Women’s
Forum Against Fundamentalism in Iran
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PUBLIC STATEMENT - URGENT ACTION
CONTACT: press@wfafi.org
August 24, 2006
Iran's Former President, Khatami, Must not be Allowed to Visit Washington
BOSTON , MA-Iran's former president, Mohammad Khatami, has been invited to speak at the Washington National Cathedral on September 7, 2006. Women's Forum Against Fundamentalism in Iran (WFAFI) denounces Khatami's visit to Washington D.C. and urges the Dean, the Very Reverend Samuel T. Lloyd III and the Reverend Canon John L. Peterson, director of the Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation at the Cathedral to withdraw their invitation and stand on the side of Iranian people and millions of Iranian women who have suffered under Khatami's regime.
To be clear, Khatami still represents a regime responsible for torture and slaughter of tens and thousands of political prisoners, stoning of women, use of rape as weapon against female political prisoners before their execution, suppression of religious and ethnic minorities, and massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in the summer of 1988. In addition, Khatami is responsible for eight years of concealing Tehran's nuclear weapons program, support for terrorist organizations in the region and spread of Islamic Fundamentalism. While some viewed him as a "reformer, he called himself "the savior" of a misogynous regime. During his tenure, the most Draconian laws were adopted against women including the segregations of hospitals and medical facilities where women can no longer be treated by male medical professionals or doctors. Moreover, his direct role in crushing the student uprising of 1999, marks one the most despicable act of his presidency.
Therefore, to invite such a criminal cleric, who has been a guardian of the most active state-sponsor of terrorism and violence against Iranian women, to come Washington D.C. under the banner of "dialogue between civilizations and cultures" is not only an insult to Iranian culture and civilization, but also to all international efforts in defense of justice and peace. If indeed there is a seriousness about truth, reconciliation and international campaign for justice, then Khatami along with other high ranking officials in the Iranian regime must be persecuted in the International Criminal Court for their crimes committed against humanity, particularly against the Iranian women.
URGENT ACTION HELP US VOICE THE CONCERN OF IRANIAN PEOPLE
Tehran's regime is notorious in making a mockery of the universality of human rights values and respect for women's rights. Let this trip not be another opportunity for the misogynous clerics in Iran. Join us in a campaign to cancel Khatami's trip to the United States. WFAFI calls upon the human rights and women's rights advocates, the religious and political leaders,members of Congress to urge the National Cathedral and the State Department in withdrawing the invitation and deny Khatami's request for visa. To do do, please contact:
1. Managing Director of the Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation , Jean F. Duff, ,jduff@cathedral.org or (202) 537-2178 and
2. Public Affairs Director at National Cathedral Greg Rixon (202) 537-2198orGRixon@cathedral.org
and protest Khatami's visit. Please ask your member of Congress to do the same.
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