Open letter to the heads of international organizations and human rights organizations and parliamentarians
We are approaching the eve of November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This day was declared by the United Nations General Assembly on October 17, 1999 as a day against violence across the world. This date was designated after the assassination of three of Mirabal's four political activist sisters from Dominican Republic. They were staunchly opposed to the Trojillo dictatorship that murdered them on November 25, 1981. Since then, this day has been celebrated around the world and women are renewed by each other to abolish violence. This year, as we observe this day, we honor and witness a female led revolution against all forms of violence known in law, psychology, sociology and economics in Iran. Iranian women have risen to end the structural and governmental violence that can be rightly named the sexual apartheid that has been committed against them for 43 years. Only the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan have such Vince against women. We, the women of the Iranian Diaspora, are appalled by this violence against women, their humiliation and the many forms of discrimination against their flesh and bone. Although we have been spared of this treatment in exile from the country, we still feel the pain of millions of our sisters who experience this violence daily
Well known political activists of the Iranian Diaspora are also in great danger. The terrorist regime of Iran has several assassins abroad who have successfully taken lives and have made additional assassination attempts to quiet opposition outside of Iran.
As the world has witnessed in the streets of Iran over the past two months, women are fighting for their basic human rights through this movement. (Women, Life, Freedom).
Today women are not only leading the emancipation of Iran, they are also the most integral aspect of the front line in the fight against religious tyranny in Iran. With the torture and resulting murder of Mahsa Jina Amini by the ethics police in Iran, outrage has ensued, all tolerance for the Islamic Regime’s brutality has been lost and public outcry has spread rapidly and globally.
For more than 43 years, the Islamic regime's criminal system has systematically persecuted, tortured and humiliated women. For this reason, the uprising has also been called the "new generation of rebellion" against conservatism as well as the "first feminist revolution" in the country.
Now, the people of Iran who have been suffering from repression, crimes and corruption of the political system, unemployment, poverty, astronomical rising prices, spreading addiction, have hit the streets to fight against armed governmental police in the streets barehanded. They are killed every day. During the second week of protests, in just one single day, nearly one hundred people were killed by bullets from the ground and air in Zahedan, Baluchistan. Countless others were wounded and the killings continue.
Support for Iranian communities in various counties of Iran and support for protesters have attracted the public attention and opinion of many countries around the world to fight the deaths and support the lives of people, especially young people and even children in Iran. This is a compelling reason for the popularity of the current protests against the ruling regime. It is crucial that external governments and organizations not hesitate to help the Iranian people now and not in the wake of additional crimes and death.
In summary, we have the following requests from you (heads of international organizations and human rights organizations and parliamentarians) to support the struggle of Iranian women to end gender-based violence and other forms of violence and discrimination in the Islamic Republic while amplifying the widespread protests across Iran.
Strictly condemn and callout the Islamic Republic for the most brutal physical and psychological torture, as well as the sexual violence against those arrested, especially those who are taken to safe houses instead of imprisonment, and to protest against the atrocities used in this state-owned machine.
Remove the Islamic Republic embassy and its ambassadors from your country as they have been the center of terrorism globally.
Demand UNICEF to perform their duty to protect Iranian children. The UN Child Protection arm has a responsibility to keep the young students alive and safe. These youth are being attacked, kidnapped, and murdered daily by regime forces on the streets and within educational institutions. Recently, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) entered a girls' school in Ardebil, to discipline students for refusing to attend their pro-regime rally and chanting democratic opposition slogans. One of the girls, Esra Panahi, was beaten so brutally she was critically injured and lost her life due to internal bleeding. There are three dozen confirmed accounts of children who have been murdered by IRGC as a result of these peaceful protests so far.
The existence of the Islamic Republic’s authoritative totalitarian state threatens the entire globalized world. Now more than ever the world’s democratic governments and organizations must defend global peace and stand in full solidarity against these crimes against humanity to protect and ensure safe space for continued social, scientific and technological advances.
We, the women of The Women's Commission of the National Assembly, advocate for a democratic, peaceful and secular government in Iran. A revolutionized Iran must join the 21st century’s global civilized states by honoring the fundamental freedoms of its people to build a country where democracy stands and is protected.. We hope that we can count on you to act and uphold your values in the pursuit of human rights and freedom for Iran and all countries. Join us
Women's Commission of the National Assembly Decision,
November 2022
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