Iranian Women’s Movement Activist Delaram Ali Once Again Sentenced to Lashes, Prison
Nov 28th, 2008 by admin
An Iranian appeals court has once again sentenced Delaram Ali, a leader of the vibrant and immensely inspiring Iranian Women’s Movement, to four months in prison and 10 lashes for participating in a peaceful, nonviolent protest in Tehran in 2006 in which women were seeking the following basic human and civil rights:
• Abolition of polygamy
• The right of divorce by women
• Joint custody of children for mothers and fathers
• Equal rights in family law
• Increasing the minimum legal age for girls to 18 (currently it is 15)
• Equal rights for women as witnesses in courts of law
In the course of the demonstration, which was violently suppressed, Ali’s wrist was broken, she was beaten, bruised, arrested, charged and tried for “actions against national security through the participation in an illegal protest; spreading of propaganda against the state; and disruption of public order.” The trial court sentenced her to 39 months in jail and 10 lashes, which sentence was stayed pending a judicial review following a letter of protest to the head of the Judiciary . This latest sentence is the result of the judicial review and has also been stayed pending a new review.
The appeals court decision comes in the wake of the 17th shutdown of the official websites of the Iranian Women’s Movement, Change for Equality and the One Million Signatures Campaign. The Feminist School, the Women’s Solidarity Network, and other blogs addressing women’s issues, such as Parandeh Kharzar, Zananeha, Havva, and Free Keyboard were also closed down by the Iranian government.
But nothing can stop these women really. Ultimately, the day will come when their dreams for human and civil rights are fulfilled. The youtube video above is of Delaram Ali, recounting the history of the women’s movement in Iran and her part in it. What a courageous and inspiring visionary she is and so young, just in her early 20s. She calls her arrest and sentencing “blessed” because of the attention they have drawn to Iranian women’s plight and says even if authorities put her away, now another woman will come to take her place.
Many tears here and prayers for these amazing, incredible, courageous women.
–Heart
Below are some of my earlier posts about the Iranian women’s movement or in support of women in Iran:
- Tehran: Women’s Peaceful Demonstrations Being Violently Suppressed
- Iran Closes Down Leading Iranian Feminist Magazine
- Mother of Ronak Safarzadeh, Imprisoned Iranian Women’s Activist, Beaten by Officials
- Outrage: Iranian Women’s Rights Defender Sentenced to Lashings, Prison
- 50 Peaceful Women Protesters Arrested, Brutalized in Iran; U.S. Denies VISAs to Iranian Women’s Delegation
- Interview with Nazanin
- Iranian Women in Prison: “We Too Ceased to Live the Very Day That We Killed Our Husbands”
- Take Action to Stop Execution by Stoning of Two Sisters in Iran
Heart
What an amazing woman. She is so inspiring.
I would hope I would have the courage to do something like that in similar circumstances, but I’m not so sure. Next time I feel myself holding back, I will think of her.
Truly a very brave and courageous woman and there are many courageous women but we never hear about them. Instead all we hear are negative misogynistic criticisms because women need to be constantly told their sole purpose in life is to serve male needs in any shape or form. What is happening to the Iranian women is on a continuum of what has happened to women for centuries and is still occurring. The circumstances vary, sometimes it is masked under religious beliefs, other times it is racism, or cultural differences but the central reason remains the same. The centuries old belief that men not women are human and men not women define women and how they are supposed to live their lives.
The case of Anne Pressly is on the same continuum as the Iranian women suffering so much at the hands of vicious, vindictive and misogynstic men but will most people see the connection. I very much doubt it because excuses will be made and if that fails well they always fall back on denial because it works. Keep denying the truth and it becomes ‘untrue.’ That is the substance of men’s war against women of all ethnicities, cultures, class etc. - denial it is happening, has happened and will continue to happen until such time as men decide they will hold misogynistic and women-hating men accountable for their actions.
But until that happens we will continue to read or hear about the brave women who refuse to submit to men’s hatred but resist even if it costs them their lives. Because that is the ultimate punishment facing women if they dare to challenge men’s pseudo claims to superior human status. But herstory shows women will not submit and resistance will continue until such time as there is a radical change within differing societies.