Support people’s struggle in Iran for freedom and equality!
The People’s upsurge in Iran and the political crisis that started after the presidential election fraud is continuing. The people’s movement is gaining momentum and increasing number of people are raising their voices of protests. But the Islamic regime continues to intensify its extreme brutality in higher and higher scales. The angry reaction of the people did not develop overnight but it is a response to 30 years of oppression, deprivation and repression by a religious regime against women and different sections of oppressed people.
The people’s struggle in the course of the last 7 months have increasingly been challenging the existence of the whole system by shouting ‘death to Khamenei’ (the leader of Islamic regime) and ‘down with the Islamic Republic’.
The people’s movement particularly gained momentum after the start of the scholar year 23 September. The students in the universities all over the country have made the universities an important battle field and have refused to back down despite all sorts of the brutality by the regime’s forces.
Since then the people and in particular the students on 4th November and 7th December two days marked with the Students’ day have challenged the authorities and the their system in courageous struggles.
In recent days and specifically on 26th December the ‘Ashura’ a religious day for Shias, the people poured into the streets and confronted the Islamic regime. In previous years the Islamic regime has been using this day to impose and strengthen its ideological and political authority, and propagate their backward and even superstitious ideas. This year the people did not allow that and with their daring struggle turned that day into a day of struggle against the Islamic regime. In that day a much wider sections of people took part in the struggle against the regime. Contrary to the advice of some leaders of the ‘Green Movement’ and some so called experts inside and outside the country that continue to call on the people to remain idle in order to be suppressed and brutalised, people took the initiative and fought back courageously as the regime forces attacked the empty handed people with shot guns and electric bottoms.
There is no doubt that this act angered the Islamic regime as well as the so called leaders of the ‘Green Movement’ and those who are waiting to trade the people’s movement for a place of their own band in the whole system of oppression. They expect the people to remain inactive as the forces of reaction brutally attack, shot, imprison, torture, rape and suppress the people.
As the people’s struggle intensifies the regime’s brutality and desperation has escalated to its highest point. Many saw the films taken by the mobiles on ‘Ashura’ that at least in two case the vans and cars of the security forces deliberately run over the protestors. There are undeniable evidences of the harshest tortures and rape of young women as well as young men arrested in the last seven months struggle. The Islamic regime in disgrace has resorted to desperate brutality and that seems to be its only ability at this time.
There is no doubt that the strong presence of women and in particular the young women in the fro front of these struggles have angered the regime. Women were the first section of the masses to be targeted when the Islamic regime came to power. The compulsory wearing of the Hijab (the Islamic veil) and other forms of discrimination against women have been one of the daily tasks of the regime’s thugs over the last 30 years. Nonetheless, over the last 30 years, women have never stopped their struggle and the hatred of women for this system has accumulated. It is no surprises that we see such a large proportion of protestors are furious women. Many women protestors in the latest struggles bravely threw away their veils indicating the strength that the women’s movement is gaining.
The Iranian people’s struggle at the present time is at one of its most crucial and decisive moments and need to be supported by the masses in all over the world. So they can go even further in their struggle and put an end to a reactionary and monstrous regime.
We call on all freedom loving people, all those disgusted by the discrimination against women, all those outraged by these brutalities give their support and solidarity to the people’s struggle for freedom and equality and join the struggle to free the political prisoners in Iran.
8 March Women’s Organization (Iran – Afghanistan)
08/01/2010
www.8mars.com zan_dem_iran@hotmail.com