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June 28, 2011
June 28, 2011
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Stop the Violence against Women in the Near East

"It is shocking to see the current examples of structural violence against women from our neighbors in the South and the Near East," stated Ursula Plassnik, Special Rapporteur for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Women's Concerns."The murder of women's rights activist Haleh Sahabi, virginity tests for demonstrators arrested in Egypt, and Qadaffi's suspected use of special forces sanctioned to use rape as a weapon must be a wake-up call for the international community to continue pushing for women's rights and human rights in the region," demands Plassnik. "The UN, the EU, and the Arab League must urgently speak out on this matter. The disregard for the most fundamental human and women's rights should not stain the 'Arab Spring'."
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June 1, 2011
June 1, 2011
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Mourning the Death of Ezatollah Sahabi and His Daughter

Women's rights campaigner Haleh Sahabi, died of a heart attack this morning after a scuffle with plainclothes forces during the funeral for her father. Sahabi had been released on furlough in order to attend the funeral. She had been imprisoned since 2009.May 31, 2011 marked the death at 81 of Ezatollah Sahabi, a scholar, democracy activist, and former parliamentarian. Sahabi spent time in prison for his ideas both under the Shah and under the Islamic Regime. He was leader of the opposition party, the Nationalist-Religious Coalition (www.mellimazhabi.org/). The party had its roots in the political ideals of Prime Minister Mossadeq who was ousted by a coup in 1953.
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May 30, 2011
May 30, 2011
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Nassrin Sotoudeh's Birthday

It’s a good time to leave a birthday wish for the incarcerated human rights lawyer Nassrin Sotoudeh. Check out the Facebook Page and the letter she […]
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May 30, 2011
May 30, 2011
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A ‘Halal’ Internet

The Wall Street Journal and other sources are reporting on the government of Iran's plans to create its own internet. The regime already controls the speed of its internet, keeping it artificially low. Since 2005, they have also been planning to create a closed internet, a la China and other repressive governments, with content controlled by various ministries and with separate e-commerce access.Current head of economic affairs in Iran, Ali Aghamohammadi says:“We can describe it as a genuinely ‘halal’ network aimed at Muslims on a ethical and moral level.”Read the full post.
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May 30, 2011
May 30, 2011
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Amnesty at 50

From BBC World Service, we hear the story of Maria Gillespie, whose torture and imprisonment in Uruguay were ended after an Amnesty letter-writing campaign resulted in tens of thousands of letters sent to the prison.
"I don't think that if I say 'thank you' it will be enough," Mrs Gillespie says of the Amnesty activists around the world who campaigned on her behalf."I think that I do owe them my life."Amnesty was founded 12 years before she was jailed.
Read more here or download the mp3 here.
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May 28, 2011
May 28, 2011
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Iranian Women’s Conference to be Held in the Netherlands

by Halleh GhorashiFor years, the Iranian women’s movement has been the subject of my research. During the 1979 revolution, Iranian women flocked to the streets to make their voices heard. It wasn’t too long after the success of the demonstrations that women were asked to go back to the house and play the role of the “good wife.” In spite of this, women in Iran used every possibility to make their demands heard and to create a place for themselves in society. In the 1980s, the ubiquitous oppression meant that their efforts were largely invisible. It wasn’t until the mid-90s that the significance of their efforts became clear: the tireless dedication of women had cleared a path for civil society and dissent.
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May 28, 2011
May 28, 2011
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Interview: Kurds in Syria

Alliance for Kurdish Rights has an interview with a Syrian-Kurd (KurdishFreeMan on Twitter), who discusses participation in the demonstrations and citizenship rights.
Syrian citizenship was taken from “foreign” Kurds in 1962 while they had it back then. Assad’s decree doesn’t “give back” Syrian citizenship to stateless Kurds, it “endows” it to them as if they were really foreigners not from Syria... Kurds are a victim of Sykes-Picot agreement which divided Kurdistan into four parts, we are not intruders. Kurds in Syria aren’t allowed to have schools to teach Kurdish, Kurds don’t have cultural, social or political rights in Syria.
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