How goes the revolution in Iran?
The world witnessed, through cellphone videos, twitter communications, internet live streaming, emails and smuggled videos the beginnings of the revolution of the people of Iran. No longer content to passively submit to an oppressive religious government, they took to the streets by the thousands to protest not only what they deemed a stolen, fraudulent election, but the past 30 years of an Islamic regime.
With the maturing of the internet and the availability of mass media communication, the people of Iran glimpsed the possibilities of freedom through exposure to the West, has seen that equality between people and gender is a human right, not to be dictated by religious law, and now that they have seen what it can be like on the outside of their country, they are demanding their right to choose it for themselves. In an act similar to "closing the barn door after the horse escapes" the Iranian government cut internet access, cell phones, television and radio, except for those state run media. With no more information escaping from inside Iran, those of us in outside countries around the world hope that the Iranian people know that they are not alone in their struggle against oppression and their fight to re-take their country. Their list of demands have all the making of a new political identity, a political identity of freedoms and equaity not seen or experienced within their country's border for years.While there are likely differences between exactly what the Iranian people will choose for themselves and what other free societies in the West have come to call their government, what is very clear is the list of demands included in the statement of purpose, at least the last 5 items are quite familiar to many Western governments and seem to be nothing less than acknowledgment that Western Civilization must be doing something right. The United States of America can take heart in the confirmation of two, now undeniable, truths: 1. that in truth we recognize those listed demands as relate to freedom to be essential to freedom and liberty; and 2. note that in a country that has lived under the oppressive Islamic regime and sharia law for decades has succeeded only in alienating and oppressing it's own people all this time.
Other countries now dealing with the religious, social, political and military upheavals associated with Islam and the bloodlust for dominance it generates, should take note. For even if you are successful, there will come a time when your people will rise up and fight to take back their country and their freedom.
Below is an email from Maryam Namazie explaining the establishing of an International organization for Iran Solidarity.
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Iran Solidarity is to be officially launched on Monday July 13, 2009 from
12:30-1:30pm at the House of Lords in London. The organisation will be
established to organise solidarity for the people of Iran and stand with
them in opposition to the Islamic regime of Iran.
To RSVP for the launch, please contact Maryam Namazie, Tel: +44 (0)
7719166731, iransolidaritynow@gmail.com.
Iran Solidarity's declaration and initial list of signatories follows:
Iran Solidarity
In June 2009 millions of people came out on to the streets of Iran for
freedom and an end to the Islamic regime. Whilst the June 12 election was a
pretext for the protests - elections have never been free or fair in Iran -
it has opened the space for people to come to the fore with their own
slogans.
The world has been encouraged by the protestors' bravery and humane demands
and horrified by the all-out repression they have faced. It has seen a
different image of Iran - one of a population that refuses to kneel even
after 30 years of living under Islamic rule.
The dawn that this movement heralds for us across the world is a promising
one - one that aims to bring Iran into the 21st century and break the back
of the political Islamic movement internationally.
This is a movement that must be supported.
Declaration
We, the undersigned, join Iran Solidarity to declare our unequivocal solidarity with the people of Iran. We hear their call for freedom and stand with them in opposition to the Islamic regime of Iran. We demand:
1. The immediate release of all those imprisoned during the recent protests and all political prisoners
2. The arrest and public prosecution of those responsible for the current killings and atrocities and for those committed during the last 30 years
3. Proper medical attention to those wounded during the protests and ill-treated and tortured in prison. Information on the status of the dead, wounded and arrested to their families. The wounded and arrested must have access to their family members. Family members must be allowed to bury their loved ones where they choose.
4. A ban on torture
5. The abolition of the death penalty and stoning
6. Unconditional freedom of expression, thought, organisation, demonstration, and strike
7. Unconditional freedom of the press and media and an end to restrictions on communications, including the internet, telephone, mobiles and satellite television programmes
8. An end to compulsory veiling and gender apartheid
9. The abolition of discriminatory laws against women and the establishment of complete equality between men and women
10. The complete separation of religion from the state, judiciary, education and religious freedom and atheism as a private matter.
Moreover, we call on all governments and international institutions to isolate the Islamic Republic of Iran and break all diplomatic ties with it.
We are opposed to military intervention and economic sanctions because of
their adverse affects on people's lives.
The people of Iran have spoken; we stand with them.
To join Iran Solidarity, click here: http://www.iransolidarity.org.uk.
