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Women’s Forum Against Fundamentalism in
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Public Statement
June 24, 2005
Iranian
Women Want Real Change and Not Another Terrorist
President
BOSTON, MA- In days leading to June
17th election, women’s call to boycott captured the attention of
some candidates. Despite, their last minute and superficial attention to
women’s issues, one thing is very clear to the Iranian women about this
election and the run-off race: "If you
win the rat race, you're still a rat."
There is a need for real
change in Iran. Demands for real
change was on public display during women’s protest on June 12th and again the
sit-in on June 24th in front of Tehran’s University. Iranians,
particularly women, have no illusions about their deep divide with the ruling
theocracy.
Elections are
meaningless and role of presidency represents no public legitimacy. Terms such as “moderate”, “reformer”, or “pragmatic” candidates
are misnomers when it comes to elections in Iran. According to Iran’s constitution, women cannot become president. Yet, with their
unyielding boycott, women have played an instrumental role in exposing the
inherent incompatibility between women’s demand for equality and the nature of
fundamentalist regime in Tehran.
Women’s Forum Against Fundamentalism in Iran (WFAFI) supports women’s
boycott of candidates such as Rafsanjani and Ahmadinejad. Hashemi
Rafsanjani who coined the male superiority in Iran’s theocracy by saying,
“Men’s brain is a larger then woman” is not an agent for change. He is a wanted
criminal in Germany and Belgium for his direct role in
international terrorism and human rights violations. As for Mohammad
Ahmadinejad, the darling of Iran’s supreme leader,
Khamenei, the idea of women's equal participation in society is "negative,
primitive and childish." Ahmadinejad, the former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards,
is also directly responsible for arrests, execution and hanging of women in Iran.
With their boycott,
Iranians, particularly women, have said no to the choice between two terrorists
running for presidency. No matter who will take the office of mullah’s
presidency, Khatami’s replacement doest not represent Iranian women and has no
mandate to be effective due to popular boycott in the run off race. One thing
is clear, theoretical leadership is seriously weakened domestically and
internationally.
WFAFI believes, Iranian
women are setting the tone for real change in Iran and they are offering a
roadmap for
achieving a democratic change in Iran. A change that will bring
equality with establishment of a secular government, while fully respecting
religious believes of people. Indeed, democracy is the only road for Iranian
women and their aspiration for equality and freedom.
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WFAFI
P.O.Box 15205,
Boston, MA 02215
Tel: (617) 590-1665
Fax: (610) 862-9110