Open Letter to women in the diplomatic/trade delegation of Sweden who travelled to the Islamic republic of Iran.

 

Legitimizing the misogynist Islamic government is shameful!

 

We, signatories to this letter, wish to pronounce our serious objection to the veiled appearance of you, the women in the Swedish delegation, who visited Iran on 11th and 12th of February. Needless to say, such visits per se, due to the intense suppression of political and civil freedoms in Iran, and the destructive role they play in contributing to the survival of the Islamic dictatorship in Iran, are objectionable for us and many others.

 

Many have condemned your consent to wearing hijab as shameful. It is shameful because, despite the claims of the Swedish government in guarding the equality of women and men, by wearing hijab you sacrificed this basic principle to trade deals with Iran. You probably noticed that, having the hijab on, you had to walk behind men, hold your head down, and not raise your voice in the course of the discussions, because the Islamic hijab is a reminder of the second class status of women, and you accepted all this.

 

What you accepted to do is shameful because, considering that hijab is the symbol and banner of terrorist and misogynist Islamist movements, governments and groups, by submitting to it you obviously and offensively were placed next to these governments and these misogynist and anti-human Islamist movement and governments.

 

Your defense of this shameful action—that compulsory veil is the law of the land in Iran and you were compelled to follow the law—is worse than the act itself! Would your delegation also agree to the law of stoning women to death for having engaged in extra-marital relationships? Would your delegation give the nod to the Islamic government of Iran in the execution of children or homosexuals? Are you oblivious to the fact that for over three decades, despite the daily suppression, the risk of having acid thrown into their faces, despite arrests, humiliations, fines, or the risk of losing their jobs, millions of Iranian women courageously defy the compulsory veil and many other inhuman laws and regulations? How is it that the brave Iranian women can breach these laws but you, who do not have to face these consequences, voluntarily accepted this humiliation? Your action is practical corroboration with the Islamic government in further suppressing the protests of the Iranian women against the government of sexual apartheid.

 

Our other question: if you consider following the inhuman laws of a country mandatory, would you have been prepared to go along with the law of an anti Jewish country in disallowing a hypothetical Jewish member of your delegation? Would you have accepted the laws of the South African apartheid regime to put the hypothetical black members of your delegation on a separate bench away from the whites? Would not, in that case, the people of South Africa and the rest of humanity who side with them have condemned your action?

 

The issue, as we see it is quite clear. The Islamic regime in many ways is similar to the apartheid regime of South Africa. The difference is that apartheid this regime is based on sex rather than the color of skin. Half of Iranian society, i.e. the women, is deprived of their basic human rights on the basis of a misogynous ideology. Compulsory veil is the symbol of this disenfranchisement and a sign of the inferior position of women in Iran.

 

By evading the compulsory hijab you could have joined the minority of women diplomats who have so far objected to this restraint. You could have opened your ears to the constant protest cry of us women against this compulsion. Listen to this cry of us against the use of hijab by women politicians and stand by this protest action. By protesting to the hijab, rather than standing by the side of the criminals and bestowing legitimacy on those who have so far stayed in power through killing, crime, and genocide, not only in Iran, but engaging in murder and mayhem in the entire region, you could have sent a message to the sruggling women of Iran.

Not only did you not do so, but you answered these legitimate protests by associating the protesters to your action with anti foreigners (according to Ann Lindy, European Union minister for Trade and Affairs—Aftonbladet) and by the offensive comparison between the compulsory hijab with hats by the finance minister (who later apologized)and some other ministers.

 

On behalf of the millions of women and millions of freedom loving people who, under the threat of the Islamic Republic, acid throwing, humiliation and suppression, put out daily resistance against the compulsory veil, we strongly denounce your consent to compulsory veil during your two day trip to Iran.

 

Your action will be a stain, stigmatizing you and the Swedish government for all time to come. If you are not prepared to support these women and condemn the misogynous and anti-human laws of the Islamic government, the least you can do is to refrain from standing on their way.

 