Initial list of signatories:
Boaz Adhengo, Humanist and Ethical Union of Kenya, Kenya
Nazanin Afshin-Jam, Coordinator, Stop Child Executions Campaign, Canada
Mina Ahadi, Campaigner, Germany
Sargul Ahmad, Activist, Women's Liberation in Iraq, Canada
Susan Ahmadi, Mitra Daneshi, and Furugh Arghavan, Iran Civil Rights Committee, Canada
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Writer and Columnist, UK
Mahin Alipour, Coordinator, Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women's Discrimination in Iran, Sweden
Farideh Arman, Coordinator, International Campaign in Defence of Women's Rights in Iran, Sweden
Abdullah Asadi, Executive Director, International Federation of Iranian Refugees, Sweden
Zari Asli, Friends of Women in the Middle East Society, Canada
Ophelia Benson, Editor, Butterflies and Wheels, USA
Julie Bindel, Journalist and Activist, UK
Russell Blackford, Writer and Philosopher, Australia
Nazanin Borumand, Never Forget Hatun Campaign against Honour Killings, Germany
Caroline Brancher, UFAL, France
George Broadhead, Secretary of Pink Triangle Trust, UK
Children First Now, Sweden
Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners, UK
Communist Youth Organisation, Sweden
Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, Germany, and Scandinavia
Count Me In - Iranian Action Network, UK
Shahla Daneshfar, Director, Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners, UK
Richard Dawkins, Scientist, UK
Patty Debonitas, Third Camp against US Militarism and Islamic Terrorism, UK
Deeyah, Singer and Composer, USA
Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women's Discrimination in Iran, Sweden
Tarek Fatah, Author, Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State, Canada
AC Grayling, Writer and Philosopher, UK
Maria Hagberg, Chair, Network against Honour-Related Violence, Sweden
Johann Hari, Journalist, UK
Farzana Hassan, Writer, Canada
Marieme Helie Lucas, founder Secularism Is A Women's Issue, France
Farshad Hoseini, International Campaign against Executions, Netherlands
Humanist and Ethical Union of Kenya, Kenya
Khayal Ibrahim, Coordinator, Organization of Women's Liberation in Iraq, Canada
Leo Igwe, Director, Nigerian Humanist Movement, Nigeria
International Campaign for the Defence of Women's Rights in Iran, Sweden
Iran Civil Rights Committee, Canada
International Committee against Executions, Netherlands
International Committee to Protect Freethinkers, Canada
International Committee against Stoning, Germany
International Federation of Iranian Refugees, Sweden
International Labour Solidarity, UK
Iranian Secular Society, UK
Ehsan Jami, Politician, the Netherlands
Asqar Karimi, Executive Committee Member, Worker-communist Party of Iran, UK
Hope Knutsson, President, Sidmennt - the Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association, Iceland
Hartmut Krauss, Editor, Hintergrund, Germany
Sanine Kurz, Journalist, Germany
Ghulam Mustafa Lakho, Advocate, High Court of Sindh, Pakistan
Derek Lennard, UK Coordinator of International Day against Homophobia, UK
Nasir Loyand, Left Radical of Afghanistan, Afghanistan
Kenan Malik, writer, lecturer and broadcaster, UK
Johnny Maudlin, writer of Neda (You Will Not Defeat The People), Canada
Stefan Mauerhofer, Co-President, Freethinker Association of Switzerland, Switzerland
Anthony McIntyre, Writer, Ireland
Navid Minay, General Secretary, Communist Youth Organisation, Sweden
Reza Moradi, Producer, Fitna Remade, UK
Douglas Murray, Director, Centre for Social Cohesion, UK
Maryam Namazie, Campaigner, UK
Taslima Nasrin, Writer, Physician and Activist
National Secular Society, UK
Never Forget Hatun Campaign against Honour Killings, Germany
Nigerian Humanist Movement, Nigeria
Samir Noory, Writer, Canada
Yulia Ostrovskaya and Svetlana Nugaeva, Rule of Law Institute, Russia
One Law for All Campaign against Sharia Law in Britain, UK
Peyvand - Solidarity Committee for Freedom Movement in Iran, Germany
Pink Triangle Trust, UK
Fariborz Pooya, Founder, Iranian Secular Society, UK
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, Afghanistan
Flemming Rose, Journalist and Editor, Denmark
Rule of Law Institute, Russia
Fahimeh Sadeghi, Coordinator, International Federation of Iranian Refugees-Vancouver, Canada
Arash Mishka Sahami, TV Factual Producer, UK
Terry Sanderson, President, National Secular Society, UK
Michael Schmidt-Salomon, Philosopher, Author and Ralph Giordano Foundation Spokesperson, Germany
Gabi Schmidt, Teacher, Germany
Karim Shahmohammadi, Director, Children First Now, Sweden
Sohaila Sharifi, Editor, Unveiled, London, UK
Udo Schuklenk, Philosophy professor, Queen's University, Canada
Issam Shukri, Head, Defense of Secularism and Civil Rights in Iraq; Central Committee Secretary, Left Worker-communist Party of Iraq, Iraq
Bahram Soroush, Public Relations, International Labour Solidarity, UK
Peter Tatchell, Human Rights Campaigner, UK
Dick Taverne, Baron, House of Lords, UK
Hamid Taqvaee, Central Committee Secretary, Worker-communist Party of Iran, UK
Third Camp, UK
Karin Vogelpohl, Pedagogue, Germany
Babak Yazdi, Head of Khavaran, Canada
Marvin F. Zayed, President, International Committee to Protect Freethinkers, Canada
For more information contact:
BM Box 2387, London WC1N 3XX
Tel: +44 (0) 7719166731
Email: iransolidaritynow@gmail.com
Iran Solidarity's website will be launched on July 13, 2009.
