Women must decide their fate not the state

Women must decide their fate not the state - one of the many slogans at a recent Tehran university demonstration.

Muslim apostate threatened over Christianity

To read a Sunday Telegraph article on Sofia Allam, which quotes the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, click here.

Protest the arrest of students in Iran!

Letter No.2

To Amnesty International and all human rights defending organizations all over the world

In our previous letter on 2nd of December we made you aware that Islamic Republic of Iran has arrested some students on the eve of Student’s Day in Iran and has done so in the most brutal way. Despite the arrest and threatening of activists and organizers of Student’s Day, on 4th of December, students organized the event in Tehran University. 30 people were arrested and now being held in Evin prison and unknown places. All the students have leftist tendencies and Islamic government treats its critics, specially those with leftist tendencies, very brutally and inhumanely and that has worried the families of those arrested, student activists and human rights defenders.

Here you can see a list of those arrested on 4th of December and we hope you, with your quick and definite reaction, be able to stop the Islamic Republic's crimes in relation to these arrested students and all political prisoners.

1- Milad Moyini (Mazandaran University) 2- Behrang Zandi (Mazandaran University) 3- Hamed Mohammadi (Mazandaran University) 4- Arash Pakzad (Mazandaran University) 5- Hasan Maarefi (Mazandaran University) 6- Anooshe Azadfar (Tehran University) 7- Ilnaz Jamshidi (Communications, Azad University, Central Tehran) 8- Mehdi Gerayloo (Geophysics, Tehran) 9- Nader Ahsani (Mazandaran University) 10-Sayid Habibi (ex-member of the Central Council of Advare Tahkim Vahdat) 11- Behrooz Karimi-zade (Tehran University) 12- Keyvan Amiri Elyasi (Masters, Industry, Sharif Technical University) 13- Nasim SoltanBeygi (Communications faculty, Alame) 14- Ali Salem (Masters of Polymers – Polytechnic) 15- Mohsen Ghamin (Polytechnic University) 16- Roozbe Saf-Shekan (Tehran University) 17-Roozbehan Amiri (Computer sciences, Tehran) 18- Yaser Pir Hayati (Shahed University) 10- Mahsa Mohebbi 20- Okhtay Hosseni (Azad University) 21- Sayid Agham Ali Khalili (Alame University) 22- Behzad Bagheri (Tehran University) 23- Ali Kalayi 24- Amir Mehrzad 25- Hadi Salari 26- Farshid Farhadi Ahangaran 27- Amir Aghayi 28- Milad Omrani 29- Soroosh Hashempoor (from Ahvaz) and 30-Yoones Mirhossein (Student of Shiraz University).

Ahmad Ghasaban, Majid Tavakolli and Ehsan Mansoori are also among those student activists from Polytechnic University of Tehran who are in prison and been tortured since February 2007 and have been condemned to 2 to 3 years of prison in unofficial courts.

Students and youth of Iran are determined to continue their protests until the release of their friend and classmates and they need the widest possible international support to stand against the inhumane Islamic Republic of Iran. The Islamic Republic must be pressured to release them immediately. With your protest letters, protest gatherings and any other initiative demand the release of jailed students and political prisoners.

Communist Youth Organization
6th of December 2007

In the face of the threat of an attack on Iran, support the people of Iran!

The threat of a US attack and the devastating consequences of economic sanctions are looming over the people of Iran. US’s war with the Islamic Republic is not the war of the people. People of Iran and their interests are not represented in this conflict. They want neither the Islamic Republic, nor a military attack, nor economic sanctions. For years, they have been fighting the Islamic Republic and the unbearable conditions that this ultra-reactionary regime has imposed on society.

Iran is a society where people sing the Internationale anthem in their protest gatherings and chant “One earth, one humanity” and “One race, the human race”. It is a society where the slogan “Freedom, equality, human identity” has adorned the banner of its struggles. A society where the International Day of the Child is celebrated in large gatherings in scores of cities, and where its manifesto in defence of the rights of homeless children and child workers declares: “for children to be free, this inverted world must be changed”. It is a society where prisoners on death row, from deep inside the jails, call on the people of the world to fight for the universal abolition of the death penalty. Iranian people in their numerous demonstrations have repeatedly stated that they want neither war, nor a nuclear programme, nor the Islamic Republic.