  1. –Farideh Arman(Iran)chairperson for the Federation of Women’s Rights/Sweden
  2. –Parvin Kaboli(Iran)The White Carnation, women’s rights activist/Sweden
  3. –Shiva Mahboubi(Iran)spokesperson for the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners; women’s rights activist
  4. –Mina Ahadi(Iran) chairperson for the International Committee Against Stoning and chair for the Institution of ExMuslims/Germany.
  5. –Kimia Pazouki (Iran) women’s rights activist Sweden
  6. –Fereshteh Moradi(Iran)women’s rights activist/Holland
  7. –Sima Bahari(Iran) women’s rights activist/Sweden
  8. –Maryam Afrasyabpour(Iran)International Campaign for Women’s Rights/Sweden
  9. –Sussan Saberi(Iran)chairperson for the women’s section of the Nationwide Federation of Iranian Refugees/Sweden
  10. –ShirinShams(Iran) chairperson for Feminine Revolution
  11. –Afsaneh Vahdat(Iran)Children’s rights activist/Sweden
  12. –Mahin Alipour(Iran)women’s rights activist/Sweden
  13. –Sara Nakhaei(Iran)chairperson for the Federation of Iranian Refugees/Sweden
  14. –Andisheh Alishahj(Iran)refugee rights activist/Sweden
  15. –Sadri Amirhosseini(Iran)women’s rights activist/Norway
  16. –Tahmineh Sadeghi(Iran)women’s rights activist/Canada
  17. Marya Rashidi (Iran) women’s rights activist/Sweden
  18. -Gabi Hosieni (Iran) women’s rights activist/Hambastegi Sweden
  19. -Jenny Antunes Wenhammar, leader of FEMEN sweden
  20. Mino Mirani (Iran) women’s rights activist/Sweden
  21. -Azizeh Lotfallahi(Iran) women’s rights activist-Finland
  22. -Jamile Miraki (Iran) women’s rights activist-Germany
  23. -Malakeh Izzati Women’s rights activist – Norway
  24. -Farideh Rezaei – Iranani Women’s struggle for freedom
  25. -Fakhri javaheri_Women’s rights activist/ Canada
  26. Soraia Fattahi Iranian Women’s struggle for freedom
  27. Nazanin Brumand -(Iran) women’s rights activist- Germany
  28. Shahla Khabazzade–(Iran) women’s rights activist- Germany
  29. Nasrin Almasi —(Iran) women’s rights activist.Canada
  30. Nazla Azadi(Iran) women’s rights activist/Sweden
  31. Awat farokhi(Iran) women’s rights activist/Sweden
  32. leili shabani-(Iran) women’s rights activist- Shaho Mohamadian
  33. Aram bayat – canada
  34. Wiveca Haas- Sweden
  35. Elahe Ghahreman
  36. Jilla Miraki
  37. Reza Alinia
  38. Sarvar kardar
  39. Mahrokh firouzeh
  40. Khalil Keyvan
  41. Sattar norizad
  42. Mahsa Momtahani
  43. Maryam Kamali
  44. Shahrzad Arshadi
  45. Mojdeh Amdjadi
  46. Sara sarv
  47. David Aram
  48. Nina Karimi
  49. leila Arghavani-Norway
  50. Kiyumarz Kabuli-Germany
  51. Hebiet Nodinian-Sweden
  52. Alea Ahmad Faraj-Iraq
  53. Lawja Jawad Mohammadi ( Iraq)—Danmark
  54. Sheida Arghavani(Iran) women’s rights activist-Norway
  55. Avat Sadeghi(Iran) women’s rights activist-Sweden
  56. Nahdi Vafay(Iran) women’s rights activist-Norway
  57. RadioPayam Canada
  58. Rahim Yazdanparast political aktivist-
  59. Firouzeh Gaffari –(Iran) women’s rights activist.
  60. Raana Ahamd ( Saudi Arbian )women’s rights activist- Germany
  61. Worod Zahier ( Iraq)women’s rights activist- Germany
  62. Mitra Mirza zadeh human rights activist- Canada
  63. Ahmad Pourmandi political aktivist-Germany
  64. Ali Shirazi
  65. Homa arjmand women’s rights activist. Canada
  66. Omar Marofi –Norway
  67. Mahvash Golparian-Norway
  68. Nazanin Sabzandish From the Netherlands
  69. Osman Rahmani political aktivist-Norway
  70. Bian Abdolah (Iraq) women’s rights activist-Germany
  71. Nahid Roshan –Norway
  72. Abas Khorsandi political activist- Germany
  73. Mohammad Ramani –Germany
  74. Tahereh Sadegi Sweden
  75. Faranak Karimi –Iran
  76. Anahid Khaiam – Iran
  77. Sedighe Mohamadi
  78. Chamin Darabi
  79. Behzad Azad – Iran
  80. Nur Mohammad – iran
  81. Gasem yosefi tameh – Iran
  82. Khaled Naseri – Germany
  83. Farangis Moradi – Germany
  84. Fereshte Nezam abadi – Sweden
  85. Mahsa Falzadeh_sweden
  86. Bakak Eydipor-sweden
  87. Azar Puya – Sweden
  88. Ali Gaderi- Sweden
  89. siyamack sohrabmanesh-Italy
  90. Mehdi Nazemi
  91. Naser Nobahar
  92. Hasan Hasanzadeh
  93. Shahab mehdi pour
  94. Oldoz hashemi
  95. Parvin Azad
  96. Saed Kalhor
  97. Iman Azad
  98. Soheila Shahbaz zadeh
  99. Karo endan Azadi
  100. Jazdan sardashti nia
  101. Mohsen Ebrahimi – Canada
  102. Babak Jazdi – Canada
  103. Sahra Bahar
  104. Saber Rahimi
  105. Jamal Mohamadi
  106. Ezat Darabi
  107. Soheila Rohani
  108. Mahin Kaboli
  109. Mehrnosh Lotfi
  110. Farshad Abolhasani
  111. Porya Ethad pasand
  112. Ferasat Salehi
  113. Valerie Price, Director – ACT! For Canada
  114. Raham Rafiee, Equal Rights Activist,r LGBTI Activist
  115. Andrew Wallis -UK
  116. Mosa talash
  117. Solmaz Vakilpour feminist women’s rights activist-Germany

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