Iranian women’s struggle against violence runs through the struggle against the misogynous, reactionary and anti-humane clerical regime
In the current decisive circumstances, the rise of women to their duty in overthrowing the misogynist clerical regime is a historic necessity
Ms. Sarvnaz Chitsaz, Chairwoman of t the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, while hailing the freedom-seeking women of Iran, said on the anniversary of the’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women’, “The struggle for ending systematic and institutionalized violence against women and the dire remnants of a multi-faceted inequality, and reaching equal rights and fundamental human rights for Iranian women runs through the struggle against the misogynist, reactionary and anti-human regime.”
She called on all women and girls, students, employees, teachers and political and human rights activists and women’s rights activists to pursue a multi-faceted struggle against the mullahs’ religious fascism to bring about freedom and democracy to Iran. She stressed that the 1,000 PMOI heroines in Liberty prison, with over 3 decades of restless struggle against the mullahs’ regime, are the forerunners of resistance for freedom and equality against this regime and the best role models and beacons in this path.
Ms. Chitsaz said: “Based on its medieval nature which sees women in line with crazy, lunatic and secondhand people, the religious fascism, from the day it came to power, began eliminating women from all aspects of the political and social life, legalized gender inequality, including in education (forbidding women from 77 university courses), marriage, divorce, traveling and family rights, the right to child custody…, and by depriving women of professional work facilities, fired them group by group under false excuses, forcing them to stay at home.”
Through reactionary constraints, such as mandatory clothing and repressive plans like the ‘Modesty plan’ and ‘to Enjoin Virtue and Prohibit Vice’ and brutal punishments such as stoning, this regime implemented the worst kind of cultural repression and abuse against women; in an unprecedented manner executed or arrested and atrociously tortured tens of thousands of PMOI women for the ‘crime’ of seeking freedom. Therefore, Iran under clerical rule is truly considered the largest prison for Iranian women.
Chairwomen of the NCRI’s Women Commission said: The Velayat-e faqih establishment, through the vicious and pervasive suppression of women, intended on one hand to repress and neutralize half of the society’s population and on the other hand intensify the atmosphere of fear and terror in the society to prevent widespread social protests.
Yet Iranian women, not side-by-side but ahead of their fellow men, especially in the widespread organized movement, rose up against all of the clerical regime’s mandatory and slavering laws, leaving behind brilliant records of struggle and perseverance in bringing about freedom and equal rights and the foundation of a democratic society. Currently, a high number of PMOI women, from various sectors of the society and different cities across the country, for the sole crime of human rights and political activities and even for having family relations with the PMOI, are enduring the toughest conditions in the mullahs’ henchmen’s captivity.
Ms. Chitsaz said: In circumstances where the clerical regime, on the verge of overthrow, is more than ever sinking in a whirlpool of intensifying crises, and in order to confront the spread of protests is increasing its suppressive and violent measures across the nation, the rise of women to their duty in overthrowing this regime, which is the people and especially Iranian women’s, greatest enemy, is a historic necessity.
Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
November 25, 2012
