CAMPAIGN SAMPLE LETTERS AND CONTACT ADDRESSES BELOW
The Islamic Republic is a gender-apartheidist regime that uses stoning, rape, and execution to enforce its policies. This barbaric approach to gender policy development and implementation should have no seat at the table where global gender policy is set. The only seat on the world stage that the Islamic Republic should occupy is one in front of an international court of justice.
On July 9, 2010, Mohammad-Javad Larijani, chief of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, issued a statement saying that the sentence of stoning against Ms. Ashtiani for the alleged and non-criminal act of adultery still stands. Larijani defended the legitimacy of the practice, saying, “Stoning to death exists in our constitution and our judiciary cannot change its course just because of pressure and campaigns by the West.” While calling Ms. Ashtiani a “criminal,” he again insisted that the sentence of stoning was rare, suggesting that in this case the sentence was exceptionally deserving.
By this statement, the Islamic Republic defends its barbaric and misogynist practice of stoning, which is primarily implemented against women. It also proves itself a liar about the extent of its illegal pratice of stoning: There are currently 12 women and 3 men known to be on death row under sentence of stoning; it is believed that there are up to 50 people awaiting a stoning execution – hardly a rare sentence.
According to sources, this was the last picture Elnaz Babazadeh uploaded as her Facebook profile picture. Photo courtesy of Persian2English
During the same week, the Islamic Republic’s paramilitary apparatus, the basiji, extended their recent crackdown on women’s appearance to the ultimate degree. In Tabriz, the same city where Sakineh Ashtiani is imprisoned, basij forces stopped a 26-year-old female motorist because she was not following the Islamic regime’s dress code (hijab). The woman, Elnaz Babazadeh, resisted the basijis orders to conform to the dress code. Three of these agents of the government responded by jumping into her car, threatening her with a gun, and then raping her. She was then executed and her body was dumped near a cemetery. This unspeakable tragedy is compounded by the fact that it is not an unusual occurrence in the Islamic Republic.
The stoning of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and the extrajudicial rape and execution of Elnaz Babazadeh are representative of the Islamic Republic’s approach to social and gender policy in Iran. Stoning prior to execution and rape prior to execution are gendered tools that are intended to send a terrorizing message specifically to women, who have always been the first target of the Islamic Republic regime.
The use of stoning and rape to enforce a gendered-apartheidist policy is barbaric and has no place whatsoever in a modern world; as both rape and stoning are forms of torture, they are also illegal under international law. The Islamic Republic’s disproportionate levying of the stoning sentence against women, and regular use of rape in prisons and on the street, underscores the political and gendered nature of these human rights atrocities, and the regime’s defense of the practice of stoning on Constitutional grounds places it in direct opposition to numerous UN agreements and jus cogens elements of international law, including the Convention Against Torture and the UN Declaration of Universal Human Rights.
Such a regime has no place at the table when it comes to setting global gender policy in the 21st century. By defending the practice of stoning, the Islamic Republic has itself publicly and on the global stage provided the basis upon which the world must insist that it be immediately removed from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
It is time for governments around the world to stand up and speak out on an matter that they once silently condoned: the Islamic Republic must be immediately removed from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
This is our demand.
We reiterate this demand in the name of all victims of stoning, rape and execution, judicial or extrajudicial, in the Islamic Republic, and all those awaiting stoning and execution in the prisons of the Islamic Republic, including Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, Zeinab Jalalian, Azar Bagheri, Ashraf Kalhori, and Shammameh Ghorbani.
Maria Rohaly
Mission Free Iran
July 11, 2010
TAKE ACTION: SAMPLE LETTERS AND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES (FOREIGN MINISTRIES) AND MEDIA
Please find a short sample letter below, and the email addresses for government (foreign ministries), human rights and UN organizations, as well as media contacts:
Sample letter:
Dear Sir/Madam,
The stoning of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and the extrajudicial rape and execution of Elnaz Babazadeh are representative of the Islamic Republic’s approach to social and gender policy in Iran. The use of stoning and rape to enforce a gendered-apartheidist policy is barbaric and has no place whatsoever in a modern world; as both rape and stoning are forms of torture, they are also illegal under international law.
The Islamic Republic’s disproportionate levying of the stoning sentence against women, and regular use of rape in prisons and on the street, underscores the political and gendered nature of these human rights atrocities, and the regime’s defense of the practice of stoning on Constitutional grounds places it in direct opposition to numerous UN agreements and jus cogens elements of international law, including the Convention Against Torture and the UN Declaration of Universal Human Rights.
