To
all women who suffer from inequality
To
all activists and organisations of the
Iranian women’s Movement
In the last 26 years, Islamic legislation has deprived Iranian
women of
the most basic human rights. Forced veil has reduced women to second
class
citizens. Honour killing is legal and
women are
condemned to hanging and death by stoning for ‘unchaste behaviour’.
Forced
segregation has lead to women’s
isolation, reducing their role in society. The youth are deprived of
free association . Homosexuals are pursued
as criminals. Polygamy
and temporary marriages (Sigheh) are not
only legal
but they are promoted by the state.
Legislation
regarding
marriage and divorce, has deprived women of a free choice in finding a
spouse,
the right to have children, the right to become guardian of their own
children,
the right to choose employment, the right to work or not to work, the
right to
travel.
For
26 years, the Iranian theocratic
state has secured the imposition of all these anti women laws with
street
vigilantes, courts, prisons, hanging and stoning to death.
It
is 26 years that deprivation from
basic rights has made women’s lives hell. Addiction, prostitution,
suicide,
self-immolation are increasing at a frightening rate amongst women.
For
the last 26 years,
our struggle against inequality has taken many forms. In the
streets, in the first demonstrations against forced veil, in prisons
and under
horrific torture, when young prisoners were raped so that they would
not
‘ascend to heaven’. Iranian women have fought daily against
security
forces who attack them for ‘insufficient
veil’, in the
corridors of divorce and custody courts, against sexual discrimination
in
schools and universities… We have fought in so many ways to prove our
existence, against these anti-women legislations and the prevailing
patriarchal
culture.
In
recent struggles, we have made sure
the world remembers Zahra Kazemi, we have
delayed the
death by stoning of Hajiyeh and we have
managed to
obtain the release of Afsaneh Norouzi
form prison. However as long as the unequal, anti women legislations
remain,
women will not escape slavery. As long as these laws exist, women like Atefeh will be executed, others will be stoned
to death
like Shahgol.
These
enslaving laws
are the pillars of the religious state in
When these medieval laws were passed, when
they forced the veil on our heads and when they executed political
opponents,
Western governments watched in quiet satisfaction. Now that our
struggles have
forced the regime to retreat, now that we have made the world hear our
voices,
they falsely claim support for us. The experience of women throughout
the
world, especially in
Let
us join forces and
create a powerful united campaign to eradicate these unequal laws and
Islamic punishments
against women as soon as possible. Let us make our voice in opposition
to these
laws heard throughout the world. Let us create such a storm that no one
would
ever dare impose such retrograde laws on us.
Campaign for
Abolition of all Misogynic Gender Based legislation & Islamic
Punitive Laws
in Iran
8
March Women Organization
(Iranian-Afghanistan), International Association of Advanced Women,
Women’s
Committee of the Iranian Association in
Simin
Azad, Narges Azad ,Bita Asghari, Maryam
Afrasiabpoor, Fatemih
Eghdami, Parisa
Amjadi ,Ashraf sadat Omidmehr, Mahzad Omidmehr, Mahraz Omidmehr, Sina Ansari, Shole
Irani, Zivar Bamiri, Parvane Bokah, Nahid Bahmani,
Nahid Bagheri,
Iran Parvaresh, Maryam
Pooya, Esti Pierot, iSusan
Poyan, Asti Pirooti, Laleh Hosseinpoor, Mitra Hoghoughi, Parvane Hamidi, Nasrin Hagh go, Zohre Khaje, Manige Khaje, Firouzeh
Rad, Sadafe Rad, Hale Rasi, Mahshid Rasti,
Niousha Ramesani
, Ghazal Ramezani
, Mahnaz Raha
, Saba Rahi, Mehri
Zand,
Soraya Zangbari,
Mina Zarin ,Mino
Sotoodeh,
Parvaneh Soltani,
Azizeh Shahmoradi,
Gissoo Shakeri,
Masi Sherafati
, Elahe Shokraee,
Azita Shafazand,
Bano Saberi,Ferasat
Salehi, Mino Samadi, Shoko Tavafchiyan,
Shoko Atefi, Setare
Abassi, Rokni eshghe
elahi,Maryam Azimi,
Homa Alizadeh,
Zahra Erfani, Homa
Ghafoori,
Negar fekri, Akhgar Farzaneh, Homa Fallah, Firouze
Fouladi, Hayde
Fouladi, Leila Gharaee,
Shahmira Gharaee,
Amene Kaka baveh,
Zahra Kameli, Ziba
Karbasi,
Vida Hoshyar, Sedighe
Mohamadi, Nahid
mohamadi, Homa
Moradi, Zaman Masoodi,
Azar Mossavat,
Shahzad Mojab,
Parvane Mansor
Niya,Nasime Mahdavi,
Yassamin Mezar,
Mahnaz Moghadam, Jamile Nedai, Nahid Naeemi, Maryam Nouri, Hamila
Neesgili, Sara Nikoo,
Zoei Neyrizi
Shams yasdani, Atousa
Vali Sichani,
Karol Hill - Jakje Wright - Sandra Gibbs - Kitty Uyleman- Rohna Shrestha -
Annie - Conklin- Magaly Mennanteaox- Susan George- Ema
Naughton - ca Jameson- Catriona Cllis- Erika Favory -Shona Lillie- Kristen Lillie- from Bosnia -Senia
Cavsevic from Japan- Anri
Ishimaru - from Japan- Saori Ishimaru -
Dorothy Kidd --Elaire Young- Caroline Macgregor - Anna Hoyles
Maria Nikita- Tina Oisheav M A Gurst-Alison- Gilbert
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O Stversen- Rebecca ockerHouzan Mohmoud- Clare BielbyLaura Schwart
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Reussl -
Maria Schmeidt Petra- Riet Hoogendijk - Dilara smit -