Women's Rights Activists Beaten in Tehran

[Laworkerbee]

http://ak.imgfarm.com/images/ap/APTOPIX_IRAN_WOMEN_PROTEST.sff_VAH212_20060612152907.jpg

Jun 12, 5:20 PM (ET)

By NASSER KARIMI

(AP) An Iranian female police officer, left, beats a female protester, during a protest in Tehran, Iran,...
Full Image

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iranian police with batons and shields beat women's rights demonstrators in a downtown Tehran square Monday, injuring one protester and detaining 20.

The injured woman was taken to a hospital with wounds to her face and head. Her identity and further details were not immediately available.

The protest by about 200 women was organized by a previously unknown group calling itself the Labor and Communist Party. An invitation delivered to The Associated Press on Sunday demanded equal rights for women and the nullification of a law allowing Iranian men to have four wives.

"We are women, we are human, but we don't have any rights!" protesters chanted.

Some 100 police, including female officers, attacked the demonstrators and dispersed them about an hour after the protest began.

Throughout most of the confrontation, female officers beat female protesters and male police beat male protesters there to support the women. Male police generally are not permitted to touch female suspects.

"I don't care about the police charging us with batons," said Laila, 21, who would not give her last name. "I would attend any pro-human rights demonstration in the future," she said.

None of Iran's state-run media reported on the protest.

"They won't report it (because) they don't like people who think about their quality of life," said Marzia, a 34-year-old protester who also would not give her last name.

In March, police attacked about 200 women's rights demonstrators at a Tehran park, beating women and their male supporters with batons.

Iran's Islamic law imposes tight restrictions on women. They need a male guardian's permission to work or travel. Women are not allowed to become judges, and a man's court testimony is considered twice as important as a woman's.

Despite such restrictions, Iranian women have more rights than their counterparts in Saudi Arabia and some other conservative Muslim countries. They can drive, vote and run for office.

[LaoSexMachine]

Such a great place that people are flocking to live there.

[Bert]

Despite such restrictions, Iranian women have more rights than their counterparts in Saudi Arabia and some other conservative Muslim countries. They can drive, vote and run for office.
Whoa, women driving cars. Sh** on a stick. Voting and running for office are vestigial rights due to the faux-democracy being operated.

[ZaakM433]

cat fight!

[Laworkerbee]

Just to be clear I didn't make any notes on the article

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060612/D8I6TLR00.html

[Bert]

cat fight!
Yeah. Women are too 'unclean' to be handled by male police officers - the female police officers are there exclusively to deal with women. With all this segregation, I wonder how these people have ***. Artificial insemination? I guess that's the next step from Ahmadinejad.

[2Sheds_Jackson]

I'll save some people the trouble-

"this sort of thing used to happen every day, now it only happens when the activists break our customs"

or

"in the old days, men used to do all the beatings, but in the more modern Iran, it's the women who handle women's issues"

or

"it used to be that women had to use both hands to close their chadors, but now the government allows women to wear contemporary chadors where a woman can cover her filthy shame with one hand, and use the other to fend off blows from state officials".



Oh snap! and.. /sarcasm off

[kraf001]

as an Iranian I actually like the protest.. women in Iran want and need more rights.. they come to streets shout what they want and get confronted (ironically by female anti-riot officers)... isn't this suppose to be encouraged? Isn’t this part of the modern world?

anti-riot police is everywhere, even in most democratic countries... the same scenario happens ppl come out and ask for what they want (look what happened in France recently), government doesn't like it and sends out its anti-riot forces to stop the crowd at any cost...

what makes the society "great" is that ppl actually do care to come out and ask for their rights... well I bet you would love to see Iran become like one of US allies in region where there is a clean cut between men and women.. where women don't even have the right to protest, forget about getting beaten during the protest!!.. well sorry but this ain’t happening!..

what is essentially shown here is, that a struggle for better life in Iran is used as a drive by ppl with different political agenda!... well like I said before "charity starts at home", let Iranian women reach their rights through their own struggle, meanwhile you can go convince your beloved Arab sheikhs to allow women to vote!

[Ea$y-8]

This is a common event in Iran.

[Zvucni Efekti]

This is a common event in Iran.

Oh yeah? When was the last time you were there? :roll:

At any rate, I find the way women are treated in modern Islam strange. Thirty thousand Muslim warriors followed one of Mohammed's wives into battle without any qualms.

