Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday May 23rd, 2011 - 100 days have passed since the illegal house arrests of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, Mehdi Karroubi and Fatemeh Karroubi. During this time, the leaders of the Green movement and their spouses have been illegally denied all contact with the nation of Iran, while facing a myriad of unfounded accusations and allegations. The Green activists and enthusiasts have nevertheless remained steadfast in their support, eagerly awaiting any news from Mir Hossein Mousavi and other key figures within the Green movement.
Kaleme is proud to release the unpublished statements made by Mir Hossein Mousavi when he and his wife Zahra Rahnavard met last year with a group of women's rights activists representing a variety of viewpoints in commemoration of the birth of Hazrat Zahra. The statements made by Zahra Rahnavard were published last year. Today after approximately one year and in honor of National Women's Day and Mothers Day, the statements made by Mir Hossein Mousavi during a meeting that took place with women's activists last year are being published for the first time.
While extending his congratulations to women on the occasion of International Women's Day and Mothers Day, Mir Hossein Mousavi reiterated that in his opinion there are no differences between women and men seeking to achieve freedom and democracy and as such we should all work together when taking steps towards this important goal.
Mousavi stated: "I believe that women have played and will continue to play a pivotal role within the Green Movement. The Women's Movement is part of the Green movement and the destiny of the Green Movement and all movements seeking freedom and justice is interlinked with that of the women's movement. The challenges facing women and the issues associated with women's rights within Iran cannot be resolved unless they become a public issue. There must be no segregation between women and men. Gender segregation is the root cause of the discrimination and the challenges we face today. We cannot have an open and fair society unless we resolve the challenges facing women today."
Gender discrimination imposed in the name of Islam...
Mousavi continued: "The developments of the past year resulted in the rebirth of women and the youth, establishing a new identity for themselves. Their preoccupations and their worlds have also changed. This rebirth brought with it a certain amount of anguish and pain, particularly because our current government structures and legal framework is incompatible with this redefined identity. This is a matter we must address. Women face many serious obstacles in our society - obstacles that have been created in the name of Islam and family values and are based on gender biases and the challenges associated with our legal frameworks.
Mousavi stated: "We have yet to provide a clear road map for a society in which women are able to obtain their rights. When we speak of women's rights, freedom for women, or eliminating gender discrimination, we must do so by providing a framework for women that draws their attention to effects of the elimination of such discrimination in relation to our customs, heritage, fundamental values and political and social challenges. We must paint a picture of a society that includes all segments of our population, encouraging a social movement that motivates more women to become active and involved."
The challenges facing women effects both women and men
While emphasizing that the challenges facing women in Iran is not gender specific and effects both women and men Mousavi added: "Thankfully, men and women are intertwined and it is only when we view them as one that we can resolve the challenges they face. It goes without saying that there is a vast amount of experience in the world regarding this matter. The fate of the Green Movement and the Women's Movement in Iran will remain intertwined. I doubt that the Green Movement can achieve its ideals without women accompanying the movement every step of the way. The reverse is also true; in other words if we are unable to create changes in the current political climate, the challenges women face [in Iran] will not be resolved."
A "Hejab Vice Squad" designed to influence & divert public opinion
Mir Hossein Mousavi explained that in his opinion the recent positioning by the ruling government and their attempts to enforce the Islamic dress code [hejab] are mainly designed to influence and divert public opinion. When asked about the Green Movement's strategy regarding the recent positions by the Friday Prayer Imams regarding Hijab and its supposed relationship with earthquakes* and the recent resurgence of the Hejab Vice Squad, Mousavi responded: "Events are occurring in our society and decisions are being made, that appear not only not to resolve our problems, but are instead designed to create differences amongst us. It goes without saying that our country is prone to experiencing earthquakes. Take Tehran for example that is situated on an fault. Earthquakes can be very dangerous and the government must undoubtedly devise measures to address the risks associated with earthquakes, rather than turn them into dreams and create an association with Hejab. This is exactly how they try to keep people's minds busy creating discord amongst people."
The current climate is not compatible with our Constitution and respect for human dignity
Mousavi added: "The recent insurgence of the Hejab Vice Squad is not focused on enforcing the Hejab, but rather designed to influence and divert public opinion. The Green Movement seeks justice, freedom and the execution of our laws - objectives that if achieved will result in many other challenges being resolved. If we are pained by the measures [taken by the ruling government] it is because the current climate is neither compatible with our Constitution nor does it respect human dignity. Although their measures have failed they nevertheless seek to keep our minds occupied. Though we should continue to be critical of such initiatives, we must refrain from making an issue out of them and keep our focus on the real issues at hand. In other words, we must be careful not to fall into their trap.
