EQUAL RIGHTS NOW
ORGANISATION AGAINST WOMEN'S DISCRIMINATION IN IRAN
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Under Sexual Apartheid, Society is defined as a man’s Society,
Sexual Apartheid has to be a thing of the Past,
Sexual apartheid - the outrage of our century
Women’s Liberation in Iran, the Struggle against Sexual Apartheid,
Against Sexual Apartheid (or Gender Apartheid)
Sexual Apartheid is the outrage of our century. In Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and countries ruled by Islamic laws, millions of women and girls are segregated, degraded and relegated to second class citizenship. Keeping women and girls separate and unequal are important pillars of Islamic rule, affecting every aspect of people’s lives. Just as a mass movement rejected Racial Apartheid in South Africa, so too must it reject segregation based on sex in Iran and everywhere.
8 March 2009 will be the 30th anniversary of the mass demonstrations against veiling and sexual apartheid that took place in Iran after Khomeini proclaimed the day before that women were to be veiled in workplaces. The protests were suppressed and the Islamic regime in Iran went on to impose compulsory veiling for girls and women and segregate the society at large.
The women’s liberation movement in Iran, however, continued to mobilise and grow in strength and numbers. Today, it is a resolute movement against sexual apartheid and discrimination against women and for freedom and equality.
Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran is calling on people everywhere to pay tribute to this movement by recognising 8 March (International Women’s Day) as the International Day against Sexual Apartheid.
We also call on individuals, unions, parties and organisations to condemn sexual apartheid and the political Islamic movement that perpetrates it by continuing to sign on to the below declaration.
Declaration against Sexual Apartheid
We, the undersigned, unequivocally oppose sexual apartheid and the subjugation of millions of women living under Islamic rules and laws.
We condemn regimes and the political Islamic movement that perpetrate sexual apartheid, including in Iran.
We support the legitimate struggle of millions of women and men for freedom, equality and universal rights.
Sexual apartheid, like racial apartheid, has no place in the 21 century.
Signed
- Mina Ahadi, Spokesperson of Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Coordinator of the International Committee against Stoning, Germany
- Mahin Alipour, Coordinator of Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Coordinator of the International Campaign in Defence of Women’s Rights, Sweden
- Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson of Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Producer of TV International English, UK
- Reza Ahmadi, Iran
- Ingwar Ahman, Writer, Humanist Society of Sweden, Sweden
- Ishtiaq Ahmed, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University, Singapore
- Norm R. Allen Jr., Executive Director, African Americans for Humanism,
USA
- Zari Asli, Coordinator, Friends of Women in the Middle East, Canada
- Mehmet Cagatay Aydin, Turkey
- Mina Behrozi, Activist, International Committee Against Stoning, Canada Branch
- Ophelia Benson, Editor, Butterflies and Wheels, USA
- Russell Blackford, Melbourne, Australia
- Shahnaz Bokhari, Chairperson, Progressive Women's Association, Pakistan
- Pamela Bone, Journalist and Author, Australia
- Dalannah Gail Bowen, Canada
- Catherine Carroll, Canada
- Dr ChenziRa, Managing Director of Per Ankh Institute in St. Croix, Virgin Islands
- Violaine Claessens, Bilingual Teacher, Germany
- Graham S Clarke, UK
- Santanu Dasgupta, Uppsala University, Sweden
- Shahla Daneshfar, International Labour Solidarity Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran; Central Council, Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, UK
- Elsie Dean, Canada
- Gundi Dick, Women’s rights activist, Austria
- Anki Elken, MP from Centre Party, Sweden
- Elka Ruth Enola, Social Activist, Canada
- M. Humayoun Fatah, Netherlands
- Jacquie Ferrier, British Columbia Nurses Union, Canada
- Mersedeh Ghaedi, former political prisoner in Iran; Central Council, Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, UK
- Zohreh Gharaei, Canada
- A. C. Grayling, Author and Philosopher, UK
- Maria Hagberg, founder of organisation against honour killings, Sweden
- Judith Henderson, Women of Halton Action Movement, Canada
- Shelley Hermon, Shellfilms, UK
- Farshad Hosseini, Executive Director, International Federation of Iranian Refugees, the Netherlands
- Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi, journalist, Afghasnistan
- Francis Jacquart, France
- Ehsan Jami, Politician, the Netherlands
- Stéphane Julien, France
- Asqar Karimi, Central Council, Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, UK
- Hasan Khan, Pakistan
- Karen Kilbride, BCTF (Teachers) Feminist Caucus, Canada
- Hope Knuttson, President, Sidmennt, the Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association, Iceland
- Hartmut Krauss, editor of 'Hintergrund', Germany
- Nina Lekander, journalist, Sweden
- Annick Le Floc'hmoan, Writer, France
- Terry Liddle, Secretary of the Freethought History Research Group, UK
- Shiva Mahbobi, Central Council, Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, UK
- Mahnaz Masori, Activist, International Committees against Stoning and Execution; Central Council, Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Sweden
- Manoocher Masori, Activist, International Committees against Stoning and Execution; Central Council, Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Sweden
- Bev Meslo, Women’s Right Activist, Canada
- Maya Moj, Ex Political Prisoner in Iran, Canada
- Shahnaz Moratab, Central Council, Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Germany
- Allan Muir, UK
- Fred Muzin, HEU, Canada
- Mzuri Pambeli, Central committee member, All African People's Revolutionary Party and All African Women's Revolutionary Union
- Afsaneh Parandian, Teacher, USA
- David Pollock, President of the European Humanist Federation, UK
- Fariborz Pooya, Director, Iranian Secular Society, UK
- Richard John Purvis, Canada
- Mirella Quattrocchi, Italy
- Halaleh Rafe, Committee in Defence of Women’s Rights in Iraq, Sweden
- Fauzia Refigh, Author of “Skeene”, Canada
- Bill Roney, Teacher, Yonkers Public Schools and Executive Board, Yonkers Federation of Teachers, USA
- Fahimeh Sadeqi, International Federation of Iranian Refugees, Vancouver, Canada
- Terry Sanderson, President, National Secular Society, UK
- Shahla Sarabi, Programmer, Vancouver Co-op Radio, Canada
- Michael Schmidt-Salomon, philosopher; CEO of Giordano Bruno Foundation, Germany
- Udo Schuklenk, Professor of Philosophy and Ontario Research Chair in Bioethics, Canada
- Roula Scoutari, Feminist Net, Greece
- Azadeh Sepehri, UK
- Issam Shukri, Director, Organization to Defend Secularism and Civil Rights in Iraq, Iraq
- Joan Smith, Novelist, Columnist and Human Rights Activist, UK
- Hilla K. Soliman, Vancouver Rape Relief & Women’s Shelter, Canada
- Bahram Soroush, International Labour Solidarity Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran, UK
- Susan Stout, feminist, Canada
- Atefeh Tabesh, Canada
- Peter Tatchell, Human Rights Campaigner, UK
- Peter Urban, International Republican Socialist Network, USA
- Nola Vasquez, Fairfield Iowa, USA
- Lars Vilks, Artist, Sweden
- Karin Vogelpohl, Pedagogue, Germany
- Meg Wallace, Australia
- Women’s Voice, Co-op Radio (Farsi program), Canada
- Marvin F. Zayed, President of the International Committee to Protect Freethinkers, Canada
To sign the declaration against sexual apartheid,click here:
.
To view a list of current signatories click the panel above.