The Islamic veil is compulsory in Iran and women who defy it are arrested and tortured. Public floggings, pouring of acid on women’s faces, imposing heavy fines and intimidations have been some of the methods used by the Islamic Republic during the past 3 decades. Despite the suppression imposed on people, women in Iran have not stopped their protest against the regime and specifically against the veil. The laws and regulations based on sexual apartheid have always been challenged by millions of people in Iran.

This year on the occasion of 8th March, women in Iran say no to veil, remove their veils and declare the Islamic Republic a criminal state for forcing them to wear the veil, which is nothing but the symbol of sexual apartheid.

We raise our voices, together with women and men in Iran, and let the world know that the movement for women’s liberation demands the abolition of sexual apartheid and declares that the Islamic Republic is a criminal state.

The Islamic movement and political Islam try to impose the veil on women in more parts of the world. The compromising stance of western governments with Islamic organisations and their reluctance to combat the anti women policies of these groups has made life very difficult even for women and young girls in the west.

The veil is the symbol of political Islam and imprisonment of women. We the undersigned:

Condemn the oppressive policies of Islamic governments and groups for their imposition of the veil.

Demand the banning of child veiling.

Support the struggle of women, worldwide, for the right of freedom of clothing and the struggle against the veil.

Signatures

1-Mina Ahadi International Committee Against Stoning
2- Arzu Toker, Journalist, Sprecherin der Gruppe: Demokratischen Frauen a.d. Türkei
3-Michael Schmidt-Salomon, Giordano Bruno Foundation, Germany
4- Reinhard Hascha, Historian
5 - Sohiela Hassan, activist of Women’s Liberation Iraq
6- Maryam Kousha, Organisation for Women’s Liberation
7- Azar Majedi, President of organisation for Women's Liberation- Iran
8- Afsane Vahdat, children’s rights activist
9- Khalil Keyvan, Secretary of Organization Abroad of Worker-communist Party of Iran
10- Maryam Namazie, Director of the Worker-communist Party of Iran's International Relations Committee, UK National Secular Society's Honorary Associate; and producer of TV International English.
11- Fariborz Pooya, Director of Iranian Secular Society
12- Mahin Alipour,KFKI Stockholm & Organisation for Women’s Liberation-Iran Swedish branch
13- Kimia Pazoki, International federation of Iranian refugees, Sweden

14- Hartmut Krauss, Sozialwissenschaftler, HINTERGRUND-Redaktion, Osnabrück

15 - Karin Vogelpohl. Dipl. Pädagogin, HINTERGRUND-Redaktion, Osnabrück