Iranian women’s rights activists have issued a statement condemning the threat of war and sanctions against Iran. Citing the increased tensions between the US and Iran, the signatories to this statement urge the United Nations, European powers and international women’s movements and organizations to use all in their power to stop this unnecessary and preventable march to war. The statement also stresses the destructive impact of broad economic sanctions on the lives of ordinary Iranians, especially vulnerable groups. The signatories to the statement have also criticized government officials for using increased threats from the US to further clamp down on civic space and limit the freedoms of citizens. To this end, they have insisted on the rights of Iranians to organize in civil society groups and engage in collective action aimed at improving their society. The statement further emphasizes that Iran’s indigenous women’s movement has consistently and historically advocated for peace and opposed sanctions. The statement urges international women’s organizations and movements to support their call by opposing economic sanctions and war against Iran.

Women human rights defenders, journalists, university professors, researchers, artists and university students are among the over 170 who have signed the statement. A translation of the statement follows:

We Oppose War, Sanctions and Repression of Civil Society– Statement by Iranian Women’s Rights Defenders

We a group of Iranian women’s movement activists and women’s rights defenders strongly condemn US efforts to stoke yet another war in the Middle East, this time against Iran. The Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign, its bellicose posturing and sanctions, hurt the Iranian people most, especially women, children, minorities, refugees, the chronically ill and those with disabilities.

Today sanctions and the threat of war have worn down peace loving Iranians, who struggle merely to survive. While sanctions proponents claim to care for the Iranian people, their policies have left an entire nation, weary, depressed and hopeless. Sanctions, and economic pressure, target the fabric of society and the heart and soul of an entire nation, and cannot be contained to only government entities. It is clear that sanctioning the main channels of the Iranian economy, such exports of oil and metals, as well as Iran’s central bank, will inflict irreparable damage on related industries and services, including the private sector its hard working employees and workers as well as their families. While the independent business sector is destroyed, powerful unaccountable mafia like groups and interests, which are able to evade sanctions, grow wealthier and more powerful.

In 2015 the peace loving Iranian people as well as the international community were pleased when a deal on Iran’s nuclear program was reached. They had hoped that the accord would end their isolation and reduce the economic pressures brought about by sanctions. The unilateral withdrawal by the Trump administration from the Iran Deal was coupled with renewed and intensified sanctions and a maximum pressure campaign that despite its claims hurts innocent Iranians. The resulting tensions have recently intensified and threats are being made on social media, which promise war and the “end of Iran.”

As multiple experiences in the region have demonstrated, US wars have consistently resulted in increased instability, violence and the emergence of terrorist and extremist groups, while strengthening the hands of the most regressive and authoritarian forces in the region. We remind all those who support war and contribute to ongoing and increased tensions, that another conflict in the war-torn Middle East, will destabilize the entire region and yield horrific destruction and suffering.

It is worth noting that Iranian civil society has been striving for over a century to ensure transparency, accountability, democracy, peace and equality. The constant threat of conflict, the ongoing economic war and regime change rhetoric and efforts, have resulted in increased closure of social and civic space domestically. As a result, the state has increased its efforts to crack down and repress civil society and social movements. To this end the Iranian women’s movement as well as the workers and teachers movements, journalists and human rights activists have consistently demanded that pressures and limitations on civil society and citizen’s be lifted so they can organize around issues of concern. Today, as Iranians, we see not only our livelihoods targeted by sanctions and war, but our civil freedoms and rights curtailed by our own government at a time when the state should be easing pressures on citizens. It is in the absence of the voices of genuine civil society inside the country, that opportunistic groups can speak in our stead, to advocate for isolation, sanctions and war.

These groups based outside of Iran, misguidedly defend and legitimize Trump’s maximum pressure campaign, which seeks to dismantle Iran’s economy, in the name of opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran. They defend sanctions and pressure against Iran, purportedly in the name of pressuring Iranian authorities and supporting the Iranian people.

Those advocating sanctions in the name of human rights, hope the pressure on the Iranian public will bring about a popular uprising or revolution but fail to grasp the reality that weakening the government does not automatically result in strengthening citizens or civil society. In fact, civil society is one of the main victims of these policies. In an environment where people are working primarily to survive and feed their families, human rights and defense of civil society become luxury demands.

Of particular concern to feminist activists are opportunistic celebrity activists, who have claimed fame in the West for speaking about women’s rights or human rights, though online campaigns or other efforts. These individuals are taking positions in support of sanctions and cozying up to warmongers, in the name of women’s rights, Iranian women and the Iranian women’s movement. Make no mistake about it, Iranian feminists and the indigenous Iranian women’s movement, like sister movements around the world, have steadfastly supported peace and opposed sanctions. We believe that positive change for women and society can only happen from within Iran and in an environment of calm and peace.

