To the brave Iranian women in Evin Prison
To the activists of the women’s movement in Iran
The message of the chief and the representatives of the Green Party of the German Parliament to the activists and defenders of women’s rights in Iran.
Dear Friends,
With great applause we are witness to your vigorous struggle to improve the conditions in Iran. Achieving equal rights for women is one of your distinguished objectives which at times you pursue with a calm voice, and at other times you quest with a united bawl.
March 8th is an opportunity for us to express our solidarity with you and your movement. We praise the endeavors, the vigorous, brave, and enlightening activities of every single one of you.
The campaign of “A million signatures for equality”, which you started in August of 2006, is a reflection of the desires of millions of Iranian women. This form of struggle will reveal the revolting face of misogynistic ideology in your country.
The support that your equality campaign has gathered has become a source of worry for the preachers of the “weaker sex”. The political and theological elite within the governance of the Islamic Republic of Iran are completely aware of how their policies cause inequality and the disadvantage of women, and in the implementation of these policies they fall only short of Saudi Arabia and the departed Taliban regime.
At the present it is evident that the security apparatus of the country has been assigned to stop the spread of the excellent movement of civil and political women societies, under the false pretense of “A threat to national security”. We will contribute everything in our power to ensure the unconditional release of all the women who were arrested last Sunday. We will do everything in our power so that the right of freedom of demonstration for women’s issues is not just a piece of paper, and so that the Iranian regime is enforced to implement its international pledges, which are the result of its signature to various United Nations treaties. We are witness that since the creation of the Islamic Republic, the wishes of its political elite and clergy, who support a misogynist agenda, have not been implemented. However, these wishes have been enforced through daily harassments, and through systematic implementation of laws. The voice of the Iranian women’s movement cannot be shut off through the ideologies that disrespect the dignity of human beings. We praise your bravery and resistance with deep respect.
Claudia Roth
Chair of the Green Party and Green Party Representative of German Parliament
Renate Künast
Chair of the Green Party Fraction and Green Party Representative of German Parliament
Kerstin Müller
Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Green Party of German Parliament
Irmingard Schewe-Gerigk
Spokesperson on Women Affairs, Green Party Fraction of German Parliament
Representative Sponsors of German Parliament:
Kerstin Andreae, Marieluise Beck, Cornelia Behm, Birgitt Bender, Grietje Bettin, Ekin Deligöz, Dr. Thea Dückert, Dr. Uschi Eid, Katrin Göring-Eckardt, Anja Hajduk, Britta Haßelmann, Priska Hinz, Bärbel Höhn, Ute Koczy, Sylvia Kotting-Uhl, Renate Künast, Undine Kurth, Monika Lazar, Anna Lührmann, Nicole Maisch, Brigitte Pothmer, Christine Scheel, Silke Stokar, Ulrike Höfken, Krista Sager, Elisabeth Scharfenberg.