[Henry's Fork]

Are these women in Iran acting like all the soap dodging protesters from the west, who actually start attacking the police and destroying private properties first to deserve such a beating. Or is Iran just say no to any and all protesting?

[2Sheds_Jackson]

as an Iranian I actually like the protest.. women in Iran want and need more rights.. they come to streets shout what they want and get confronted (ironically by female anti-riot officers)... isn't this suppose to be encouraged? Isn’t this part of the modern world?

anti-riot police is everywhere, even in most democratic countries... the same scenario happens ppl come out and ask for what they want (look what happened in France recently), government doesn't like it and sends out its anti-riot forces to stop the crowd at any cost...

what makes the society "great" is that ppl actually do care to come out and ask for their rights... well I bet you would love to see Iran become like one of US allies in region where there is a clean cut between men and women.. where women don't even have the right to protest, forget about getting beaten during the protest!!.. well sorry but this ain’t happening!..

what is essentially shown here is, that a struggle for better life in Iran is used as a drive by ppl with different political agenda!... well like I said before "charity starts at home", let Iranian women reach their rights through their own struggle, meanwhile you can go convince your beloved Arab sheikhs to allow women to vote!

Hey, I tried to save you the trouble by posting some apologist boilerplate...but feel free to post your own. Pat Iran on the head, they're not quite as bad as the very worst that humankind has to offer. Kudos to them!

[kraf001]

Hey, I tried to save you the trouble by posting some apologist boilerplate...but feel free to post your own. Pat Iran on the head, they're not quite as bad as the very worst that humankind has to offer. Kudos to them!
you saved yourself a trouble... exactly where in my post I apologized for anything.. you see you are so full of yourself that it is even beyond funny now!!

What you do is acting up to your true self which is an online 24/7 bigot.. so tell me how did women in your country get their rights? Oh let me guess one day men woke up and said “hey we are bored, what do we do? Lets give women more rights!!”…

[Bert]

let Iranian women reach their rights through their own struggle, meanwhile you can go convince your beloved Arab sheikhs to allow women to vote!
Why do you always assume we have some sort of intimate relationship with the Saudis?

[kraf001]

Why do you always assume we have some sort of intimate relationship with the Saudis?
it is not an assumption.. the ppl who make political policies that drives the global politics and ppl who control world media have a very intimate relationship with Saudis, Pakistanis and most Arab sheikhs.. unfortunately these 2 groups are the forces that decide the general sentiment towards different nations and these sentiments are nothing but politicized!

This article is a clear example of what I am talking about followed by the public opinion.. you be the judge!

[ttunavy]

does that look a lightsabre to anyone else?p-)

btw im waiting to hear patricia irelands remarks on this? where is the NOW gang?

[camerashy]

This article is a clear example of what I am talking about followed by the public opinion.. you be the judge! Hey Kraf I think it's cool that you post here. There is a mini protest every time you see a woman pull her scarf a little bit further back to show a little more hair. I don't think Iran is nearly as bad as the Wahabiism in Saudi Arabia. Another topic... Have you heard of the band O-Hum?

[Umm-Qasr]

as an Iranian I actually like the protest.. women in Iran want and need more rights.. they come to streets shout what they want and get confronted (ironically by female anti-riot officers)... isn't this suppose to be encouraged? Isn’t this part of the modern world?

anti-riot police is everywhere, even in most democratic countries... the same scenario happens ppl come out and ask for what they want (look what happened in France recently), government doesn't like it and sends out its anti-riot forces to stop the crowd at any cost...

what makes the society "great" is that ppl actually do care to come out and ask for their rights... well I bet you would love to see Iran become like one of US allies in region where there is a clean cut between men and women.. where women don't even have the right to protest, forget about getting beaten during the protest!!.. well sorry but this ain’t happening!..

what is essentially shown here is, that a struggle for better life in Iran is used as a drive by ppl with different political agenda!... well like I said before "charity starts at home", let Iranian women reach their rights through their own struggle, meanwhile you can go convince your beloved Arab sheikhs to allow women to vote!Couldn't agree more with you, as an (Dutch) Iraqi ... :)

[kraf001]

Hey Kraf I think it's cool that you post here. There is a mini protest every time you see a woman pull her scarf a little bit further back to show a little more hair. I don't think Iran is nearly as bad as the Wahabiism in Saudi Arabia. Another topic... Have you heard of the band O-Hum?
one of my favorite bands... although their new album lacks the special touch that Persian instruments gave the first album but I still think they are one of the best rock/alternative bands from the region (perhaps only thing keeping them from going global is the language barrier)...

