“We Do Not Tolerate the UN’s Promotion of Constitutional Misogyny and Violence against Women.” Mission Free Iran’s Closing Statement at the December 11 Protest at the United Nations on Human Rights Day

It has been said that “the promotion and protection of human rights has been a major preoccupation for the United Nations since 1945, when the Organization’s founding nations resolved that the horrors of the Second World War should never be allowed to recur.”

They have designated December 10 to honour their “tireless” efforts to do just that – protect human rights! Their efforts should eliminate wars, famine, should protect justice and equality all across the world. These are very humane, very noble goals. Humanity has spent millions of dollars to achieve these goals, and such noble goals certainly deserve at least a day of honour. And those so tirelessly endeavouring on the humanity’s behalf to further those goals most certainly deserve more than a day to be honoured for their sacrifices for a better world for us and for our children. After all, the world we are living in is a result of their efforts!  They deserve all the credit for this world!

But what an irony!  Sixty-five years after they announced existence of that “major preoccupation” with human rights, the world that they have created and do their best to preserve for us, and the future they promise to our children is anything but that which deserves the name “humane”!

Sixty-five years and yet we gather here today to demand a stop to STONING of women – and men – who dared to love! Can anyone in their sane mind believe such horrendous irony? Sixty-five years and we gather here to put an stop to mass execution of Afghan refugees by a barbaric regime, a member of this “distinguished” organization, yet not one single voice from this organization, so preoccupied with human rights, was raised to ask: “For what crime?  What were their names? Who defended them? In which court?”  Sixty-five years and we are still here to put a stop to execution, this state-sponsored homicide, this state-sponsored terror against entire societies!

 Sixty-five years of tireless UN “preoccupation” with human rights, and we gather here to question how and why those member states that have mass executions, genocide, misogyny, rape and amputation of body members as their declared policies and constitutional measures to manage the suppression of their population are nevertheless the same member states that occupy global-level policymaking positions?

 Isn’t it an irony that we, here and today, pose to those who claim to advocate for and represent our “rights” this simple and logical question: “How is it that those who flog the rape victims for the “crime” of being raped, those for whom gender apartheid is their official motto, those who advocate violence against women are at the same time distinguished board members of “preoccupied” women’s rights organizations?”

It has been 65 years that the world’s citizens have tolerated this ridiculous circus of ignorance and murdering silence, but we have gathered here today in the name of humanity, in the name of the women of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Congo and any other political entity where women are subject to discriminatory laws and policies, in the name of the half of the world’s population to say enough is enough.

We are not asking, we are demanding change. We do not tolerate the UN’s intended ignorance, politically motivated silence, direct and indirect promotion of constitutional misogyny and violence against women. We do not tolerate legitimization of misogyny by the UN’s legitimation of misogynist regimes like the Islamic Republic of Iran.

We, in the name of Iranian, Saudi, Congolese and women of the world demand.

We demand:

1- Stoning is a crime against humanity and above all a punishment with the general goal of subduing women as primary victim for the non- crime of “adultery.” We demand a resolution criminalizing stoning, as well as beheading and amputation as “punishments” everywhere and by any government or non-governmental entity. Perpetrators should be considered criminals against humanity and prosecuted and punished for these crimes in an international court.

2- Beheading, flogging, amputation of body parts, and any other sorts of physical “punishments” are to be considered barbaric crimes and prohibited immediately.

3-The Islamic Republic of Iran, a regime which is constitutionally as well as institutionally anti-woman should be immediately removed from the UN Commission on the Status of Woman; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is a gender apartheidist state that lashes women who have been the victim of rape should be removed from the Board of UN Women; and Congo, where government soldiers were primary perpetrators in the rapes of 15,000 women last year alone, must be removed from its seat on both of these organizations, which are solely established to promote the rights of women and absolute gender equality.

4- The United Nations should move to abolish the death penalty everywhere. Governments should not be allowed to commit murder under the cover of “justice” and law.

These are our demands, we will see them through. We have the civilized world behind us. Our campaign to save Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani from being stoned to death serves as our credentials. We demand an immediate response by the UN.