MANIFESTO FOR A SECULAR MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA ====================================== http://www.siawi.org/article2643.html
Statement For Immediate Release 27 October 2011 FOR A FREE AND SECULAR MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA 76 secularists and human rights campaigners, including Mina Ahadi, Nawal El Sadaawi, Marieme Helie Lucas, Hameeda Hussein, Ayesha Imam, Maryam Jamil, Maryam Namazie, Taslima Nasrin, Farida Shaheed, Fatou Sow, and Stasa Zajovic have signed on to a Manifesto for a Free and Secular Middle East and North Africa. In light of the recent pronouncements of the unelected Libyan Transitional Council for ‘Sharia laws’, the signatories of the manifesto vehemently oppose the hijacking of the protests by Islamism or US-led militarism and unequivocally support the call for freedom and secularism made by citizens and particularly women in the region. Secularism is a minimum precondition for a free and secular Middle East and for the recognition of women’s rights and equality. We call on world citizens to support this important campaign by signing on to our petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/world-citizens-defend-a-free-and-secular-middle-east-and-north-africa We also ask that supporters click ‘like’ on our Facebook page to support this important campaign: http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Free-and-Secular-Middle-East-and-North-Africa/271164176261820#!/pages/A-Free-and-Secular-Middle-East-and-North-Africa/271164176261820and Tweet: #freesecularMENA in support of a free and secular Middle East and North Africa. For more information, contact: Marieme Helie Lucas Maryam Namazie Telephone: +44 (0) 7719166731 For a Free and Secular Middle East and North Africa Email: [email protected] BM Box 2387, London WC1N 3XX, UK (FOR FRENCH, ARABIC AND PERSIAN VERSIONS SEE PDF FILE URL BELOW) MANIFESTO FOR A SECULAR MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA The 2009 protests in Iran followed by the Arab Spring have the potential to herald a new dawn for the people of the region and the world. The protests have clearly shown that people in the region, like people everywhere, want to live 21st century lives. We, the undersigned, emphasise their modern and human dimension and wholeheartedly welcome this immense and historical development. We are vehemently opposed to their hijacking by Islamism or US-led militarism and support the call for a free and secular Middle East and North Africa made by citizens and particularly women in the region. Secularism is a minimum precondition for the freedom and equality of all citizens and includes: 1. Complete separation of religion from the state. 2. Abolition of religious laws in the family, civil and criminal codes. 3. Separation of religion from the educational system. 4. Freedom of religion and atheism as private beliefs. 5. Prohibition of sex apartheid and compulsory veiling. SIGNATORIES 1. Mina Ahadi, Spokesperson, International Committees against Stoning and Execution, Iran/Germany 2. Marieme Helie Lucas, Sociologist, Founder and former international coordinator of Women Living Under Muslim Laws and founder of Secularism Is A Women’s Issue, Algeria/France 3. Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson, Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Iran/UK 4. Shahla Abghari, University Professor, Iran/USA 5. Siavash Abghari, Esmail Khoi Foundation, Iran/USA 6. Ahlam Akram, Palestinian Peace and Human Rights Writer and Campaigner, Palestine/UK 7. Sargul Ahmad, Women’s Liberation in Iraq, Iraq/Canada 8. Mahin Alipour, Coordinator, Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Iran/Sweden 9. Reza Alkrami, Human Rights Activist, Iran/USA 10. Farideh Arman, Coordinator, Committee to Defend Women’s Rights, Iran/Sweden 11. Sultana Begum, Regional Gender Adviser, Diakonia Asia, Bangladesh 12. Djemila Benhabib, Writer, Algeria/Canada 13. Codou Bop, Journalist and Director of GREFELS, Dakar, Senegal 14. Ariane Brunet, co-founder Urgent Action Fund, Québec, Canada 15. Micheline Carrier, Sisyphe, Québec, Canada 16. Patty Debonitas, Iran Solidarity, UK 17. Denise Deliège Femmes En Noir, Belgium 18. Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Sweden 19. Fanny Filosof, Femmes en Noir, Belgium 20. Mersedeh Ghaedi, New Channel TV Programme host, Iran/Norway 21. Groupe de recherche sur les femmes et les lois, Dakar, Senegal 22. Laura Guidetti, Marea Feminist Magazine, Italy 23. Zeinabou Hadari, Centre Reines Daura, Niger 24. Anissa Hélie, Historian, Algeria/France/USA 25. Rohini Henssman, Human Rights Activist, India 26. Hameeda Hossein, Chairperson Ain o Salish Kendra, Dhaka, Bangladesh 27. Khayal Ibrahim, Women’s Liberation in Iraq, Iraq/Canada 28. Leo Igwe, Founder, Nigerian Humanist Movement, Nigeria 29. Ayesha Imam, Women’s Human Rights and Democracy Activist, Nigeria/Senegal 30. International Campaign in Defence of Women’s Rights in Iran, Sweden 31. International Committee against Execution, Germany 32. International Committee against Stoning, Germany 33. Iran Solidarity, Iran/UK 34. Maryam Jamil, Women’s Liberation in Iraq, Iraq 35. Sultana Kamal, Executive Director, Ain o Salish Kendra and Chairperson Transparency International, Bangladesh 36. Abbas Kamil, Unity Against Unemployment in Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq 37. Harsh Kapoor, South Asia Citizens Web, India 38. Akbar Karimian, Human Rights Activist, Iran/UK 39. Cherifa Kheddar, President of Djazairouna, Algeria 40. Monica Lanfranco, Marea Feminist Magazine, Italy 41. Houzan Mahmoud, Representative of Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, Iraq/UK 42. Nahla Elgaali Mahmoud, Biologist, Sudan/UK 43. Anwar Mir Sattari, Human rights Activist, Iran/Belgium 44. Amena Mohsin, Professor, Dept. International Relations Dhaka University, Bangladesh 45. Khawar Mumtaz, Director Shirkat Gah, Lahore, Pakistan 46. Taslima Nasrin, Writer and Activist, Bangladesh 47. U. M. Habibun Nessa, President, Naripokkho, Bangladesh 48. Partow Nooriala, Poet, Writer and Human Rights Activist, Iran/USA 49. Asghar Nosrati, Human Rights Activist, Iran/Sweden 50. One Law for All, UK 51. Pragna Patel, Southall Black Sisters, UK 52. Fariborz Pooya, Iranian Secular Society, Iran/UK 53. Protagora, Zagreb, Croatia 54. Hassan Radwan, Activist, Egypt/UK 55. Mary Jane Real, Women’s Human Rights Coalition, Manila, The Philippines 56. Edith Rubinstein, Femmes en Noir, Belgium 57. Nawal El Sadaawi, Writer, Egypt 58. Fahimeh Sadeghi, Coordinator, International Federation of Iranian Refugees, Iran/Canada 59. Gita Sahgal, Director, Centre for Secular Space, UK 60. Nina Sankari, Secularist and Feminist, Poland 61. Secularism Is A Women’s Issue (International Network) 62. Aisha Lee Shaheed, London, UK 63. Farida Shaheed, Shirkat Gah, Lahore, Pakistan 64. Siba Shakib, Filmmaker, Writer and Activist, Iran/USA 65. Sohaila Sharifi, Women’s Rights Campaigner, Iran/UK 66. Issam Shukri, Head, Secularism and Civil Rights in Iraq, Iraq/Canada 67. Southall Black Sisters, UK 68. Fatou Sow, Sociologist CNRS, Dakar, Senegal 69. Afsaneh Vahdat, Coordinator, International Campaign for Women’s Rights in Iran, Iran/Sweden 70. Lino Veljak, Professor of Philosophy, Zagreb University, Croatia 71. Fauzia Viqar, Director Advocacy and Communications, Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Centre, Lahore, Pakistan 72. Anne Marie Waters, One Law for All, UK 73. Vivienne Wee, anthropologist, feminist and human rights activist, Singapore and Hong Kong, China 74. Women In Black, Belgrade, Serbia 75. Sara Zaker, Theatre Director, Bangladesh 76. Stasa Zajovic, spokesperson Women in Black, Belgrade, Serbia We call on world citizens to support this important campaign by signing on to our petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/world-citizens-defend-a-free-and-secular-middle-east-and-north-africa We also ask that supporters click ‘like’ on our Facebook page to support this important campaign: http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Free-and-Secular-Middle-East-and-North-Africa/271164176261820#!/pages/A-Free-and-Secular-Middle-East-and-North-Africa/271164176261820and Tweet: #freesecularMENA in support of a free and secular Middle East and North Africa. For more information, contact: Marieme Helie Lucas Maryam Namazie Telephone: +44 (0) 7719166731 For a Free and Secular Middle East and North Africa Email: secularMENA gmail.com BM Box 2387, London WC1N 3XX, UK FULL TEXT PDF AT: http://tinyurl.com/6d78v68 -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
