Press Release
In commemoration of 11 July, International Day against Stoning, we call on people worldwide to demand an end to the barbaric practice of stoning to death.
11 July has been chosen by the International Committee against Stoning to mark the day that 31 year old mother of two, Maryam Ayoubi, was stoned to death in 2001 under Khatami’s ‘reformist’ presidency. Though she had fainted out of sheer fear, she was nonetheless carried out on a stretcher and stones were thrown at her body until she was dead.
Stoning is a medieval act of barbarity that the Islamic regime in Iran and other Islamic gangs and states use to mete out punishment against women who have sex outside of marriage and in some cases also against men and homosexuals. It is a tool to frighten people into submission.
Even so, there is ample opposition and resistance to stoning in countries where women are stoned to death. In Iran, in particular, where the regime has stoned to death hundreds of people, there is an extensive social movement against stoning. It has become impossible for the regime to stone people in public for a very long time now and the practice of stoning has effectively been suspended, particularly after the campaign to defend Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani.
Millions of people all over the world came to the fore to defend Sakineh, demand an end to stoning and condemn the regime. Whilst Sakineh is still in prison (as is her lawyer Houtan Kian), the Islamic regime of Iran has been forced to suspend her stoning sentence and even speaks of cancelling her execution as well as her possible release. This is all thanks to the worldwide movement against stoning. This movement has saved many a life in the past few decades.
On 11 July, the International Committee against Stoning calls on everyone to remember the victims of stoning and those languishing under stoning sentences and to demand an unequivocal end to the barbaric practice of stoning in Iran and everywhere.
Mina Ahadi
International Committee against Stoning
Tel: +49 (0) 1775692413
minaahadi@aol.com
stopstonningnow.com/wpress/
Maryam Namazie
Spokesperson
One Law for All
Tel: +44 (0) 7719166731
onelawforall@gmail.com
www.onelawforall.org.uk
1 Comment
Huguette Chomski Magnis
Yes, you are right !
Let us campaign for a UN ban of all countries where stoning is legal. Out of UN until they abolish it ! Or UN itself loses all credibility when it talks about UDHR.
In solidarity.
Huguette Chomski Magnis$
Secretary General of Mouvement Pour la Paix et Contre le Terrorisme