Date: d. 09:06:10, 11:30
From: Firoozeh Bazrafkan
Topics: UN, women's rights, severe punishment, discrimination against women
The Islamic Republic of Iran has been selected to sit on the UN commission on women's rights.
Now you may ask, how can the UN allow Iran to sit in a leading role in relation to women's rights when the Iranian regime is known for its many serious offenses in this particular area?!
When Iran's accession to the panel comes only a week after a senior Iranian clergyman (Ayatollah Kazem Sedighi) accused women of easy virtue of being responsible for earthquakes.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is threatening women who do not dress modestly with severe penalties. Be it fines, a visit to the police station or x number of lashes.
But it does not stop there. Women are often asked to take off their clothes. "You are after all just a whore" they say. But if women go to the courts they will be either stoned or hanged for telling the truth about the rapes their jailors have committed.
Why will the UN not acknowledge that more than 300 women's rights activists have been arrested or prosecuted in one way or another for their peaceful efforts for legislative change? The arrests have taken place since the 27th August 2006. Subsequently a campaign for one million signatures (
http://www.sign4change.info/english/) was initiated, calling for equality before the law for both men and women in Iran. The campaign's website has been blocked on many occasions by the Iranian authorities who apparently take the threat seriously.
The women´s rights activist in Iran are increasingly exposed to repression, and several thousand have been arrested, interrogated and sentenced the last several years.
In addition, newspapers, magazines and electronic media, that defend women's rights are closed. This happened for example, the 28th January 2008 for the best-known journal in defense of women's rights, Zanan that had existed for over 17 years.
Also the general human rights situation in Iran has been constantly deteriorating since 2005 and the number of executions almost doubled in 2007. It has made Iran the country in the world with the most executions per capita, only overtaken by Saudi Arabia. Moreover these two countries together with Yemen are the only three countries in the world who carry out executions for crimes committed by adolescents under 18 years. UN is not the United Nations. But the United Regimes who love death, violence and destruction .. and yes, all forms of discrimination against women.
When oh when will we get out of that organization and form our own United Democratic Nations.
Topic: Can UN unite Iran and women's rights?