Such a regime has no place at the table when it comes to setting global gender policy in the 21st century. I demand that the Islamic Republic be immediately removed from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
| Extended gov’t & int’l org contacts npillay@ohchr.org, michael.spindelegger@bmeia.gv.at, kab.bz@diplobel.fed.be, info@mvp.gov.ba, iprd@mfa.government.bg, ministar@mvpei.hr, minforeign1@mfa.gov.cy, podatelna@mzv.cz, udenrigsministeren@um.dk, vminfo@vm.ee, umi@formin.fi, bernard.kouchner@diplomatie.gouv.fr, inform@mfa.gov.ge, guido.westerwelle@auswaertiges-amt.de, gpapandreou@parliament.gr, titkarsag.konz@kum.hu, external@utn.stjr.is, minister@dfa.ie, gabinetto@cert.esteri.it, segreteria.frattini@esteri.it, mfa.cha@mfa.gov.lv, urm@urm.lt, tonio.borg@gov.mt, secdep@mfa.md, m.verhagen@minbuza.nl, post@mfa.no, DNZPC.Sekretariat@msz.gov.pl, ministro@mne.gov.pt senec@mne.gov.pt pm@pm.gov.pt miguel.moratinos@maec.es, registrator@foreign.ministry.se, info@eda.admin.ch urgent-action@ohchr.org, Iran_team@amnesty.org |
Extended media contacts nightline@abcnews.com, 2020@abc.com, evening@cbsnews.com, earlyshow@cbs.com, 60m@cbsnews.com, 48hours@cbsnews.com, ftn@cbsnews.com, info@cnbc.com, dateline@nbcuni.com, hardball@msnbc.com, joe@msnbc.com, nightly@nbc.com, today@nbc.com, newshour@pbs.org, ombudsman@npr.org, city@thestar.ca, readers.rep@latimes.com, letters@latimes.com, letters@nytimes.com, Bruce.Wallace@latimes.com, Mark.McGonigle@latimes.com, news-tips@nytimes.com, foreign@nytimes.com, nytnews@nytimes.com, editor@usatoday.com, wsj.ltrs@wsj.com, letters@washpost.com, ombudsman@washpost.com, letters@newsweek.com, letters@time.com, letters@usnews.com, info@ap.org, tips@upi.com, red@berlingske.dk, redaktion@faz.de, redactie@volkskrant.nl, ole.erik.almlid@aftenposten.no, bjorn.hedensjo@dn.se, redaktion@tages-anzeiger.ch, foreign.news@thetimes.co.uk, robert.tait@guardian.co.uk, simon.jeffery@guardian.co.uk, redazione.tg5@mediaset.it, redazione.studioapertorm@mediaset.it, skytg24.redazione@skytv.it, segreteria_roma@repubblica.it, roma@lastampa.it, esteri@liberazione.it, segreteria@unita.it, lorenzocairoli@hotmail.com, redazione@ilmanifesto.it, nadiapizzuti@gmail.com, nadia.pizzuti@ansa.it |
برای ایران آزاد mission free iran 
Free Women in Iran …..Matir of Islam republice islamic iran DICTATOR
Posted by Antonio | July 12, 2010, 5:04 ammahmoud nickpi
to-ochaei1965@hotmail.de
Posted by mahmoud nickpi | July 12, 2010, 2:24 pmI send a lott off protestletters…..i will pray and hope, all these bad things are gone!
Freedom, freedom, human rights…
What kind off world is this?
Posted by Heleen | July 12, 2010, 4:05 pmI sent to the Finnish governement. Hope it helps…!!!!!!
Posted by Riikka Komonen | July 29, 2010, 5:27 amThank you Riikka! :D
Posted by missionfreeiran | July 29, 2010, 7:42 pmThe above position is well stated. No civilized society can
or will tolerate such barbaric practices. I is time more
statesmen ( such as UK PM did) step up and state this. They
nations that allow this must be quarantined just like a rabid dog.
Posted by John | February 17, 2011, 2:28 pmSehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
Die Steinigung von Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani sowie die gewaltsame Entführung und Hinrichtung von Elnaz Babazadeh stehen beispielhaft für die Sozial- und Geschlechterpolitik in der Islamischen Republik Iran.
Entführungen und Steinigungen, um eine geschlechterspezifische Apartheids-Politik zu erzwingen, sind barbarische Methoden, die in der modernen Welt keinen Platz und keine Akzeptanz finden dürfen. Beides sind Formen der Folterung, die auch das internationale Recht verbietet.
