L'Iran se dévoile!
Ce qui se passe aujourd’hui en Iran démontre qu’un régime qui se dit révolutionnaire mais qui impose la ségrégation entre les hommes et les femmes et prend comme première mesure d’imposer aux femmes, au nom de leur soi-disant dignité retrouvée, le port du chador, se révèle n’être qu’un régime fasciste de la pire espèce. C’est donc bien en définitive de la liberté des femmes et des hommes dont il s’agit. Ni la couleur, ni la taille, ni la forme de ce tissus n’y changeront rien.
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IFE-EFI
Initiative Féministe Européenne pour une autre Europe
European Feminist Initiative for another Europe
ife@efi-europa.org
www.ife-efi.org
President Obama and Cultural Relativism: A Fatal Bargain
For many years European Feminist Initiative (IFE-EFI) has been denouncing the intrusion of religions in the public sphere. For many years IFE-EFI has been striving to disclose/uncover the link between patriarchal politics of fundamentalist regimes, whether based on religion or on dominant culture, and the more subtle patriarchate of western democracies.
The women from the Middle East to Europe, from Africa to Maghreb, from Asia to the America are fighting against sexist laws, attitudes and behaviors, against social, political, economical and cultural inequalities they are subjected to. They aspire to live in countries where freedom of conscience is not forbidden. They fight for secularism, for egalitarian civil laws and for separation of state and religion. They want to accede to education, work, health, culture.
Women are the first victims of the rules of the capitalist system that crushes them. They are the first victims of political systems governed by laws they have not voted for, as women are considered under-citizens.
Thousands of women all over the world are fighting not to wear the veil. Thousands of them have been killed, raped, hanged because they had refused to wear it.
Nevertheless on June 4th 2009 in Cairo Ms Clinton shows a friendly attitude to fundamentalists, insulting the memory of those women by covering her head. Mr Obama in his speech refers to the “right” of women to wear the veil, presenting it as a choice and consciously or not ignoring the fact of who makes the law and who bears it. To consider the veil as a sign of freedom of expression is to comfortably omit to mention what it is for millions of other women: a sign of submission, of inequality, an attack to their individual freedom.
In European Feminist Initiative we have always denounced the trap idea of “choice” which aims to make women responsible for their oppression or for the discriminations they are the victims of: choice to work part-time, choice to stay at home to raise the children, choice to emigrate, choice to prostitute..
Shouldn’t we rather raise the question differently and also ask to respect the rights for women not to wear veil and their rights to be full citizens independently of their ethnic community or religious belonging?
To jeopardize the rights of women in the name of cultural relativism and respect of « traditions » and “cultures” is also a choice: A choice that more and more political leaders comfortably make today.
The American ultra liberalism ignores any right whatever when one’s economic interests are at stake in the Middle East countries, Saudi Arabia, Gulf countries. To sell out fundamental rights of women to get the opening of new markets for American products in so called “Muslim” countries! - What a fatal bargain!
The choice of women is to have full rights and not only human rights decided and granted by men.
8th of june 2009
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IFE-EFI
Initiative Féministe Européenne pour une autre Europe
European Feminist Initiative for another Europa
Europaische Feministische Initiative fur eine andere Europa
Feministyczyna Inicjatywa Europejska dla innej Europy
Iniziativa Feminista Europea per un’ altra Europa
Europska Feministicka Inicijativa za drukciju Europu
Iniciativa Féminista Européa para uma outra Europa
Europeiskt Feministiskt Initiativ for ett annat Europa
ife@efi-europa.org 18, June, Paris
European Feminist Initiative in Solidarity with Brave Women of Iran
WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!
We, as the whole world are following with excitement and concern your just and brave protests in Iran. Women’s liberation in Iran has always been a source of inspiration and pride for us. For the past thirty years, you have fought a difficult and dangerous fight against a very brutal and misogynist regime that considers women as half human beings. Forceful imposition of Islamic veil and gender apartheid in Iran has created a large cage for the women and indeed the whole society. These reactionary measures have angered all freedom-loving people and the feminist movement in the world.
You have succeeded, by the sheer force of defiance, resistance and struggle to change the balance of power in the favour of women and realize some achievements, which are unthinkable under such circumstances. You have gone through daily battles with the so-called moral police over the veil and the Islamic dress code. You have been imprisoned, lashed and tortured for trying to realize the most basic human rights. All of us have watched your struggle, your everyday battles and your movement enthusiastically. You have inspired the respect and admiration of the whole egalitarian, freedom-loving and progressive world.
In these dire moments, your role as the champion of freedom, equality and a better world is extremely vital. Your everyday struggle shows that women in Iran cannot achieve freedom and equality, as long as this regime is in power. The imposition of the veil, of the Islamic dress code and gender apartheid are the main obstacles on the road to achieve our common goals. Creating a State, in which religion is separated from the public sphere, from the political, educational and judicial system is a necessary condition for women’s equality. We support your struggle for the establishing of a secular and civil State in Iran.
Your movement is not only a source of power and hope in the general movement of the people in Iran against tyranny and oppression, but it is a source of inspiration and change for the women’s movement in the countries under the grip of Political Islam, in the whole Middle East, as well as Europe and the whole world.
Accept our sincere solidarity in your difficult struggle. We follow carefully any move you make and do our best to let the world know about the depth of your grievances as well as your brave actions and important achievements.
IFE-EFI European Coordination
Lien : download/IRAN.pps | 