As such we insist on our right to establish organizations and engage in collective action, so that women’s rights and other civil society activists can engage in collective action, make demands and speak up in these critical times to raise the domestic as well as international concerns of Iranian citizens.

We Iranian women human rights defenders, who are either currently working in Iran or have worked to support women and vulnerable groups in practical ways call on the international community, the United Nations, European governments and international civil society alike, to take all steps possible to stop this unnecessary and completely preventable march to war. We also call on the US to end its maximum pressure campaign against Iranians and to live up to its obligations under the Iran Nuclear Deal.

Most important we urge the international women’s movements and organizations, peace and human rights groups to help amplify our voices in spaces we have been systematically excluded from as a result of state repression and sanctions. We strongly urge them to stand in solidarity with us and speak up against war and sanctions and the continued restriction of our civic space. We however caution them to be vigilant in calling out those who shamelessly and in the name of Iranian women coopt our legitimate demands while cozying up to and strengthening warmongers and proponents of sanctions.

Signatures:

Name Title Afsaneh Chehregosha: Director and Photographer Afsaneh Salari: Documentary Filmmaker and Producer Aida Nosrat: Musician and Singer Aida Saadat: Women’s Rights Activist Aina Ghotbi Yaghubi: Women’s Rights Activist, Artist Akram Ehghaghi: Journalist Akram Khatam: Women’s Rights Activist Akram Sadeghi: University Student AbolFazl Haji-Zadegan: Social Researcher Afsaneh Mostofi: Designer Ali Darvazehghari: Professor and Political Activist Ameneh Shirafkan: Journalist Amir Ali AlamehZadeh: Journalist and Trainer Aram Rashidi: — Arash Shahsavari: — Asieh Salimian: Women’s Rights Supporter and Curator Ayat Najafi: Filmmaker Azadeh Kian: University Professor Azar Pazhouhandeh: Women and Refugee Rights Activist and Artist Azin Mohajerin: Social Activist, Researcher Azin Rezaeian: Women’s Rights Activist Banafshe Jamali: Women’s Rights Activist Delaram Ali: Women and Children’s Rights Activist Elahe Mousavi: Journalist Elham Afagh: Women’s Rights Activist Elham Nejad Hossein: Designer Elnaz Ansari: Women’s Rights Activist Eshrat-ol-Sadat Razavi Rouhani: — Faezeh Tabatabie: Lawyer Farangis Bayat: Women’s Rights Activists & Gender and Social Researcher Fariba Chalabi Yani: Screen Writer and Film Critic Fariba Pajooh: Journalist Farideh Ghaeb: Women’s Rights Activist Farideh Qalandari: Culture and Arts Activist Farkhondeh Jafari: Women’s Rights Activist Farnaz Abdali: Women’s Rights Activist and Graphic Designer Farnaz Jamshidi Moghadam: Filmmaker Farzaneh Ebrahim Zadeh: Journalist and Researcher Fatemeh Farhangkhah: Women’s Rights Activists, Civil Society Activist Fatemeh Govaraie: Women’s Rights Activist and Political Activist Fatemeh Khorsand Moghaddam: University Student Fattaneh Abdolhosseini: Women’s Rights Activist Fereshteh Bahrami: Writer and Researcher Fereshteh Zaker: Researcher Fery Malek-Madani: Women’s Rights Activist Ghazal B: Translator Ghonche Ghavami: Women’s Rights Activist Golaleh Bahrami: Women’s Rights Activist Golnar Shahyar: Musician Haleh MirMiri: Social and Cultural Researcher Hamid Gheysari: Social Researcher Hassan Ahmadpour: Worker Hasti Vahdat: University Student Hoda Siahtiri: Women’s Rights Activist and Artist Jelveh Javaheri: Women’s Rights Activist Jila Davarpanah: Women’s Rights Activist Kurdistan Shahmoradi: Journalist Leila Asadi: Women’s Rights Activist, PhD Candidate Leila Roostaee: Women’s Rights Activists Lida Azad Manesh: Women’s Rights Activist M. Mortezavi: Journalist M. Roshan: Engineer Maede Soltani: Industrial Engineering Designer Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh: Women’s Rights Activist Mahboubeh Hosseinzadeh: Women’s Rights Activist Mahdis Sadeghi Pooya: Women’s and Gender Rights Activist and Researcher Mahnaz Afzali: Documentary