Fitna – Movement for Women’s Liberation
Press Release

On Monday 15 April 2013, the Islamic regime of Iran’s security forces paraded a man dressed in women’s clothing and a hejab on the streets of Marivan, Iranian Kurdistan in order to punish and humiliate him. A judge had sentenced three men from two feuding families to be “humiliated” by wearing women’s clothing in public.

You can see a video of it here.

The regime’s anti-women laws mean that women are seen to be the source of fitnah, corruption and harm; the greatest humiliation that can be bestowed on a man is to have him dressed as a woman!

On Tuesday, red-clothed women started a protest and called on others to join. 400 men and women joined in a march throughout the city. The police arrested some of the protesters; all of whom were subsequently released.

On Friday 19 April, there was another public protest, in which there were banners saying:

“Being a woman is not a source of humiliation or punishment”.

Many of the protesting women are wearing red. The protests are gaining prominence in Iran and elsewhere.

On Monday 21 April, there was a gathering in Iraqi Kurdistan is support of this move. Petitions are being circulated in towns and villages in Iran in support of the “red-clothed” women.

Also, over the past few days, men from the region and abroad have begun to publish photos of themselves wearing women’s clothing as a form of protest and declaring that being a woman is not shameful.

As Maryam, one of the campaigners from Marivan, Iran says:

“Our protest is against misogyny and the humiliation of women but also against parading men in this way and the humiliation of human dignity. We ask the people of the world to support and defend us”.

Fitnah-Movement for Women’s Liberation wholeheartedly defends this protest, has initiated a campaign in their defence, and is calling for 27 April 2013 to be an international day to defend the “red-clothed” women of Marivan.

For more information, contact:
Mina Ahadi, +49 (0) 1775692413
Keyvan Javid: +44 (0) 7861476869
Maryam Namazie: +44 (0) 7719166731
BM Box 1919, London WC1N 3XX, UK
Email: fitnah.movement@gmail.com
Blog: http://fitnahmovement.blogspot.co.uk