Solsticewitch13's BOS: DC: Protesters Challenge Stoning at Lincoln Memorial

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

DC: Protesters Challenge Stoning at Lincoln Memorial

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L)

http://www.realcourage.org/2010/07/dc-stoning-protest-lincoln-memorial/

On Sunday, July 11, 2010, at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
steps in Washington DC, protesters
demonstrated in support of human rights and against the barbaric
practice of stoning. The protesters included men, women, Muslims,
non-Muslims, and represented diverse human rights and feminist causes.
The July 11, 2010 event was organized by Responsible for Equality And
Liberty (R.E.A.L.)'s Jeffrey Imm, and included Maria Rohaly of Mission Free Iran,
as well as speakers from feminist causes.

: DC's Lincoln
Memorial - July 11 - Protesters Challenge Stoning

Some of the protesters had also been part of the
July 2 protest to call for the end to the stoning sentence of
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year old Iranian woman, who has been
convicted of adultery in the Islamic Republic of Iran and condemned to
death by stoning, which was held at the Iranian Interests Section of the
Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC.

The July 11 protesters continued to urge people to sign
the petition to call for an end to the stoning and death sentence
against Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani. Over 5,000 people have signed the
Mission Free Iran petition in the past week. R.E.A.L.'s Jeffrey Imm and
volunteers passed out fliers and business cards with a shortcut link
to the petition at: http://bit.ly/helpsakineh

: R.E.A.L.'s Jeffrey Imm Urges Public to Sign
Petition in Support of Sakineh at http://bit.ly/helpsakineh

Maria Rohaly spoke on the how Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was first
sentenced by the Islamic Republic of Iran to 99 lashes in public for the
accusations of adultery in Iran. Maria Rohaly stated that Sakineh
Mohammadi Ashtiani "has spent 5 years in prison for a non-crime that she
did not commit. Subsequently, the Islamic Republic decided that that
was not enough and they decided that she should buried in a hole up to
her chest and have stones pelted at her head until she is dead - that is
called stoning and this is called 'justice' in the Islamic Republic,
and we say no to this kind of barbaric, medieval 'justice' that is
disproportionally implemented against women in Iran and around the
Islamic world. We are here today to ask you for your continued support
in the outcry against the Islamic regime's barbaric abuse of Sakineh
Mohammadi Ashtiani as well as number of other women who are currently
under, and some men, who are currently under death sentences by stoning
for the non-crime for consensual adult relations."

: Lincoln Memorial: Maria Rohaly Speaks Out Against
Stoning and in Support of Sakineh

Protester Maria Rohaly stated that Iran is continuing to review the
sentence for Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani. While Iran may withdraw the
stoning sentence, it may choose another form of death penalty against
her. Maria Rohaly stated "there are still no guarantees that she will
not be stoned to death, there are still no guarantees that she won't be
executed for a non-crime that she did not commit. Nevertheless they may
lift the stoning sentence, what's on the table now is a 10 year
sentence.. Ten years in prison for something that she did not do is
still unacceptable and with continued international pressure against
this regime and against the barbaric ideas of what justice is comprised
of , we can continue and we can force the regime to stop the sentencing
of Sakineh, and it is not just about Sakineh it is about all women who
are subjected to this inhumane form of justice. Mission
Free Iran led the July 2 protest at
the DC Iranian Interests Section and has helped
to coordinate and promote protests around the world against Iranian
stoning.

R.E.A.L. leader Jeffrey Imm condemned those who support stoning
anywhere in the world, as a barbaric injustice against human beings and
against humanity's universal human rights. R.E.A.L.'s Jeffrey Imm told
of one of a case of stoning of a
13 year old girl in Somalia who had
been raped, that was also convicted for "adultery," like Sakineh
Mohammadi Ashtiani. He urged our fellow human beings and the world
governments to reject the barbaric practice of stoning as inhumane and a
violation of human rights anywhere in the world. He also urged our
fellow human being to unequivocally reject stoning and those groups that
promote stoning, and addressed
the Hizb ut-Tahrir group's repeated demonstrations on
June 22, 2010 and on
World AIDS Day, where Hizb ut-Tahrir members have supported calls
for stoning of others, including postings
on the Hizb ut-Tahrir website supporting stoning.

: As Women Watch in Audience, R.E.A.L.'s Jeffrey
Imm Challenge All Men to Stand Up Against Violence Against Women

Jeffrey Imm had a special message for men, urging them to take
responsibility for ending the barbaric practice of stoning and violence
against women. He stated that "it is unmanly, it is wrong for any man
to ignore the violence against women. Your daughters, your sisters,
your mothers depend on you - they depend on you to speak out - the women
around the world depend on you to speak out to other men and say
'Enough is Enough,' Stop the Violence against Women! Whether it is
stoning, whether it is rape, whether it is any kind of institutionalized
misogyny, we need men to speak out and take responsibility for what is
happening around the world and determine to change it." Jeffrey Imm
also used the public awareness event to thank the Muslims who joined the
protesters at the Lincoln Memorial event, and also to recognize
the Muslim groups that are speaking out on behalf of democracy and
freedom, such as the American Islamic Forum for
Democracy (AIFD), American
Islamic Congress (AIC), Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV),
and other groups.

R.E.A.L. has tried to publicize the continuing plight of stoning in Iran and
other parts of the world, and has held multiple awareness events on
stoning corresponding to the film released last summer, 'The Stoning of
Soraya M.,' including a public awareness campaign in Washington DC's
Georgetown. R.E.A.L. supporters have also tried to have home
gatherings to watch the DVD release of
that film in March 2010.

: Feminists
Stand Up Against Stoning and For Human Rights

The Lincoln Memorial protesters also included American feminists and
supporters of the Equal
Rights Amendment (E.R.A.), designed to gain Constitutional
equality for women in America.

: Consistency on Women's Rights in America: "We Can
Be the Beacon of Hope"

Mrs. Cook spoke on behalf of feminists in condemning stoning and the
abuse of women. She stated to women "this is time to use our heads" and
urged women to speak out against violence against women in America as
well, stating that those who commit abuse and women who are "not paying a
price, to be let off, what does this say to anyone else in the
country? Well, I guess the legal system doesn't care... We need to get
back to the rights of every human being, men and women. Because no
matter what you are talking about whether it is a religion, whether it
is a race, whether it is nationality, there is one thing we have in
common... women and men... We need that equality and we need it in this
country now, and then we can be the beacon of hope to the rest of the
world that yes we can do it right. Don't do as I say, but do as I do."

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Responsible for Equality And
Liberty (R.E.A.L.) stand with our fellow human beings in defense of
our Universal Human Rights.

We urge all - Choose Love, Not Hate - Love Wins.

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