People of the world!

To end the threat of a military attack on Iran, support the struggle of the people of Iran! The overthrow of the Islamic Republic by the will and power of the people is the only human and civilised way to end the threat of war and the deadly race that Islamic terrorism and US militarism and state terrorism are waging in Iran, the Middle East and globally. The Islamic Republic does not represent the people of Iran. This regime is their enemy, not their representative! This is a regime that has been able to survive only by executing tens of thousands of people and carrying out the most ghastly medieval tortures and punishments such as stoning to death, flogging and amputating. The Islamic Republic must be rejected and isolated internationally. The world must treat this regime of sexual Apartheid like it treated the racist Apartheid regime in South Africa. Demand that the world’s states and international bodies not to recognise the Islamic Republic as the government of Iran. Demand that they cut off their diplomatic ties with this medieval regime.

In the fight against the US government’s warlike, inhuman and brutal policies, the Iranian people are on your side; they are asking you to be on their side in the fight against the Islamic Republic! To defeat the American government’s and its allies’ bullying and militarism, to defeat the reactionary and terrorist political Islamic movement and to overthrow the Islamic Republic, support the struggle of the people of Iran.

Hamid Taqvaee
Secretary of WPI Central Committee
30 November 2007

Makwan Moloudzadeh is executed

Another crime by the fascist Islamic regime in Iran:

The news has just reached us. Makwan was executed last night (local time) in Dizel Abad Prison in the city of Kermanshah. Makwan's family have just collected his body and are on their way to the city of Paveh. Around 200 cars are following in procession the car carrying the body of a youngster murdered in cold blood by a bunch of criminal thugs.

This crime must be recorded in history. Not only that the criminals in power in Iran must be indicted through international courts. Makwan had not committed any crime. He was executed for a sexual relation with a class mate when they were both 13. He was executed for homosexuality.

The International Committee Against Executions, along with several human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, launched a campaign to save Makwan. As a result of these actions, the head of the judiciary, Shahroudi, was forced to call for a review of the case, saying that the death sentence was incorrect.

According to our information, the local authorities in Paveh and Kermanshah were insistent that the death sentence should be carried out. One of the officials is reported to have said the city 'Paveh's youth have become too cheeky; we should execute one so that it may be a lesson to others'.

The Islamic regime executed young Makwan because it wanted to create a climate of fear. The prison authorities even said to the family of Makwan that they had been good enough not to execute him publicly.

Since the announcement of the news of Makwan's execution at the hands of Islamic hangmen, a wave of sympathy and solidarity has swept the city.

The International Committee Against Executions strongly condemns this savage and despicable crime by the Islamic Republic, and calls on the people of Paveh and Kermanshah to extend their sympathies and support to Makwan's family.

Our Committee will pursue this crime through international bodies so that the murderers may be prosecuted.

International Committee Against Executions
5 December 2007

Students demand Freedom and Equality and No War!

Despite the arrests and repression, students came out in large numbers to demand freedom and equality, and the freedom of political prisoners. they also came out in full force against both war and the Islamic regime of Iran.

To see student protests at Tehran University yesterday, click here.

Protest the arrest of students in Iran!

According to the news received by the Communist Youth Organisation of the Worker-Communist Party of Iran today, December 2, the police forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran has raided the residences of Anoushe Azadfar and Elnaz Jamshidi, arrested them, and taken them to an unknown place. Elnaz Jamshidi’s brother, who was inquiring about his sister’s situation, was also arrested. Mehdi Garailou, Ehsan Azadfar, and Nader Ahsani have also been arrested by the police forces. Saeed Habibi, another student activist, has also disappeared and there is no information about his whereabouts. Saeed’s family has not been able to acquire any information about him. Six student activists of Mazandaran University have also been arrested and have been taken to an unknown place. Some other students have been trapped inside the University of Tehran. The police have surrounded the university in order to arrest these students: Behrouz Karimizadeh, Peyman Piran, Bijan Sabbaq, and Behzad Baqeri.

The students have been arrested because of their activities towards the University Student Day on December 7. The main focus of the protests and meetings for this year is the arrest and torture of students and political prisoners and the United States’ military threats. Every year students and other sections of society organise meetings, demonstrations and marches that usually take place around universities.

