To see a report of the successful day marked in over 30 cities click here.
To see media reports of the day, click here.
We, the undersigned, are extremely concerned about the fate of 43 year old Sakine Mohamadi Ashtiani and fear she may be executed in Iran at any time for ‘having an illicit relationship.’
We call on people everywhere to intensify their protests by marking Saturday 24 July as the International Sakine Mohamadi Ashtiani Day. On the Saturday, we ask you to come out on to the streets and in city centres across the globe at 2pm local time bringing photos of Sakine and messages in her defence and against stoning and execution. Other measures that can be taken include highlighting her case wherever possible, signing petitions here, here and here, joining rallies, and keeping pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The mother of two has already received 99 lashes and been sentenced to death by stoning. Sajjad, her 22-year-old son, who raised the alarm of her imminent stoning when there was no further legal recourse via an open letter to the people of the world and said ‘there is no justice’ in Iran has been summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence for his brave efforts to secure his mother’s freedom.
As a result of the public outcry, the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London has issued a press release stating that the regime did not intend to stone her, that stoning in Iran was rare and that there was no truth to the reports. Her lawyer, however, has made it clear that ‘Iranian embassies are not a part of the judiciary system, and it is the judiciary which should cancel this sentence.’ Rather than being rare, a new report has found that over 100 known stonings have already taken place and another 25 known cases await death by stoning in Iran. Since the global protests, families of others held in Tabriz prison have come forward with news of 170 people sentenced to death, including children, youth, and 18 men and women for being gay. Two other women also await death by stoning in the same prison including Azar Bagheri who was 15 when she was arrested and 25 year old Maryam Ghorbanzadeh who is currently pregnant.
On 24 July 2010 at 2pm join us and make the world stand still in its rage against medievalism and barbarity and in its support of humanity. Sakine, her children and the many others awaiting death by stoning and execution deserve nothing less.
Mina Ahadi, International Committee Against Stoning and International Committee Against Executions (Germany)
Maryam Namazie, Iran Solidarity, Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran and One Law for All (UK)
Maria Rohaly, Mission Free Iran (USA)
Shahla Abgari, Human Rights Activist (USA)
Nazanin Afshin-Jam, Stop Child Executions (Canada)
Russell Blackford, University of Newcastle (Australia)
Caroline Brancher, Union des Familles Laïques (France)
Helle Merete Brix, Journalist and Writer (Denmark)
Roy Brown, International Humanist and Ethical Union (Switzerland)
Ed Buckner, President, American Atheists (USA)
Peter Calluy, Belgian Humanist Society (Belgium)
Pierre Cassen, Riposte Laïque (France)
Megan Cornish, Seattle Radical Women (USA)
Parvin Darabi, Dr. Homa Darabi Foundation (USA)
Richard Dawkins, Scientist (UK)
Sanal Edamaruku, Rationalist International (India)
Bill Flanagan, Queen’s University (Canada)
Tahir Aslam Gora, Writer and Journalist (Canada)
AC Grayling, Writer and Philosopher (UK)
Laura Guidetti, Marea Association (Italy)
Maria Hagberg, Network against Honour-Related Violence (Sweden)
Johann Hari, Journalist (UK)
Farzana Hassan, Author (Canada)
Tasneem Khalil, Independent World Report (Sweden)
Hope Knutsson, Sidmennt, the Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association (Iceland)
Leo Igwe, Nigerian Humanist Movement (Nigeria)
Sonia Jabbar, Journalist (India)
Trefor Jenkins, University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa)
Ghulam Mustafa Lakho, High Court Advocate (Pakistan)
Monica Lanfranco, Marea Feminist Review (Italy)
Anne-marie Lizin, Belgian Senate Honorary Speaker (Belgium)
Marieme Helie Lucas, Secularism Is A Women’s Issue (France)
Kinga Lohmann, KARAT Coalition (Poland)
Mohamed Mahmoud, Centre for Critical Studies of Religion (UK)
Irshad Manji, European Foundation for Democracy and New York University (USA)
Caspar Melville, Rationalist Association (UK)
Behnaz Parman, Artist (Germany)
Angela Payne, Anti-Injustice Movement (UK)
Clancy Pegg, Bioethics Journal (UK)
Naomi Phillips, British Humanist Association (UK)
David Pollock, European Humanist Federation (UK)
Venita Popovic, Zenicke Sveske Journal (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Gita Sahgal, Human Rights Campaigner (UK)
Terry Sanderson, National Secular Society (UK)
Nina Sankari, European Feminist Initiative (Poland)
Udo Schuklenk, Queen’s University (Canada)
Aisha Lee Shaheed, Women Living Under Muslim Laws (UK)
Issam Shukri, Defense of Secularism and Civil Rights in Iraq (Canada)
Elizabeth Sidney, Women Worldwide Advancing Freedom and Equality (UK)
Joan Smith, Writer and Activist (UK)
Roy Speckhardt, American Humanist Association (USA)
Annie Sugier, Ligue du Droit International Des Femmes (France)
Richy Thompson, National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies (UK)
Christine Tasin, Résistance Républicaine (France)
Peter Tatchell, Human Rights Campaigner UK)
Giti Thadani, Writer and Filmmaker (India)
Shishir Thadani, South Asian Voice (India)
Gianni Verdoliva, Journalist (Italy)
Notes:
1. The new and comprehensive list of persons stoned to death or awaiting death by stoning in Iran compiled by Farshad Hosseini of the ICAE is available in Persian. It is being translated into English.