Die Islamische Republik verurteilt Frauen überproportional oft zu grausamen Steinigungen; die regelmäßige Anwendung von Gewalt in den Gefängnissen und auf der Strasse unterstreichen noch den politischen und geschlechter-orientierten Charakter dieser menschenrechtsverachtenden Gräuel. Mit seiner Rechtfertigung dieser Praxis der Steinigungen, stellt sich das Regime unmittelbar in Opposition zu zahlreichen UN-Abkommen und dem Ius cogens (dem zwingenden Recht) des Internationalen Rechts. So widersetzt sich die Islamische Republik unter anderem dem Abkommen gegen Folter und der UN-Menschenrechtserklärung.
Solch ein Regime darf nicht akzeptiert werden und kein Gehör finden, wenn es darum geht, die globale Geschlechterpolitik im 21. Jahrhundert zu gestalten. Ich fordere deshalb, dass die Islamische Republik Iran unverzüglich von der UN-Kommission zur Stellung der Frau ausgeschlossen wird.
Mit freundlichen Grüssen
Posted by Dr.Sohela Jandi | July 12, 2010, 6:35 pmSTOP IT, STOP. It is just barbarism and outrageous.
The whole world CAN’T TOLERATE it. Equal RIGHTS in Iran.
The regime of Iran needs and MUST abandon the power and leave the nation at peace, right now.
Posted by Max | July 12, 2010, 7:11 pmThe Islamic Republic must stop oppressing its women and subjecting them to harsher rules and inhumane punishments. The men who make such decisions clearly have no respect or humanity for their own people, and thus, deserve zero respect from the world.
Posted by Trina Thongsinthusak | July 12, 2010, 9:42 pmI never knew stoning still existed in the world until last week! Horrible horrible. I read a description in one of the news articles and can barely put those thoughts out of my mind. Unbelievably barbaric!!!!! I would have thought that practice was long gone with the dark ages. Thanks for a great sample letter! Do you know of any physical addresses I might mail it to? I wonder sometimes if that might be more effective than email (dunno). Thanks.
Posted by Phyllis | July 12, 2010, 10:49 pmHi Phyllis,
Thanks so much for your concern. Here’s something that you might find useful:
https://missionfreeiran.wordpress.com/2010/05/15/1385/
You can print it, sign it and send it; or just use Ban-Ki Moon’s address, which is across the top of the page.
All the best,
Maria
Posted by missionfreeiran | July 13, 2010, 3:53 amIf a country wages “war” against half its population, it can never truly progress. In Islamic countries too much time and energy is spent keeping women down to allow the development of accessible technology, stable society, or widespread economic improvement. These countries also lose a major proportion of the contributions women provide in other parts of the world. By their misogynistic practices they cripple themselves.
Posted by shelley | July 13, 2010, 2:55 amAll countries with embassies to Iran should recall their ambassadors immediately. The United Nations should vote to remove Iran from this world body. The world is fed up with Iran’s and other such Islamic countries which retain barbaric laws against women.
Posted by rita griffin-short | July 13, 2010, 12:55 pmEso esta bien asqueroso, no me explico como estas cosas pueden estar sucediendo en este siglo xx, estos seres salvajes con su fanatismo religioso ahi que detenerlos.
1) Irak, 2)afganistan, y el proximo sera iran, esta escrito en las profecias.
Posted by pablo pueblo | July 13, 2010, 1:50 pmBoth rape and stoning are forms of torture. Stoning is barbaric. This is self interpretation of Islam not in practice in most of the Muslim countries. This in intentional killing. The nonsense mullas have always been enemy of the women.
Posted by Khaled | July 13, 2010, 3:54 pmI can not describe how sad I feel for these individuals who sit waiting for their executions. I hope that every country that believes in human rights, and freedoms will stand up and express their outrage against such a cruel regime. This has to end, it is the 21st century. What ever it takes to accomplish this, I pray that we are all up for the long haul.
Posted by A.R.Simard | July 30, 2010, 9:52 amDeath to this regime. It is absolutely barbaric and out of this world……
Posted by Hratchik colenbrander | August 15, 2010, 10:56 amStoning,whipping and general mistreatment of women is all typical for the Religious-Political Fascist ideology called Islam. It is time for all free thinking people to take a stand against Fascism in all its disguises;Islam, Stalinism,Nazism and their likes.
Posted by Terje Bye Fjeldheim | August 22, 2010, 2:54 amDown to IRI
Donw to Republic of Ayatolas
Posted by Mac | September 18, 2010, 1:15 pm