The Islamic regime in Iran attacks any protest; it intends to oppress any resistance. Despite the regime’s brutality, students are determined to make this year’s December 7 protests and meetings larger and stronger than ever.

The Communist Youth Organisation calls upon Amnesty International and all other human rights organisations and libertarians around the world to condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran for the arrest of the student activists and to demand the immediate and unconditional release of them and all political prisoners.

Libertarians of the world!
Iranian students and youth are in need of your support to resist the anti-human Islamic regime in Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran should be pressured in every possible way; the regime should be flooded with protesting letters; it should be opposed through demonstrations. The anti-human activities of this regime should be condemned and should be pushed back.

Communist Youth Organisation
December 2, 2007

Free Political Prisoners in Iran

According to news received by the Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Iran today, December 2, the police forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran raided the house of left-wing student activists and arrested a number of students that had gathered there for the preparation of December 7 activities. December 7 is the University Students Day in Iran. Every year alongside university students, all factions of society organise protests and meetings on this day and express their demands. The students had announced that this year the meetings, activities and protests would be held on December 4.

The names of some of the students who have been arrested in the raid today are as follows: Anoushe Azadfar, Mehdi Garailou, Elnaz Jamshidi, Ehsan Azadfar, Nader Ahsani, and Saeed Habibi.

The police forces of the Islamic regime have also surrounded the University of Tehran in order to arrest some other student activists. According to the news that we have received, Behrouz Karimizadeh, Peyman Piran, Bijan Sabbaq, and Behzad Baqeri are among the students that have been trapped inside University of Tehran. As night approaches their arrest becomes more likely. According to the same news two other non-student leftist activists have also been summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence.

The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners calls on all libertarian organisations around the world to react urgently against these arrests and put pressure on the Islamic Republic for the immediate, unconditional release of the arrested students. The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners demands the immediate release of these students and the formerly arrested student activists, Ahmad Qassaban, Ehsan Mansouri, and Majid Tavakkoli. The Committee also demands the immediate release of worker activists Mahmoud Salehi, Ebrahim Madadi, Mansour Asanlou and all political prisoners.

We call upon all humanitarian and libertarian organisations around the world to protest against the Islamic Republic of Iran in every possible way and to send protesting letters to condemn the attacks of the Islamic regime against the people’s movements in Iran and in support of political prisoners.

The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Iran
December 2, 2007

Taslima Nasreen's freedom to speak and write must be protected

December 3, 2007
Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain statement

The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain condemns the attacks by the political Islamic movement on Taslima Nasreen in Kolkata, and calls for the vigorous prosecution of those who led the assault and threatened to kill her. It is in the context of sustained death-threats and a campaign to cancel her visa, that Ms Nasreen has now withdrawn two pages from her book, Shodh.

We further condemn the government in Bengal for responding to the Islamist mob's demands by pressurising her to leave her adopted home in Kolkata, and we call on the Indian government to support her return to Bengal and protect her freedom to speak and write.

Gillian Gibbons must be released today

Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain Statement
December 1, 2007

The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain calls on the British government to demand the immediate release of school teacher Gillian Gibbons. Her arrest, trial, conviction, and imprisonment in Khartoum, Sudan, for insulting Islam because she allowed her class to name a teddy bear ‘Muhammad’ reveals the inhumane nature of Shariah or Islamic Law and its incompatibility with civil rights and 21st century values.

The CEMB notes that Islamic organisations such as the Muslim Council of Britain find the events in Sudan ‘embarrassing’ – as indeed all supporters of the Shariah should. But they do so on the grounds that no insult to Islam was intended by Ms Gibbons. This implies that had an insult been perpetrated, it would have been deemed a crime and punishable according to the Shariah, which could have resulted in 40 lashes or worse. Recent death threats against apostates or the case of the Danish cartoons of Muhammad two years ago are some examples of how any criticism is deemed offensive or insulting. Islamists will not hesitate to use Islamic law where possible or other violent means to stifle such criticism. In line with this, they have been aggressively campaigning for a law on incitement to religious hatred in the UK, which will severely curtail freedom of expression.

The CEMB strongly defends freedom of expression, which crucially implies the freedom of criticism of all beliefs and ideologies including religion. Wherever this precious principle is abandoned, the appalling vista of the imprisonment of an innocent teacher, and the baying for her blood by Islamists, becomes a frightening reality.