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| Defend the campaign for women’s right to enter sports stadiums in Iran! |
| 01-Sep-2006 |
| Mina Ahadi |
| A hundred thousand people have signed the petition
to protest the lack of right to enter sports stadiums for women. Join
this protest campaign! Dear friends, freedom-lovers, and opponents of Sexual Apartheid: The Islamic Republic of Iran has denied women the simplest of rights and imposed sexual apartheid on the society for the past 27 years. One of the numerous bans on women in Iran is that they can’t enter sports stadiums. For many of you who read this in the west, it may be unbelievable that under the Islamic government in Iran , women are deprived from many sports, and even when they can participate must do so wearing the Islamic veil (Hijab). Moreover they cannot enter sports stadiums to watch football matches. Any effort to enter the stadium - individually or as a group – is met with arrest and repression. A few young girls have managed to enter the stadium by dressing like men. The important reality is that a protest movement exists against this shameless behavior of the Islamic government and this obvious apartheid in Iran . Activists and defenders of women rights have repeatedly gathered in front of the stadium to protest this apartheid. Now they have collected 100000 signatures and sent it to FIFA. They are also calling for support for their cause. I invite all of you, human and women's rights bodies, athletes and sports teams all over the world, to support Iranian women by signing this protest petition defending the demand for women's presence in stadiums. Write to the heads of the Islamic Republic of Iran and protest against this Middle Ages-like treatment of women, sexual apartheid and the obvious denial of women rights. Demand an end to all anti-women laws. Mina Ahadi Women's rights activist Public Relations for the Organisation for Women’s Liberation 24 August 2006 http://www.minaahadi.com/ http://www.azadizan.com/ Contact number: 00491775692413 |