[2Sheds_Jackson]

you saved yourself a trouble... exactly where in my post I apologized for anything.. you see you are so full of yourself that it is even beyond funny now!!

What you do is acting up to your true self which is an online 24/7 bigot.. so tell me how did women in your country get their rights? Oh let me guess one day men woke up and said “hey we are bored, what do we do? Lets give women more rights!!”…

You speak as if Iran fell off the back of the civilization cart yesterday, rubbed it's eyes, and has only now decided to tackle these issues.

Your argument is out of it's temporal context - this is not the first time such ideas have been brought up. I imagine that happened 300 years ago. Iran could be excused for such behavior if it were 1790 or maybe even 1890. In 2006 there is no excuse.

Iran, after all, has existed for far longer than any nations of the West were women enjoy more freedoms. This demonstration was not the result of the people of Iran for the very first time, begging for expanded rights. There is a reason why freedoms are limited as they are in Iran, and it is not because there's something in the water. These ideas have been around for hundreds of years - and when they are brought up in Iran, they are crushed every time. And so it will continue to go. Either it is right, or it is wrong, and I think it is wrong.

You can engage ad hominems and comparative fallacies all you like, but I have not heard you speaking out against the government that is holding these women down. I'll let the reader judge who's a bigot and who's not.

[Bia]

cat fight!

...always a hoot!

;)

[kraf001]

You speak as if Iran fell off the back of the civilization cart yesterday, rubbed it's eyes, and has only now decided to tackle these issues.

Your argument is out of it's temporal context - this is not the first time such ideas have been brought up. I imagine that happened 300 years ago. Iran could be excused for such behavior if it were 1790 or maybe even 1890. In 2006 there is no excuse.

Iran, after all, has existed for far longer than any nations of the West were women enjoy more freedoms. This demonstration was not the result of the people of Iran for the very first time, begging for expanded rights. There is a reason why freedoms are limited as they are in Iran, and it is not because there's something in the water. These ideas have been around for hundreds of years - and when they are brought up in Iran, they are crushed every time. And so it will continue to go. Either it is right, or it is wrong, and I think it is wrong.

You can engage ad hominems and comparative fallacies all you like, but I have not heard you speaking out against the government that is holding these women down. I'll let the reader judge who's a bigot and who's not.
I get it now.. your only problem is that I don't jump the "Iran is evil" bandwagon!!.. well genius the fact that I support these women in their struggle against laws imposed by government shows clearly whose side I am on... but as oppose to you I know who is who in Iran and who is actually responsible so I know exactly who to hate which stops me from being a bigot like you who finds a solution for everything by going down the path of generalization and stereotyping!... so typical!

[haze99]

although, I am intrigued by the photos posted on the iranian military.
I will play the advocate here, so Iran isn't evil. When was the last time it flew humanitarian aid to say, anywhere? Or has it's force's particapated in any UN mission to say, anywhere? Or is there a stream of illegal aliens busting their ass to get into Tehran? Any immigrants from Europe lately? Don't think so!
I will spare the Iranian's as a people or tribe. But, there governing system will get no such pass! (at least Amercia's changes every 4-8 years.)

[Hollis]

I get it now.. your only problem is that I don't jump the "Iran is evil" bandwagon!!.. well genius the fact that I support these women in their struggle against laws imposed by government shows clearly whose side I am on... but as oppose to you I know who is who in Iran and who is actually responsible so I know exactly who to hate which stops me from being a bigot like you who finds a solution for everything by going down the path of generalization and stereotyping!... so typical!

Maybe you see Iran as slowly moving forward, 2 sheds see Iran way back in history with a very long ways to move forward. Maybe you forgot the Feminist movement prior the revolution that the guardian council took out and made a very big step backwards. Lots of catching up to do in Iran for Women rights.

