOU WANT
YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATION LISTED FOR INFORMATION ONLY:
I OR MY
ORGANIZATION AM INTERESTED IN SPEAKING AND/OR DOING MEDIA:
OTHER WAYS
I/WE WILL PARTICIPATE: