Tuesday, February 12, 2008
See Video Report on London Demo in defence of Parwiz Kambakhsh
To see a Iranian Secular Society's TV report on the London demonstration in defence of Parwiz Kambakhsh's freedom, click here.
Another chance for Behnam Zare
According to Stop Child Executions
Faced with the worldwide condemnation of imminent execution of Behnam Zare, Iran's head of judiciary Ayatollah Shahrudi ordered Behnam's file to be sent back for negotiation with the family of the alleged victim.
This is the second time that Shahrudi is sending the case for mediation. Iran's Islamic sharia law leaves the final decisions of life or death of those condemned to death to the family of the victims (Ghisas). The file was sent to division of enforcements for execution after Shahrudi's final permit to execute, however faced with the international outrage Ayatollah Shahrudi retracted his initial execution permit and ordered another mediation.
Nazanin Afshin-Jam and Stop Child Executions wish to thank Behnam's attorney Mohammad Mostafaei, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for their immediate response and their efforts through the Geneva office, Amnesty International and its members, president of European Union, authorities in India, international news agencies, international committee against executions, internet websites and bloggers, SCE volunteers and supporers and 100's of human rights advocates inside and outside Iran for the letters sent to Ayatollah Shahrudi and Iranian authorities.
Together we will abolish the inhumane and illegal practice of child executions in Iran and worldwide once and forever.
Faced with the worldwide condemnation of imminent execution of Behnam Zare, Iran's head of judiciary Ayatollah Shahrudi ordered Behnam's file to be sent back for negotiation with the family of the alleged victim.
This is the second time that Shahrudi is sending the case for mediation. Iran's Islamic sharia law leaves the final decisions of life or death of those condemned to death to the family of the victims (Ghisas). The file was sent to division of enforcements for execution after Shahrudi's final permit to execute, however faced with the international outrage Ayatollah Shahrudi retracted his initial execution permit and ordered another mediation.
Nazanin Afshin-Jam and Stop Child Executions wish to thank Behnam's attorney Mohammad Mostafaei, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for their immediate response and their efforts through the Geneva office, Amnesty International and its members, president of European Union, authorities in India, international news agencies, international committee against executions, internet websites and bloggers, SCE volunteers and supporers and 100's of human rights advocates inside and outside Iran for the letters sent to Ayatollah Shahrudi and Iranian authorities.
Together we will abolish the inhumane and illegal practice of child executions in Iran and worldwide once and forever.
Monday, February 11, 2008
There is no place for sharia in Britain
The Council of ex-Muslims of Britain condemns the comments made by the Archbishop of Canterbury suggesting that Sharia law is 'inevitable' and may be welcome in civil cases.
The distinction that he makes between civil and criminal cases does not exist within Sharia law. Sharia law encompasses all aspects of the life of those deemed Muslim. Suggesting that the UK would not, of course, allow the more barbaric aspects of Sharia law, such as amputation or stoning, ignores the fact that it is the family/civil areas of law in the Sharia that are some of the most iniquitous.
In the discriminatory personal family law, particularly in the areas of marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance and so on, a Muslim woman cannot even contract her own marriage; the marriage contract is between her guardian and husband. A man can have 4 wives whilst a woman cannot. A man can divorce his wife without reasons by simply saying 'divorce' thrice, albeit with a gap in time, whereas a woman must give reasons, some of which are extremely difficult to prove. A woman only receives half that of a man under inheritance rules, and so on.
Clearly, Sharia law contravenes fundamental human rights, such as equal rights for women, and relegates those deemed to be ‘Muslim’ to culturally relative rights and at the mercy of regressive imams and kangaroo courts.
In order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of all those living in Britain, there must be one secular law for all and no Sharia.
The distinction that he makes between civil and criminal cases does not exist within Sharia law. Sharia law encompasses all aspects of the life of those deemed Muslim. Suggesting that the UK would not, of course, allow the more barbaric aspects of Sharia law, such as amputation or stoning, ignores the fact that it is the family/civil areas of law in the Sharia that are some of the most iniquitous.
In the discriminatory personal family law, particularly in the areas of marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance and so on, a Muslim woman cannot even contract her own marriage; the marriage contract is between her guardian and husband. A man can have 4 wives whilst a woman cannot. A man can divorce his wife without reasons by simply saying 'divorce' thrice, albeit with a gap in time, whereas a woman must give reasons, some of which are extremely difficult to prove. A woman only receives half that of a man under inheritance rules, and so on.
Clearly, Sharia law contravenes fundamental human rights, such as equal rights for women, and relegates those deemed to be ‘Muslim’ to culturally relative rights and at the mercy of regressive imams and kangaroo courts.
In order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of all those living in Britain, there must be one secular law for all and no Sharia.