[kraf001]

although, I am intrigued by the photos posted on the iranian military.
I will play the advocate here, so Iran isn't evil. When was the last time it flew humanitarian aid to say, anywhere? Or has it's force's particapated in any UN mission to say, anywhere? Or is there a stream of illegal aliens busting their ass to get into Tehran? Any immigrants from Europe lately? Don't think so!
I will spare the Iranian's as a people or tribe. But, there governing system will get no such pass! (at least Amercia's changes every 4-8 years.)
ouch... that was pretty ignorant, Iran has sent 250 million dollar aid to Afghanistan since 2001 (that is 50 million per year).. Iran is the home to the largest population of refugees in the world.. Iran has a lot of investments in African countries and Iranians were first to start businesses in Afghanistan... every time there is a quake or any natural disaster around the world you'll see aid collection booths in every major town in Iran collecting clothing, money, blanket and tents to be shipped out... the problem is that when Iran helps let say Pakistan during the earth quake it doesn't get any media mention but if US helps it gets mentioned as "hey look how we help those Muslims even though they hate us"..

p.s. might wanna look back to Katerina!

[kraf001]

Maybe you see Iran as slowly moving forward, 2 sheds see Iran way back in history with a very long ways to move forward. Maybe you forgot the Feminist movement prior the revolution that the guardian council took out and made a very big step backwards. Lots of catching up to do in Iran for Women rights.
what?... plz tell me you don't buy that!

if Shah was least interested in feminism he would have first abandoned his harem!!... hell he could have gave the power to queen Farah before running away like a chicken and that move could have solved a lot..

what you saw prior to revolution was very eye-catching from a Western point of view BUT that was it, it was Western.. just like most (if not all) of the Shah's policies it was carbon copy of West and not well planned.. to explain this better, you should understand that Islam found its way to Iran through war and force... most became Muslim by force and stayed that way long enough to not be able to change but ppl were pretentious Muslims long enough to shape a unique Islamic society.. this led to the mainstream society of Iran which follows the simple rule of "be Muslim in public and Persian in private"... during Shah's time majority of ppl were Muslims who might go out in chadors but when they get back home they wear their mini skirt and dance to Persian music..

might seem a bit strange but this is the way Iranian society works even now.. so what Shah did was promoting the Western (smart move to bring the third culture) way and trying to make it mainstream.. this was a very stupid, what he actually had to do was to try to bring out the Persian way of life from private to public.. anyways his policies led to shining of a minority sect of the society while the majority didn't want to be associated with them.. parents didn't send their daughters to high schools and universities, they didn't go to parks, etc fearing the new Western way, sure they didn’t mind their daughter becoming a doctor but wearing a mini skirt and late disco nights was just too much change.. which led into more backwardness and more divide in the society..

for me its way better to have majority of the women in society engaged in social life with some imposed limitations than having a small portion of women in society enjoying extreme freedom but the rest of the women deprived from basic rights because of the cultural divide... today 60% of the educated population in Iran is female and with more educated and open minded women they have/will achieve way more than the small portion in Shah's era did...

[Hollis]

what?... plz tell me you don't buy that!

if Shah was least interested in feminism he would have first abandoned his harem!!......

Not the Shah silly, The leftist that where in Iran, part of the movement to overthrow the shah, feminist where part of that group.. that is gone.

[kraf001]

Not the Shah silly, The leftist that where in Iran, part of the movement to overthrow the shah, feminist where part of that group.. that is gone.
same goes for them... my bad to single out Shah, "any" group that tried to introduce such movements and values without ground work became victim of (or victimized, whoever you want to look at it) an already culturally divided society...

the point was that "majority" of women are more educated, accomplished and free in today's Iran than they were prior to revolution.. it is not to say the government presented them with this freedom but to say women themselves gained it because they didn't have the culture barrier..

[Unity19]

I get it now.. your only problem is that I don't jump the "Iran is evil" bandwagon!!.. well genius the fact that I support these women in their struggle against laws imposed by government shows clearly whose side I am on...


1. "...but as oppose to you I know who is who in Iran and who is actually responsible ...

2. ...so I know exactly who to hate which stops me from being a bigot like you who finds a solution for everything by going down the path of generalization and stereotyping!... so typical!

Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black here:

"...stops me from being a bigot like you who finds a solution for everything by going down the path of generalization and stereotyping!...so typical!"

Appears like a 'generalization' to me.

1. So who is responsible for the struggle these women must endure?

2. HATRED and prejudice are the problem..........HATRED only begets more hatred.

...prejudices, whether religious, racial, patriotic or political are destructive to the foundations of human development. Prejudices of any kind are the destroyers of human happiness and welfare. Until they are dispelled the advancement of the world of humanity is not possible, yet racial, religious and national bias are observed everywhere. For thousands of years the world of humanity has been agitated and disturbed by prejudices. As long as it prevails, warfare, animosity and hatred will continue. Therefore if we seek to establish peace we must cast aside this obstacle, for otherwise agreement and composure are not to be attained.

