WORLD WORLDWIDE EUROPE UK uk United Kingdom - news journal UPDATE - (en) UK, ACG: Iranian feminists speak out (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 We publish below several statements from Iranian feminists. ---- The

first is from Iran's Feminist Liberation Group. ---- 7 Key Reminders to
Our International Allies Regarding the Unfolding Conflict in Iran ----
1. Prioritise de-escalation ---- Avoid accounts or narratives that start
with slogans like "Iran has the right to self-defence" (often state
propaganda) or "Israel will liberate Iran and will not attack civilians"
(often Zionist propaganda). Such statements often conceal or justify
state violence. Instead, we should always focus on civilians, not states.

2. Recheck your sources
There is an overwhelming amount of misinformation online. Before sharing
anything, verify it with reputable media outlets or trusted journalists.
Viral posts are not always accurate, even if they are emotionally
compelling. Some accounts to follow: @middleeastmatters and
@centerforhumanrights

3. Don't forget the political prisoners.

As news cycles unfold, many people are forgotten. In Iran, countless
political prisoners, including those on death row, are in grave danger
every day. During the Iran-Iraq War, thousands were executed in 1988
under the pretext of the conflict. Let us not allow history to repeat
itself.

4. Avoid idealising any form of state power.
Opposition to one oppressive regime does not imply support for another.
All governments must be held accountable, whether it is Israel, the US,
Iran or any other state. Authentic anti-imperialism requires consistent
questioning of all forms of oppression.

5. Focus on the voices of those directly affected.
Empower those on the front lines - not influencers who appropriate the
narrative. Find and support grassroots activists, independent
journalists, and people who speak from their own experience.

6. Iranian women and men are trapped between two forms of violence.
Many people in Iran oppose the Islamic regime and at the same time fear
foreign military intervention. They do not want to be used as pawns in
geopolitical games. True solidarity means supporting their demands for
freedom, without military involvement.

7. Do not ignore the other ongoing struggles, especially the struggle
against the genocide in Palestine.

While standing in solidarity with Iranian women and men, continue to
raise your voices against the atrocities in Palestine, Sudan, Ukraine,
and global injustices. These struggles are not in competition with each
other, they are intertwined through common systems of oppression,
militarism, and state violence. Solidarity must be intersectional.

The second and third statements are from women in the horrendous prison
of Evin. Both statements call for the end to war, condemn the Israeli
state's attack on Iran, and at the same time reject the theocratic and
authoritarian regime in Iran, responsible for many thousands of deaths
of dissidents. THey both put emphasis on the need for grassroots
struggle to verthrow the regime, whilst rejecting foreign intervention.
Whilst we might have criticisms of the use of certain terms like
'democracy' we support the antimilitarism and internationalism of these
brave women.

In one of these statements, four political prisoners - Reyhanna Ansari,
Sakineh Parvaneh, Verisheh Moradi, and Golrokh Irai - have stated that
Iran's true freedom will only be achieved through widespread resistance
and the power of social movements. They have firmly rejected any hope of
relying on foreign governments to bring freedom or democracy to the
Iranian people and strongly condemn the recent Israeli attacks on
Iranian soil resulting in the killing of civilians and destruction of
infrastructure. They write: "Our liberation., the liberation of the
people of Iran from the dictatorship ruling the country is only possible
through the struggle of the masses and by resorting to social forces -
not by clinging to foreign powers or placing hopes in them...The powers
that have always brought destruction to the countries of the region
through exploitation and colonisation, by inciting wars and killing in
pursuit of greater benefits, will have no way out for us except for new
destruction and exploitation."

In a separate message, political prisoners Anisha Asadollahi, Nahid
Khodabakhashi and Nasrin Javadi have written a letter directly to the
people of Iran. They began their letter with a salute to the "oppressed
and just-seeking people" and declared: "Wars will never benefit the
people." It's the people - who had no role in starting these wars - who
always pay the price.»

These women political prisoners call themselves "government hostages"
who are kept defenceless behind iron doors. However, even from within
the prison have expressed their deep concern for people outside, calling
for a collective resistance to the war.

Photo: One of the women in Evin prison, Verisheh Moradi.

https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2025/06/20/iranian-feminists-speak-out/
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