admin4411/upload/files/Our Vote is: “The overthrow of the anti- Woman Regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran!”

 Once again the presidential election campaign in Iran has been set up to deceive the people. The entire reactionary gang of the regime and its supporters and those appeasing the Islamic Republic are doing their best to draw the people to the ballot box by their fake promises in order to buy legitimacy for the regime. No matter who is going to be the president, he will be the driver of the same system which has brought nothing but SLAVERY AND INFERIORITY to the women.

 Thirty years of the oppression of women by the Islamic Republic brought about thirty years of resistance and widespread struggles. Women in fact have already announced their vote: the complete overthrow of the anti- woman system of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In the past thirty years the women have struggled against backward ideas, views, traditions and relations. They have taken an advanced role in many struggles. They have rebelled against anti-women Islamic laws in the streets, factories, farms, schools and universities. They never surrendered under the torture in prisons or under brutal and harsh whiplashes in the streets. The brutal practice of stoning to death and widespread executions did not waver their determination in their struggle against the reactionaries of the Islamic republic. The patrols of Hezbollah thugs in the streets to control and enforce the code of practice of covering women (Hijab) could not hinder the rebellious spirit of the girls and young women against that reactionary law.

The reactionary rulers and their worshipers just like in previous elections are trying hard to spread the idea of “choosing between the bad and worse”. In the 1997 election, by deception they managed to draw many people to the ballot boxes of the hated regime. Mohammad Khatami became the president and he was the one who suppressed the students’ movement at the first opportunity. The people being misled and deceived paid a heavy price. From all the strata, women suffered the most and they paid the highest price. Women in such systems have always been treated as inferior and will remain so. The execution of the young woman Delara Darabi has shown this truth once more. It is the task of radical and conscious forces in the women’s movement to continuously expose the anti-women nature of the Islamic Regime to show that this is one of the pillars of its existence. Such an out look is woven into every single cell of the different factions of this regime. We should remind all women: The yellow dog is the brother of the wolf!

In the past thirty years we have experienced and witnessed the very truth that basic rights of women can not come out of the ballot boxes of Islamic Republic. Functioning of the anti-women regime of Islamic Republic can not be transformed by changing its guardians. But still some of those who claim that they uphold freedom and equality for women are helping to fan these elections. Groups such as “Campaign for one million signature”, “Hamgaraii (convergence) of women movement” and so on have put forward their demands to the presidential candidates! They have made demands such as joining the “Convention for the elimination of discrimination against women” and the reform of four laws amongst hundreds of anti- women law. But it must be emphasized that such demands are merely a cover for their participation in the election, the participation that will endorse the reactionary Islamic regime of Iran and buying them legitimacy! With all these they are in fact building the bridge of compromise between themselves and the regime.

The Islamic Republic is the main source of oppression of women: the compulsory Hijab and the penal laws belonging to slavery era are just a few examples. Joining the “Convention…” can not change the essence of this regime but will only add an extra layer of paint over its anti-woman character. Haven’t many countries – Islamic or secular- signed this convention? They have done so because they needed to cover their anti-woman character. That’s why the sixth Parliament of the Islamic Regime voted to join this convention.

 Today there are two poles facing each other in the political landscape of Iran. On one side there is an anti-woman Islamic Republic regime along with various reactionaries and their supporters and appeasing groups and on the opposite side there are millions of women, the majority of people, students, youth and intellectuals. Women’s participation in the regime’s internal dispute or taking part in the deception of their election will waste the energy of women in the service of the prolongation of the existence of the Islamic Republic rather than fighting against it.

 Boycott the election; hasten the overthrown of the anti –women regime.

 Use various initiatives to turn the polling stations to battle front against the rotten Islamic regime.

8 March Women’s Organization (Iran – Afghanistan)

13 May 2009

 Zan_dem_iran@hotmail.com  /  www.8mars.com