Declaration of the Great march, 4^th – 8^th March 2006

We have gathered here today, to protest against 27 years of systematic oppression of Iranian women by a regime whose existence is based upon unequal legislation/ We are here to protest against reactionary rulers who have punished Iranian women with medieval sentences . For the last 27 years Iranian women have resisted and fought against these unjust laws and Islamic sentences, they have constantly refused to abide by these laws. We are here today to voice the resistance and struggles of Iranian women.

We have gathered here to remind everyone that such oppressive regulations have been condoned by Imperialist forces and their allies in the indigenous occupation governments of Afghanistan and Iraq. The post Taliban regime admits that two women have been stoned to death in Afghanistan since the overthrow of the Taliban and we are convinced that many more have faced such punishment .

We have collated information, regarding conditions of poverty, misery, addiction and prostitution at a time when the Islamic Republic regime has dragged Iranian society to the lowest levels of deprivation and demise. Iran has become a large prison for women while other sections of the society are also victims of this

system . Women’s oppression , intolerance towards women’s most basic rights, imposition of every form of slavery on women has caused desperation, suicide and self mutilation amongst many young women. Iran’s rulers have sunk society to the lowest levels of cultural, political-economic and social demise . At a time when the Iranian regime was facing bankruptcy and loss of any political legitimacy, especially following its support for the occupation government in Iraq, the whole debacle about nuclear proliferation are means to negotiate with the US administration. With such political gesturing, the regime in Iran, intends not only to lengthen its reactionary rule and survive the current crisis , but also to use the threat of foreign invasion to suppress the people’s anger and discontent even further.

We have gathered here today at time when warmongers and aggressive rulers of the world are still beating up the drums for war. George Bush and his administration want to bring about the kind of misery they have imposed on the on the peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq to Iran. Millions of people have lost their lives through US/UK military attacks, numerous cities have been ruined, and thousands have become homeless to such an extent that Iraq is now facing devastation. Yet the American war machine supported by its western allies’ is still not satisfied, aiming for more killing and more blood.

We have gathered here at a time when the reactionary rulers of the world and fundamentalist Middle Eastern regimes such as Iran’s Islamic Republic have left the peoples of the region between a rock and a hard place. We are supposed to choose between the dungeons of the Islamic Republic or US style Abu-Gharib prisons.

We, Iranian women defy such choices, our fight has nothing to do with Bush, and other western attackers or their current or previous lackeys in the Middle East.

So we say;

NO TO BUSH AND HIS PROGRAM.

NO TO WESTERN INVASION- OCUUPATION FORCES.

NO TO IMPERIALIST LACKEYS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

We have gathered here to demonstrate this fact.

In this gathering we express our demands and our choices are based on ideals of a different world, outside the scope of the current order. We shall bring about such a new world along with all oppressed and freedom seeking peoples of our planet.

We demand:

- Separation of Religion and State . An end to religious interference in every aspect of social , political, economic and civil life.

- Abolition of all unequal anti-women legislation.

- Abolition of all Islamic sentences imposed on women.

- Freedom for all faith and political prisoners in Iran.

- Unconditional release of all the workers who have been arrested during recent strikes

- An end to deportation of women seeking political asylum to countries where they will face persecution simply because of their gender.

We demand:

- An Immediate end to all executions and death by stoning of women

currently in prison in Iran’s Islamic Republic’s , many of whom are in prison for resisting domestic violence

- Trial and sentencing of all agents who planned or were involved in the execution of large numbers of political prisoners and serial political murders.

- Trial and punishment of anyone involved in the rape and murder of Ziba Kazemi, Atefe Rajabi and other women prisoners.

The Women of The Campaign for Abolition of all Misogynists, gender- based Legislation & Islamic Punitive laws

March, 04- 2006