Saturday, February 09, 2008
London protest calls for the release of Parwiz Kambakhsh
Criticizing Islam is not a crimeFree Kambakhsh now!
Iranian Secular Society
February 9, 2008
On Friday 8 February 2008, protestors picketed the Afghanistan Embassy in London to call for the immediate release of Parwiz Kambakhsh. The protest, organised by the Iranian Secular Society, was in response to the arrest, jailing and death sentence imposed on Parwiz Kambakhsh for downloading and discussing the plight of women under Islam.
Officials of the Afghan embassy met outside with protestors to state that the death sentence against Kambakhsh will be commuted. Protestors insisted upon his immediate released saying he had committed no crime. They also expressed their concern regarding Kambakhsh’s physical and emotional safety as he has been left at the mercy of and beaten by other common prisoners, including Taliban prisoners, who had been told by prison guards that he has ‘blasphemed’ against Islam.
The Iranian Secular Society will continue to campaign for Kambakhsh’s release and calls on groups and individuals to keep the pressure on the Afghan and British governments.
To see more pictures from the demo, click here.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Join Demo to demand Kambakhsh's freedom
Join demonstration onFriday, February 8, 2008, 12.00 to 2.00 pm
Afghanistan Embassy, 31 Princes Gate, London, SW7
Since October 2007, Parwiz Kambakhsh, a 23 year old Afghan journalist, has been in prison in Balkh province, Northern Afghanistan and sentenced to execution for blasphemy by a local Sharia court in Mazar-e-Sharif. His ‘crime’ was distributing articles downloaded from the internet that questioned the condition of women under Islam. The Afghan government has supported the Islamic court’s ruling.
On Thursday, January 31, 200 people demonstrated for his freedom in Kabul. International public opinion and pressure must join them to save his life.
The Iranian Secular Society calls upon groups and individuals to join the protest against this barbaric sentence and demand the immediate and unconditional release of Kambakhsh, including by joining the London protest, organising protests in various cities, writing letters of protest and more.
Fore more information, contact:
Fariborz Pooya
Telephone: 077 191 66731
Iranian Secular Society
The demonstration is endorsed by: Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, National Secular Society, the Worker-communist Party of Iran - UK Committee.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Children have no religion
To see my third entry on the New Statesman blog about children having no religion, click here.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Behnam Zare is facing execution within 72 hours
According to Amnesty International, Behnam Zare's execution order has been sent to Adelabad prison, in the south-western city of Shiraz, where he has been imprisoned since his arrest. prison where he is held. He is facing execution within 72 hours.He was convicted of a murder committed when he was 15 years old.
The murder reportedly took place on 21 April 2005, when Behnam swung a knife during an argument with a man named Mehrdad, wounding him in the neck. Mehrdad later died in hospital. Behnam was detained on 13 November 2005; Branch 5 of Fars Criminal Court sentenced him to qesas (retribution) for premeditated murder.
Under Article 206 (b) of Iran’s Criminal Code, murder is classed as premeditated “in cases where the murderer intentionally makes an action which is inherently lethal, even if [the murderer] does not intend to kill the person.”
The case went on appeal before Branch 33 of the Supreme Court where the sentence was upheld, and it has now been passed to the Office for Implementation of Sentences.
Act now.
Call for a end to all executions in Iran, and particularly child executions.
The death penalty is state-sponsored murder and must be opposed in all instances but particularly when it comes to a child or child offender.
You can write to:
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President
Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, Head of the Judiciary
Ali Khamenei, Supreme Spiritual Leader
When religion means death
To see my second entry on the New Statesman blog on Perwiz Kambakhsh and the two sisters facing stoning to death in Iran, click here.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Zohreh and Azar must not be stoned to death
According to Etemad newspaper today and AFP, two Iranian sisters - Zohreh, 27, and Azar (no age given) have been convicted of ‘adultery’ and been sentenced to death by stoning. This conviction follows another one in which they were first convicted of ‘illegal relations’ and lashed 99 times.
According to the article, the two ‘admitted’ they were in the video presented by one of their husband’s but argued that there was no adultery as none of the footage showed them engaged in a sexual act with the other men.
Show your outrage at this barbarity by organising protests at the embassies of the Islamic regime of Iran and or sending letters of protest demanding the:
* Immediate release of Zohreh and Azar
* Immediate abolition of stoning and the death penalty
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President
Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, Head of the Judiciary
Ali Khamenei, Supreme Spiritual Leader
According to the article, the two ‘admitted’ they were in the video presented by one of their husband’s but argued that there was no adultery as none of the footage showed them engaged in a sexual act with the other men.
Show your outrage at this barbarity by organising protests at the embassies of the Islamic regime of Iran and or sending letters of protest demanding the:
* Immediate release of Zohreh and Azar
* Immediate abolition of stoning and the death penalty
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President
Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, Head of the Judiciary
Ali Khamenei, Supreme Spiritual Leader
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