100 Cities – August 28, 2010: Tel Aviv Stands for Human Rights Throughout the Middle East – and against Stoning in Iran

Reblogged from the Content Factory

28 באוג 2010

28.8-international day against stoning in Tel Aviv

Organising the event was not easy  for me. The day before I was arrested during protest in Palestinian village of  Nabi-Salikh. I also faced a lot of commentary and questioning from friends/activists who thought this event might be used to provoke a military strike/raid on Iran.

To all those people I may reply: What isn’t right – isn’t right. Not in Palestine, Not in Iran, not by Israel. And at times of un-comfort/un-rest, liberal minds should be standing together, to protect human rights whenever they are endangered by anti-democratic legislation, by brutal punishments, or any kind of oppression/repression by those who are in power against the weaker.

The event began with symbolic action of writing letters to Sakineh Moukhamadi Ashtiani.

Two Iranian-American women were the first to attend the event; one of them wrote a letter in farsi to Sakineh Moukhamadi Ashtiani and spoke about her love to her country. Later on, I read mission’s free iran statement condemning the stoning , translated to hebrew.

I also read a letter from Iranian student & activist who asked to not having his name mentioned:

“when we kill somebody who lives,
we kill the world as much as he/she could breath,
and give the world the sense of being alive.. “

Meir Javedanfar, an Iran analyst, Isra-Irani journalist and writer made a speach about the role of women in protests, and the role of stoning in opression of women, condemning the execution verdicts of Zeinab Jalalian, kurdish activist-who was charged with Moharebeh and Sakineh Moukhamadi Ashtiany, charged with adultery.

He also added that even if Iran changes its current government, Iranian people are peace loving people by nature and will not come to terms with Israel’s breaching Palestinian human rights.

The event continued with screening of persian music clips of Shajarian, and a song requested by the Irani woman of a musician that was executed for creating it. Sadly, I can’t remember the artisit’s  artists’ name. We ended the event by screening the movie “Soraya M“, a film based on a true story, adapted from the book of Freidoune Sahebjam. The movie wasn’t “easy” to watch, presenting the brutality of stoning in its most graphic details.

At the ending, we were left with a feeling of true love for Iran, a land of rich culture and tradition and for its people, and a wish for peace in the region and end to the killing.

The event was also covered by Dudi Cohen of Ynet, which was the first major media outlet to cover Sakineh’s story.

Meir Javedanfar speech on 100 Cities against Stoning Protest/event, Tel Aviv Israel, August 28, 2010

The reading of the statement against execution in Tel Aviv, Israel by the organizer, Maayan Eshed/@Talkoholic