Prejudices of Religion, Race or Sect destroy the foundation of Humanity
All the divisions in the world, hatred, war and bloodshed, are caused by one or other of these prejudices.

[kraf001]

nothing personal unity but I have you on my ignore list.. its just those long irrelevant replies and religious touch your bring to the forums.. I can't read what you wrote here but I hope it is not a follow up from another thread...

[Unity19]

nothing personal unity but I have you on my ignore list.. its just those long irrelevant replies and religious touch your bring to the forums.. I can't read what you wrote here but I hope it is not a follow up from another thread...

I have found that generally when someone resorts to insults or ignoring the thoughts of others they have a problem with the truth. The only religious 'touch' was in response to opinions about the Bahai Faith that you presented veiled as facts and that is as far as religion is brought into the discussion of which I was not the originator. I am content with that thread as I have presented the FACTS. Personally, I believe the fact that you have me on ignore as a sign of cowardice.

[2Sheds_Jackson]

I get it now.. your only problem is that I don't jump the "Iran is evil" bandwagon!!.. well genius the fact that I support these women in their struggle against laws imposed by government shows clearly whose side I am on... but as oppose to you I know who is who in Iran and who is actually responsible so I know exactly who to hate which stops me from being a bigot like you who finds a solution for everything by going down the path of generalization and stereotyping!... so typical!

If only I had the literary chutzpah to simultaneously condemn and commit something within the same sentence. :) My hatred makes me a bigot, but your hatred makes you a sophisticate. The name calling is a nice touch too, as it's always the hallmark of a well articulated argument.

So, great, you support the women and oppose the government. Well that means we're in agreement, it's just that you are far more forgiving towards the people and the government than I am willing to be. The government's corruption and perverse worldview is spilling out over the borders of Iran, and it is the people of Iran who are supporting it. You can shout to the rooftops that they are not this way, and that they watch cable TV and they have girl race car drivers and wear neato hot pink chadors now - but the fact is that they are tolerating, and paying for, their government.

Therefore, they bear the responsibility for the policies it creates, what it does, and it is only appropriate to include them to some extent, in any condemnation of the government. Those women are being beaten by the state, and a very large portion of the population is totally OK with that.

[kraf001]

If only I had the literary chutzpah to simultaneously condemn and commit something within the same sentence. :) My hatred makes me a bigot, but your hatred makes you a sophisticate. The name calling is a nice touch too, as it's always the hallmark of a well articulated argument.

So, great, you support the women and oppose the government. Well that means we're in agreement, it's just that you are far more forgiving towards the people and the government than I am willing to be. The government's corruption and perverse worldview is spilling out over the borders of Iran, and it is the people of Iran who are supporting it. You can shout to the rooftops that they are not this way, and that they watch cable TV and they have girl race car drivers and wear neato hot pink chadors now - but the fact is that they are tolerating, and paying for, their government.

Therefore, they bear the responsibility for the policies it creates, what it does, and it is only appropriate to include them to some extent, in any condemnation of the government. Those women are being beaten by the state, and a very large portion of the population is totally OK with that.
thanks for putting things in perspective for me.. but I still like my own version of life and reality.. going by your black and white world:

* majority of Germans in Hitler's time were Nazis
* majority of Americans support war in Iraq, Abu Gharib and etc..
* majority of Americans support Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
* majority of Australians supported the "No Asians" immigration policy at one point
* majority of Americans supported slavery at one point

sorry but this is simply not the way the world works and Iran is part of the world too.. have a safe trip on "evil Iran" band wagon though! well this is good time to stop this conversation I guess...

[haze99]

I have no personal beef with Iran. If Iran is as great as some people continue to say it is, then all sort of folks should be flooding in there! (Like Germans, French, Swiss, Norwegian, Swede, Italian, Angolan, Ugandan, Mexican, Costa Rican and South Koreans!) So as to partake in the wonderful, grand, diverse freedoms offered there! Although, I am unaware of any such trend? Nor am I aware of any Buddhist, Hindu, or Jews waiting in line for a plane ticket there? Peace in the EU!