Aligning the activities of the women's movement with that of the Green Movement
Mir Hossein Mousavi also addressed a number of questions regarding the One Million Signature Campaign to Change Discriminatory Laws. While referring to the human chain formed last year from Tajrish to Rahahan Square as a sign of national unity Mousavi continued: "In my opinion that day symbolized the essence of the Green Movement. In the past year we offered the slogan of national reconciliation, not only appropriate for national unity but also necessary for resolving the challenges we face. There are some who do not benefit from national reconciliation. If we look in the segments of our society such as the families of prisoners we will find groups and movements that did not exist prior to the Green Movement. Some women were active in the Million Signature Campaign to change discriminatory laws and perhaps even faced accusations for operating independently. As a result of the colorful and open nature of the Green movement the Million Signature Campaign is now linked with the far reaching Green Movement and is no longer looked upon suspiciously. We must be grateful and view reconciliation, friendship and alignment of the various movements as one of our main goals."
The Green Movement opposes any move that would undermine our national unity
Mir Hossein Mousavi added: "We must define clear initiatives and define a framework on a national level designed to bring together the various ethnic groups within our society. The Green movement apposes any movement that would undermine our national unity."
When asked about the position of the various segments of society such as laborers, teachers, farmers, etc. within the Green Movement, Mousavi stated: "Our discussion of justice should not only be limited to judicial and legal justice. Our nation, particularly our laborers and farmers face many challenges and work under inhumane conditions. We must further expand our circle of influence to include these segment of our society. We must at minimum have more compassion for and sympathize with our workers that has not been paid for six months and realize that the challenges they face will only be resolved through dialogue."
Mir Hossein Mousavi reminded everyone of the importance of creating an environment within the Green Movement that is conducive to hearing the voices of all movements, reiterating the importance of making sure that the issues of the women's movement are also further raised within the Green Movement.
We must persevere until we bring out change
In response to a question by a women's activist who inquired how long we have to wait in order to achieve our goals, Mousavi stated: "We cannot assign a time frame when it comes to such matters. What is clear is that we must persevere until we have brought about change. If we continue to resist, express our demands and take steps towards achieving them, we will eventually reach our goals. It is impossible to predict when this will happen. It will depend on the level of our persistence and effort.
Signs that the Green Movement is alive and well
With regards to the issue of hope Mousavi stated: "We must create hope on a national level. If we look back at the past year, some believed that the street protests were similar to those that took place in previous years in Shiraz, Zanjan, Eslam Shahr and Mashhad; movements that were stopped in a matter of one or two days. Some believed that the street protests associated with the Green Movement could also be easily curtailed, but it was not the case. Even if the street protests have discontinued, it does not mean that the movement is no longer alive. The presence of women like yourself at such gatherings and the passionate commemorations for the martyrs of the Green movement such as the one held for Kianoosh Asa at the University of Science & Technology [Elm o Sanaat], demonstrate that the Green Movement is vibrant and continues to grow."
Mousavi reiterated: "In the past year, we have not suffered from blind radicalism, rather people have become aware of the fact that this is a non-violent movement - and this is a major area of strength for the Green Movement."
Mousavi concluded: "The Green Movement has thankfully always belonged to all our citizens. After years of policies and actions leading to a rift between various segments and ethnic groups within our society and years of policies in which some believed that it was to their benefit to create differences, creating a few insiders while sidelining many others, the Green Movement crossed all boundaries, creating alliances and friendships across the various segments in our society - and for this we must be grateful...."
Translator's Note: The reference here is to a statement made last year by Friday Prayer Imam of Tehran, Kazem Sedighi, who said "women who don’t have a suitable appearance" (meaning women who do not fully observe the obligatory Islamic dress code, "hejab") attract young men and lead to the spreading of adultery in the Iranian society which -- according to the cleric -- increases the risk of earthquakes."
Source: Kaleme: http://www.kaleme.com/1390/03/02/klm-58836/
Mir Hossein Mousavi on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150186085892606
Banooye Sabz
http://banooyesabzirani.blogspot.com/2011/05/unpublished-remarks-by-mir-hossein.html
No comments:
Post a Comment