2. See a 17 July article in the Times calling for the eviction of the Islamic Republic of Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
3. For more information, please contact:
Mina Ahadi, Germany, ICAE and ICAS Coordinator, minaahadi@aol.com, 0049 1775692413
Ahmad Fatemi, ICAE Public Relations, fatemimark@gmail.com, 0046 0735203817
Maryam Namazie, UK, Iran Solidarity Spokesperson, iransolidaritynow@gmail.com, 0044 7719166731
4. To donate to the important work of the International Committee Against Stoning and International Committee Against Executions, please make your cheque payable to ‘Count Me In – Iran’ and send to BM Box 6754, London WC1N 3XX, UK. You can also pay via Paypal. Please earmark your donation.
5. You can also find the latest news on the following websites:
International Committee Against Executions
International Committee Against Stoning
One Law for All
Iran Solidarity
3 Comments
Lisa
This needs to be an ad campaign video spot if one has not been done yet..this was completely gripping and the message stays with you.
You should try to get in touch with Oscar Nominated Actress/Human Rights Adovocate Shohreh Aghdashloo to both narrate it and star in it.
Thank you Maryam for bringing the truth out to us about stoning.
Sharia Law being practiced is used as the scapegoat to get away with violation of human rights so that those in charge can defend it.
Then they do not have to face responsibility or criminal charges because they are doing “nothing wrong.”
This form of punishment is about control, disempowerment, fear, abusing roles of power, and is inhumane on every level.
Women are targeted time and time again as well as children like they are disposable and do not count equally.
Sharia Law doesn’t work and causes suffering, pain, and is completely unjust.
Most of these cases are not even proven or are proven by false claims, lies, or torture.
This system is disturbing how it operates and what is needed in order to defend one’s self for example when a woman is raped.
The innocent die and the real criminals are the ones handing out the sentences.
By the way everyone must see and read The Stoning of Soraya M..!
Shaun Moorcroft, Warrington, UK
I have just signed the petition against the stoning of my sister Sakine. I added a little bit more to it. It is about time that people around the world did the following: non-muslims: wake up and see what an evil islam truly is; muslims: shake off your shackles and come into the light of freedom. Islam has no place in this world and as long as it is ‘tolerated’ then the ‘religion’ of No tolerance will continue to carry out it’s reign of terror. Yes, I hear people say that not all muslims are terrorists and most ‘moderate’ muslims are nice people; but, they would be ‘nice’ people even if they weren’t muslim. Islam does not make nice people nice. Islam enslaves minds and puts the body in a cell of fear and control. This then is my Petition: “I am appalled at the death sentence of Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani for committing adultery. This is to express my ultimate despise towards the barbaric act of stoning . I demand that her stoning sentence be immediately revoked.
The real crime here is the barbaric and inhuman act of stoning; it must be abolished now!
The real criminal is Islam. It is an unfounded, medieval, outdated system of control. Islam ensures the suffering and misery of thousands of people every day. It has no tolerance and no peace. It breeds violence and pain. Wake up! Islam is the root of the worlds fear and unrest. Islam allows stoning, amputation, beheading. Abolish Islam and you free millions of people from slavery. We are supposed to be living in an enlightened age. Islam has NO place in this world and as long as the ‘religion’ of No peace and No tolerance is tolerated by peaceful people, then sick and disgusting acts likes stoning-to-death will be always with us, because islam cannot and does not change; it is what it is. Ban Islam and the stoning, beheading, amputation and hangings will stop. If there are any activities around Lancashire/Cheshire please let me know; I want to fight against the evil of Islam and the attrocities it levels against humanity. My heart goes out to Sakine and those who love her. Iam sickened to the point of rage by her fate at the hands of islamic butchers – their Karmic debt is great indeed.
Eran Cohen
Why Belgians never take any action in international human rights issues?