Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 15:07:44 -0700
From: Vic Getz <vgetz-AT-satyam.net.in>
Subject: Re: IRAN: Living in fear [Call for Action]


Hey Sakhi women,

Vic again...with ever more information.  This site, Thirld-World Women is
also very good as a source of info and for support internationally.  Maybe
you want to  subscribe to it, too.

See you soon. Vic


At 06:37 PM 4/11/01 +1000, you wrote:
>Dear third-world-women,
>Yesterday evening the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's program 
>"Lateline" focused on the fate of Maryam Ayoobi, the Iranian mother of three 
>in her twenties, who last month was convicted of adultery, and sentenced to 
>death in public by "stoning".
>
>As Maryam Kousa from the London-based International Campaign for the Defence 
>of Womens Rights in Iran highlighted in her interview with Lateline's 
>Philippa McDonald, Maryam Ayoobi's death sentence comes from a regime which 
>saves the worst of its barbaric practices for women - read text below, or 
>watchvideo at:
>
>http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/av/2001/04/20010410ll-iran.ram. 
>
>In the final segment of the program, Lateline compere Tony Jones spoke with
>Maryam Namazie, Executive Director of the International Federation of
Iranian 
>Refugees, to hear that the number of Iranians fleeing the terror of their 
>country's regime is rapidly growing - in Australia alone, 189 are presently 
>seeking refugee status - listen at:
>
>http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/av/2001/04/20010410ll-iran_audio.ram
>
>Both Maryam Kousa and Maryam Namazie mentioned that international pressure 
>in 1997 saved one Iranian woman from being stoned to death in public. Let's 
>bombard the Iranian President at: 
>The President of Iran <khatami-AT-president.ir> 
>[with Cc to Maryam Kousha <marykousha-AT-yahoo.com>]
>with calls for clemency in the case of Maryam Ayoobi,and an end to death by 
>stoning.
>
>As followup, please spread news of the above to your own network; and for 
>those in Australia, Britain, and North America, email or fax your Ministers 
>for Immigration [in Australia, Philip Ruddock on (02) 6273 4144], to inform 
>them that you are sick to death [or something less abrasive] of the 
>antimigrant rhetoric which portrays terrorized Iranians, Afghans, and others 
>of nonwhite, non-Christian, non-English-speaking nationality as phoney 
>refugee applicants. Australia. Britain, and the US are signatories to the 
>Universal Declaration on Human Rights, Article 5 of which states "No one 
>shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or 
>punishment.", and Article 14 (1) of which declares that Everyone has the 
>right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.". In 
>other words, while preaching human rights, Australia, Britain, and the US, 
>and several other countries, are NOT fulfilling their international legal 
>obligations! 
>In sisterhood, Lynette.
>******************
>Australian Broadcasting Corporation
>Lateline: "Living in Fear
>Broadcast: 10/04/01 
>(http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/s275545.htm)
>TRANSCRIPT
>LOCATION: abc.net.au > Lateline > Archives
>URL: http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/s275545.htm
>
>Living in fear 
>A young Iranian woman and mother of three, Maryam Ayoubi, has been 
>sentenced to "death by stoning" by the Islamic courts in Iran, after being 
>found guilty of committing adultery. The stoning is usually public, and in 
>many cases the victim's families are forced to watch. In recent years, the 
>lives of two women sentenced to death in this way have been saved by 
>international pressure, though many more have not been so lucky.
>
>---------
>
>Compere: Tony Jones
>Reporter: Philippa McDonald
>
>TONY JONES: Now to the story of the young Iranian woman, Maryam Ayoubi.
>
>She's been sentenced under article 83 of the Islamic penal code which 
>specifies the penalty of "death by stoning" for a married woman who commits 
>adultery.
>The stoning is usually public and in many cases, the victim's families are 
>forced to watch.
>In recent years, the lives of two women sentenced to death in this way have 
>been saved by international pressure, though many more haven't been so lucky.
>In a moment, I'll speak to a key member of the human rights group trying to 
>save Maryam Ayoubi's life.
>But first, this report from Philippa McDonald.
>PHILIPPA McDONALD: For more than 20 years, the lives of ordinary Iranians 
>have been ruled by hardline religious leaders.
>And according to human rights groups, for women, the harsh regime's presence 
>
>is most keenly felt.
>They're segregated from men, have to by law cover up and their freedom of 
>movement and employment is decided by men.
>But when it comes to breaking Islamic law, there is little distinction 
>between the sexes when the clerics pass judgment.
>MARYAM KOUSHA, DEFENCE OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN IRAN: 
>Maryam Ayoubi is the mother of three children who's been convicted of 
>committing adultery by the Islamic courts in Iran.
>According to Islamic rules, the punishment for adultery is death by stoning.
>PHILIPPA McDONALD: As this video smuggled out of Iran so graphically shows, 
>men are wrapped in sheets, buried in a ditch up to their waist and stoned.
>Women are buried up to their neck and families are often forced to watch 
>their relatives' execution.
>MARYAM KOUSHA: The men have more chance of survival, if you like.
>It's still horrible, it's still tortuous to men as well, but being, you 
>know, in the ditch up to the waist, that gives them some sort of manoeuvre 
>space.
>Whereas for women, it's just their head's out and you're stoned to death.
>You have no chance.
>PHILIPPA McDONALD: Maryam Ayoubi's death sentence was confirmed by Iran's 
>highest court last month.
>Now ex-patriot Iranians all over the world are campaigning to save her and 
>stop stonings altogether.
>MARYAM KOUSHA: Maryam Ayoubi's case tells a lot about the plight of women in 
>Iran.
>It's just one example of very horrific and tragic example of what's going on.
>PHILIPPA McDONALD: Official statistics are unavailable.
>But stoning is reportedly common practice in Iran.
>In light of this, it's hardly surprising the number of Iranians seeking 
>asylum across the globe is growing rapidly.
>In Australia alone, 189 Iranians are seeking refugee status.
>Philippa McDonald, Lateline.
>
>Email the Iranian President
>President's email address: khatami-AT-president.ir
>Maryam Kousha's email address: marykousha-AT-yahoo.com
>To register your protest include a call for clemency in the case of Maryam 
>Ayoobi and call for the banning of the practise of stoning with a copy to 
>Maryam Kousha.
>
>MULTIMEDIA 
>		lateline 
>
>
>http://abc.net.au/lateline/av/2001/04/20010410ll-iran.ram 
>