Fariba Dawoodi Mohajer is a woman human rights activist who had been summoned to a revolutionary court on the eve of women’s demonstrations last year. She spoke with Rooz on her views and recent experience.
Rooz (R): You too were summoned to court and interrogated recently. Tell us about your experience.
Fariba Dawoodi Mohajer (FDM): Three days prior to the peaceful demonstration of June 5th, I received a summons to appear at a revolutionary court on the day of the demonstrations. On the morning of June 5th, people banged the door of my house for 2 hours, probably so that I go to the court. I was there from morning till about 10pm that day and was interrogated in the presence of my lawyer. At the end of the day I was released on bail.
R: What did they charge you with?
FDM: Numerous ones that included activities against national security, weakening the pillars of the regime, and, propaganda against the regime by giving interviews to domestic and foreign media for the purpose of establishing equality before the law for women and men. This was probably the first time that activities for equality in law for men and women were announced to be against national security and propaganda against the regime. The same goes for calls for a legal and peaceful demonstration on June 5th, which the Iranian government is obliged to uphold by virtue of the Iranian constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. All we did was use the provisions of the constitution to hold a meeting. How come the actions of a group of people who put the flag of a country on an animal and create a fire in front of a foreign embassy is not deemed an event against the national security and the official radio and television networks repeatedly air the event, whereas the gathering of a group of women who call to end discrimination against women is interpreted to be an act against national security? Is it really true that the national interest of a strong Iran is endangered by the gathering of women and 70 people are arrested for it, of which one still remains in prison after the passage of four months and the rest all experienced brutal physical treatment by government agents. In all of these gatherings women have been violently beaten, insulted, humiliated and even though they filed complaints with the judiciary, nothing has been done about it. But our work has continued since that incident and women have decided to start a campaign to gather a petition with one million signatures with the purpose of educating, participating and prioritizing the calls of women in order to amend the constitution and civil laws of the country.
R: What is your assessment of the detention of women activists and the closure of NGOs?
FDM: The more civil society expands and spreads the greater will be societal assets, national unity, participation, awareness, questioning of the government, pluralism, desire for freedom and equality and the calls for the respect of rights. A strong civil society cannot be pushed around easily. It will also not be influenced by government propaganda. This is the reason why the government is against any effective and civil society part of which are the NGOs. Currently, independent and free media, web sites and web blogs are under threat of this crackdown. So it is understandable that they are against women’s calls for equality. Women oppose the definitions that have been imposed by men. Those women who call for the right to be elected are confronted by the government. How can they expect us to vote only for men who want to become more powerful by the day so as to ignore women altogether. And there is no difference on this between the reformers and the conservatives. They must learn that if they want to receive the women’s vote then they must respond to their calls as well. Such calls are not music to the ears of men who are chauvinistic and are not willing to have any competition. The groups that have been closed by the government are those that operated legally in this country, were part of its civil society, and, had training programs in Tehran and other cities. Government’s policies and actions indicate that they desire to shut all the channels that feed civil society on various fake accusations. These NGOs have planned their activities in cooperation with international agencies, which is an accepted way of doing their work. Similar activities exist in other countries around the world, such as those in Africa, Afghanistan, the city of Bam in Iran, in Iraq and other crises-striken areas where NGOs provide assistance. Even government agencies advance their programs through cooperation with these very international organizations and groups. Just last year at the international women’s conference, 3 right-wing women traveled to the US through funds provided by a Dutch organization. How is it that their trip is not interpreted to be espionage or for a velvet revolution but the very trip for other Iranians who are not publicists for the regime – which in any case is not the function of an NGO – is ruled to be crime and espionage?
R: What is your conclusion of this state of affairs?
FDM: Basically they want to create an island and silence every voice that is different from theirs. So that their voice is not heard anywhere.
R: What is the purpose of the government in these violent confrontations with women?
FDM: The government uses various hard and soft methods to control women, such as threats, denouncements, accusations, containment, filtering, job expulsions, limitations on social activities, illegal interrogations, unidentified telephone calls, and finally violence and imprisonment. My question from them is that whether this is the appropriate respond to peaceful calls that women make. In other words the Islamic Republic takes advantage of all existing discriminatory laws and regulations for its purposes.
R: This is my question too. What is the government’s real response to these events?
FDM: The government is afraid of women’s calls for equality with men. It is afraid of pluralism. It is afraid of having a strong, healthy and effective competitor. It wants the house and society to have a hierarchy. A woman is expected to be a commodity in the house and an instrument in society to serve men. It is expected be a yes-person, a follower, so that if it challenges this, it will be deprived of its nightly meal. They want to control women at home and in society and keep it busy through such practices as polygamy and multiple sex partners which the laws currently allow them to do. Inheritance, alimony and equal testimony can provide a woman with economic freedom and social position. The very things that male chauvinists fear and are battling. If women find their way into judgeships, senior management or the presidency, this will give them power. Male chauvinists do not want this to happen and so they challenge any one who strives for it. But whatever the response of the government may be, the women of today and the educated ones are determined to change their status and the government must hear their voice.
R: What is your assessment of this year’s international women’s day activities in Iran?
FDM: The very fact that women have the courage to strive for their rights is commendable. While men of politics have opted to resign themselves to a corner and are busy making deals in order not to lose a bit of power and accuse women of being too demanding, they will be asked how they wish to attain their promises. While the 8th of March International Women’s Day is not considered a political event any where in the world, the regime wants to portray it as political and suppress it. Unfortunately some individuals and groups play into their hands and question our movement and calls, while we do not expect anything from them even though we have our members behind bars.
R: How do you view the response of the reform groups to the women’s movement, and in particular to the recent arrests and imprisonments?
FDM: This year the reform groups issued a better statement on this occasion than last year. But is this sufficient? Is Iran only for Iranian men or for all Iranians? Is male chauvinism consistent with a government of the people for the people principle? Does it not mean the government of men over everybody else? Reform groups must present their plans for the attainment of women’s demands. They must do this courageously and sincerely. I shall never forget the time when I called a friend last year regarding the June 11 gathering, and he told me that they were not going to join us because our calls and demands were greater than their programs. If the Mosharekat Party publishes its women’s manifesto, it must clarify how the men and women of the party wish to attain their goals, and what measures have they taken so far. Still, we welcome any group or party that takes even one step in the direction of our demands.
R: Do you think Iranian women can utilize international resources to advance their goals? What are available international resources?
FDM: We must utilize such resources. International resources are used by all countries around the world. International conventions, conferences, resolutions are valid for all countries. We cannot ignore them because of our customs or accepted norms. And with globalization and spread of communications and the creation of a global civil society, the world has turned into one large network, and so participation in global events, international relations, and cooperation among nations and civil societies of different countries is an inevitable peculiarity of our times. We must be exposed to new experiences and stay in contact with women from other societies in our efforts to eliminate discrimination, poverty among women, elimination of violence, greater respect etc. Women’s problems around the world belong to all women. And it is these problems that are being exploited. The “Safe Houses” that have been created in Iran to shelter violence-victim women resemble the idea of the great sin, while we can utilize the experience of women in other countries in this respect. Combating abortion, AIDS, economic independence, and other similar issues can help in the growth of Iranian society. Women and NGOs in other countries can provide assistance to Iran’s women’s movement through solidarity, transfer of experience, and moral support on common demands, just as we shall strive to support other women around the world whose rights are violated with our expression of solidarity.
R: If you were to name one peculiarity in this movement which has been absent in the pro-democracy movement, what would that be?
FDM: Being ideological, being ideological, and being ideological.
