Solidarity message to 8 March women’s organisation (Iran Afghanistan)
Tomorrow (8th of March ) is the 31st anniversary of the first demonstration against Iran's Islamic Regime when tens of thousands of women took to the streets in opposition to the imposition of forced veil (hejab) and since then not a day has gone by when Iran in women haven't been engaged in a battle with the religious state. Women's confrontations with the state covers three aspects:
1-social. Interference of the state in every aspect of the private lives of women from imposition of religious dress, code, Sharia based family law to regulations about child custody, inheritance...
women have opposed sexual apartheid in health and education imposed by the clerical state
2-political – women's opposition the the above has taken political forms and the state has repressed all forms of opposition, but in addition women have take an active part in anti dictatorship protests throughout this period.
3-economic- women have been the first victims of the state's neo liberal economic policies, with its terrible consequences of mass unemployment, rampant inflation, non payment of wages and they have fought back the imposition of such policies.
However Iranian are also aware of the plight of their sisters in neighboring countries. They are well aware that US invasion and occupation of Iraq far from liberating women, has worsened their situation considerably. They know that the use of tanks and military power has not and will not liberate the liberate the women of Afghanistan and Iraq.
That is why looking at their own country they are totally opposed to any foreign intervention, military or otherwise and they pin their hopes on change and revolution from below . In their struggles and they demonstrate in Tehran and elsewhere in defence of their political, economic and social demands they need international solidarity from antiwar and anti capitalist forces throughout the world and your participation in today's demonstration was an expression of such solidarity
Long live 8th of March
Yassamine Mather (Hands off the people of Iran)