Filmmaker Mahnaz Mohammadi: Filmmaker and Women’s Rights Activists Mahsa Jazini: Journalist Mahshid Shamse’Din: Educator Mahshid Zandi Asl: — Mahtab Mahmoudi: Women’s Rights Activist Manijeh Moazen: Journalist Mansoureh Mousavi: Author and Researcher Mariam Rahmani: Women’s Rights Activist Mariam Roostaee: Women’s Rights Activist Marjan Laghaee: Journalist Maryam Ashrafi: Social Documentary Photographer Maryam Bahreman: Women’s Rights Activist Maryam Rezaie: Journalist Massoumeh Dehghan: Educator Mena Mohammadi: Painter and Media Presenter Mina Azizi: University Student Mina Orang: Psychiatrist Mina Rahimi: University Student Minou Momeni: Journalist Mira Ghorbanifar: Journalist and Women’s Rights Activist Mojgan Ilanlou: Documentary Filmmaker and Women’s Rights Activist Mojgan Rafaat: University Student Molouk Aziz-zadeh: Women’s Rights and Civil Society Activist Nafiseh MohammadPour: Women and Children’s Rights Activist Nahid Hassanzadeh: Filmmaker Nahid Jafari: Women’s Rights Activist Nahid Motie: Researcher on Gender and Women’s Issues Nahid Tavassoli: Women’s Rights Activists, Researcher and Editor Narges Akbari: — Nargess Bajoghli: University Professor, Researcher Nasim Abdi: Musician Nasim Khosravi: Women’s Rights Activist, Theatre Director, Writer Nasim Ramezani: Social and Arts Activist Nasrin Maroof: Lawyer and Journalist Nayereh Tavakoi: University Professor, Gender Researcher Negar Dashti Moghadam: Chief Editor of Neda Student Publication on Women’s Rights Negin Bagheri: Women’s Rights Activist Niki Akhavan: Associate Professor Catholic University Niloofar Fouladi: — Niloofar Vahdat: Trainer on Gender issues Nima Ramezani: — Niusha BaniAsadi: Physician Noushin Keshavarznia: Women’s Rights Activist Okhtay Hosseini: Social Activist Ouldouz Ahmadzadeh: Women’s Rights Activist Parastou Sarmadi: Women’s Rights Activist and Political Activist Pari Bazogh: Women’s Rights Activist Pariva Haghighat: Educator Parnian Rahimi: — Parvaneh AleBouyeh: Peace Activist Parvaneh Fatemeh Hajilou: Educator Parvin Fahimi: Peace Activist Pershang Vaziri: University Professor and Filmmaker Raha Askarizadeh: Women’s Rights Activist, Communications Expert Roja Fazaeli: University Professor, Trinity College, Dublin Saba Zavareie: Artist and Researcher Sadigheh Sabaq Shahri: Social Activist Saeedeh AsadiPour: University Student Saeedeh Raja: Women’s Rights Activist Sahar Maranlou: University Professor Sahar Mousavi: Women and Children’s Rights Activist and Researcher Sahra Akrami: Social Activist Samaneh Khademi: Gender Equality Activist and Social Researcher Samaneh Moazam: Women’s Rights Activist Samaneh Vaezi: Civil Society Activist (Board Member Iran Cultural Association of Esteras) Samin Ghaedi: Lawyer Sanam Qiyasi: Translator Sanaz HamzeAli: Women’s Rights Activist Sara Karimi: Researher and Journalist Sara Massoumi: Journalist Sarah Loghmani: Women’s Rights Activist and Author Sepideh Jodeiri: Women’s Rights Activist and Poet Setareh Samavi: Filmmaker Shadi Makki: Journalist Shadi Mokhtari: University Professor Shadi Tayebzadeh: Researcher Shahrzad Hemmati: Journalist Shima Ghooshe: Lawyer and Women’s Rights Activist Shirin Maleki: Lawyer, Former Member of Human Rights Commission of Iran’s Bar Association Shiva Nazarahari: Women’s Rights Activist Shohre Ahadiat: Author Sima Shakhsari: University Professor Simin Forouhar: Women’s Rights Activist Simin Minou: Filmmaker and Educator Soheila Vahdati: Researcher on Women and Social Issues Solmaz Eikdar: Journalist Somayeh Ghodosi: Researcher ‌on Women and Social Issues Somayeh Rashidi: Women’s Rights Activist Sussan Tahmasebi: Women’s Rights Activist Tahere Meysami: Office Employee Tara Ahmadi: University Student Tara Tiba: Musician and Singer Touraj Saberivand: Social Activist Zahra AmirEbrahimi: Filmmaker Zahra Madah: Artist/Painter Zahra Minouie: Women’s Rights Activist and Lawyer Zahra Saberi: Women’s Rights Activist Zara Amjadian: Women’s Rights Activist Zeinab Peyghambarzadeh: Gender Equality Activist Ziba Hajilo: Photographer Ziba Mirhosseini: Researcher Zohreh Shirafkan: Women’s Rights Activist Zohreh Tonekaboni: Civil Society Activist