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Iran Solidarity launches at House of Lords Support the Iranian people’s freedom struggle London – 14 July 2009 Parliamentarians, human rights campaigners and exiled Iranians joined together to launch Iran Solidarity’s founding statement and sponsors are listed below and here: The House of Lords meeting was hosted by Lord Taverne and chaired by Fariborz Pooya, the exiled Iranian communist and secularist. Speakers included the philosopher, AC Grayling, Maryam Namazie the Iranian feminist and member of the Worker Communist Party of Iran, and human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell. Lord Taverne urged unity between the different Iranian factions to secure the common cause of ending tyranny. The current protests and mass arrests are the beginning of the end of the regime, noted Maryam Namazie. A C Grayling stressed the universal human rights principles that are being violated in Iran. The recent mass protests were symptomatic of a deep seated anger at religious rule and a hunger for political change, according to Fariborz Pooya. Peter Tatchell said that Iran Solidarity rejected the imposition of western solutions on Iran; describing the new organisation as an internationalist solidarity campaign similar to the anti-apartheid movement, with the sole aim of supporting the Iranian people’s efforts to free themselves from dictatorship. Iran Solidarity’s prominent founding sponsors and signatories include: Richard Dawkins, Scientist, AC Grayling, Writer and Philosopher UK, Taslima Nasrin, Writer and Activist Bangladesh, Johann Hari, Commentator and Journalist UK, Leo Igwe, Director, Nigerian Humanist Movement Nigeria, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Writer and Columnist UK, Julie Bindel, Feminist and Journalist UK, Russell Blackford, Writer and Philosopher Australia, Kenan Malik, Writer, broadcaster UK, Terry Sanderson, President, National Secular Society UK, Udo Schuklenk, Professor of Philosophy Canada and Peter Tatchell, Human rights campaigner UK. Excerpts from Peter Tatchell’s speech at the House of Lords on 13 July 2009: “We are here to show our solidarity with the Iranian people and their freedom struggle. We support their heroic protests for political, religious, ethnic, gender, trade union and sexual freedom. “Iran Solidarity is not about dictating solutions to the Iranian people. We reject the imposition of a western perspective or template. The people of Iran must decide their future. “Iran Solidarity has been established to support the Iranian people’s struggle for democracy, human rights and social justice. It is their struggle. “Iran Solidarity is like the anti-apartheid movement. We seek to create an international campaign to support freedom and justice in Iran, based on our support for the principles of universal human rights. “The repression in Iran did not begin in June this year, after the rigged elections. It began decades ago, first under the Shah and then, since 1979, under the ayatollahs. “We remember the courageous women’s rights campaigners who have protested against Iran’s gender apartheid on successive International Women’s Days, and who have been beaten, arrested and jailed. “There is also the persecution of lesbian, gay and bisexual Iranians. Iran has the death penalty for same-sex acts. LGB people are at risk of arrest, imprisonment, flogging, torture and, sometimes, execution. “Iran’s human rights violations include the ethnic victimisation of Iranian Arabs, Kurds, Baluchs, Azeris and other national minorities. Iran treats its Arab citizens even worse than Israel treats its Arab population. They live in the country’s oil-rich region, yet most Arabs live in slums, are jobless and have little education. Their Arab culture is suppressed. “According to Human Rights Watch, in March 2007an Iranian parliament member, Hossein Ali Shahryari, confirmed that 700 people were awaiting execution in Sistan and Baluchistan province, which is only one of Iran’s 30 provinces. Many of those on death row are Baluch political prisoners. This staggering number of death sentences is evidence of the intense, violent repression that is taking place under the leadership of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. “The regime’s terror is wide-ranging. Student activist Meisam Lofti was executed in 2007 on false charges of being a gang member. “Members of minority faiths, like the Baha’is and, sometimes, Sunni Muslims, suffer severe harassment by the Shia Muslim religious regime in Tehran. Last year, Sunni Muslim theologians and students were arrested and a dissident Sunni Muslim religious school was bulldozed. “The regime’s crackdown includes the enforcement of harsh morality laws. In 2004, in the city of Neka, a 16 year old girl, Atefah Rajabi Sahaaleh, who had been raped and sexually abused by men for many years, was convicted of “crimes against chastity.” She was “This strangulation technique, sanctioned by the Iranian regime, is deliberately designed to prolong the suffering of the victim. The hanged person is left dangling and writhing for several minutes before they eventually asphyxiate and die. This is truly barbaric. “Labour activists are also victimised. Mansour Osanloo, leader of Tehran's bus workers syndicate, remains in jail – together with other trade unionists. He was sentenced to five years jail in July 2007 for his defence of worker’s rights. “No tyranny lasts forever. The anti-apartheid movement triumphed in the end, and so will the Freedom struggle of the Iranian people,” said Mr Tatchell. Iran Solidarity’s Founding Statement and Sponsors In June 2009 millions of people came out on to the streets of Iran for freedom and an end to the Islamic regime. Whilst the June 12 election was a pretext for the protests - elections have never been free or fair in Iran - it has opened the space for people to come to the fore with their own slogans. The world has been encouraged by the protestors' bravery and humane demands and horrified by the all-out repression they have faced. It has seen a different image of Iran - one of a population that refuses to kneel even after 30 years of living under Islamic rule. The dawn that this movement heralds for us across the world is a promising one - one that aims to bring Iran into the 21st century and break the back of the political Islamic movement internationally. This is a movement that must be supported. Declaration We, the undersigned, join Iran Solidarity to declare our unequivocal solidarity with the people of Iran. We hear their call for freedom and stand with them in opposition to the Islamic regime of Iran. We demand: 1. The immediate release of all those imprisoned during the recent protests and all political prisoners Moreover, we call on all governments and international institutions to isolate the Islamic Republic of Iran and break all diplomatic ties with it. We are opposed to military intervention and economic sanctions because of their adverse affects on people's lives. The people of Iran have spoken; we stand with them. To join Iran Solidarity, click here: http://www.iransolidarity.org.uk Initial founding sponsors: Boaz Adhengo, Humanist and Ethical Union of Kenya, Kenya For more information contact:
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