Save Women Now – Page 2 – Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)

Iran: Stop the Stoning of Sakine Ashtiani

Human rights activists around the world are condemning the Islamic Republic of Iran court’s decision to stone Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani for adultery. We condemn this barbaric and inhuman practice and demand that the U.S. government and international justice and human rights groups speak out on this. We demand that the Islamic Republic of Iran ENDS this inhuman practice of stoning.

Protests are being held in Washington DC and London on July 2 and in Toronto and Cologne Germany on July 4. The international point of contact is maria.rohaly@gmail.com

The Washington DC protests on July 2 beginning at 6 PM will be held at the Islamic Republic of Iran Interest area of the Pakistan Embassy at 2209 Wisconsin Ave N.W., Washington DC. The protest organizers state that the event will include “Walk to DuPont Circle to read demands and share information with the community about Sakine Mohammadi, Zeinab Jalalian, and removing the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.”

Iran: Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani to be Stoned for Adultery

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Protest Statement for Washington DC Event

Friday July 2 at 6pm in front of the Islamic Republic’s Interests Section of the Pakistani Embassy (2209 Wisconsin Ave NW, Wash DC).

The children of Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani have reached out to the world with a heart-rending appeal: Protest against our mother’s stoning!

Mission Free Iran is organizing Washington DC’s participation in the global protest to respond to the appeal of Sakine’s children and demand a stop to the barbaric execution of Sakine by stoning.

We will meet in front of the Islamic Republic’s Interests Section of the Pakistani Embassy at 6pm on Friday, July 2, 2010 to tell the Islamic Republic that we will not stay silent while one more woman is stoned to death in Iran. We will later walk to DuPont Circle and raise awareness of Sakine’s situation in the community.

Please feel free to bring your own signs with messages protesting the barbaric and criminal stoning act that the Islamic Republic has planned for our sister, Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani.

* We will demand freedom for Sakine.
* We will demand an end to stoning, and to all executions in Iran.
* We will demand removal of the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
* We will demand that the Islamic Republic be put on trial in international court for its crimes against humanity.

There will be an open mike so that anyone who wishes to speak may express themselves.

“He said his mother was an outspoken critic of the regime and especially Khomeini from day one. She was a teacher and had spoken against the regime and authorities at work. “One day when we were all having lunch, they stormed in and took my mother with them … it all happened so quickly. It didn’t even take two weeks when, one day, they announced in the town ‘come and witness a women being stoned.’ That woman was my mother.”

He said that with fear and in a state of shock, he went and from a distance witnessed his mother being stoned to death… he believes though that his mother was still alive when buried. This man has sent me his indictment against the savage thuggery of this anti-human, fascist regime, to be introduced to an international court.”
– Rescue Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani, Prosecute Leaders of the Islamic Republic! by Mina Ahadi

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— International Committee Against Stoning Protest Letter

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News Media Reports:

CNN: Iran: Death by stoning imminent for Iranian woman, attorney says
— CNN: “Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani, a mother of two, is waiting to die in Iran by a method of execution described by her lawyer as ‘barbaric’ — stoning.”
— “She will be buried up to her chest, deeper than a man would be, and the stones that will be hurled at her will be large enough to cause pain but not so large as to kill her immediately, according to an Amnesty International report that cited the Iranian penal code.”
— “The 42-year-old woman from the northern city of Tabriz was convicted of adultery in 2006, and her execution is imminent, said prominent human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei.”
— “Ashtiani was forced to confess after being subjected to 99 lashes, Mostafaei said Thursday in a telephone interview from Tehran.”

— Daily Mail: ‘Help us save our mother’: Pleas from the children of ‘adulterous’ Iranian woman who faces death by stoning

— Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty: Fear For Iranian Woman Facing Death By Stoning
— RFE/RL: “According to Article 83 of the Laws of Islamic Punishment in Iran, ratified in 1991, the penalty for adultery is death by stoning.”

— Ynet – Iran: Children appeal for help in saving mother from execution
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Other Global Protests

LONDON, England: Friday July 2, 18:00-21:00 outside the Islamic Republic Embassy, 16 Prince’s Gate, London SW7 1PT, تلفن اطلاعات: 07515732665

KÖLN (Cologne), Germany: Sunday July 4, Mourning Mothers will gather at the Church Door in the City Center at 11am to protest the threatened executions of Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani and Zeinab Jalalian.

TORONTO, Canada: Sunday July 4, Community Fair at the Toronto Pride Week festivities; activities will consist of handing out fliers and talking to the community about stopping the stoning of Sakine. (more details forthcoming)

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Washington DC Protests Logistics Information

The Washington DC protests on July 2 beginning at 6 PM will be held at the Islamic Republic of Iran Interest area of the Pakistan Embassy at 2209 Wisconsin Ave N.W., which is in the vicinity of the Dupont Circle or Woodley Park/Adams Morgan subway stops (Red Line); however, note this may be a significant walk. Walking should take about 45 minutes. See detailed walking directions below.

The protest organizers state that the event will include “Walk to DuPont Circle to read demands and share information with the community about Sakine Mohammadi, Zeinab Jalalian, and removing the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.”

Google Street Map Area of 2209 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Washington DC

Washington DC: Street Map Showing Area Around 2209 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.

Google Walking Directions from:
— Dupont Circle Metro Stop (1525 20th Street Northwest, Washington, DC) to 2209 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC

1.   Head north on 20th St NW toward Q St NW   33 ft
2.   Turn left at Q St NW       1.1 mi
3.   Turn right at Wisconsin Ave NW 0.7 mi
Destination will be on the right

Walking Directions Map from Dupont Circle

Google Walking Directions from:
— Woodley Park/Adams Morgan Metro Stop (2700 Connecticut Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC) to 2209 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC

1.   Head southeast on Connecticut Ave NW toward Woodley Rd NW 207 ft
2.   Turn right at Woodley Rd NW 0.3 mi
3.   Continue onto Garfield St NW 0.5 mi
4.   Turn left at 34th St NW   0.2 mi
5.   Turn right at Massachusetts Ave NW 246 ft
6.   Turn left at Observatory Cir NW   0.3 mi
7.   Continue onto Calvert St NW   0.1 mi
8.   Turn left at Wisconsin Ave NW 0.3 mi
Destination will be on the left

Washington DC - Street View of Intersection of Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. and W Place, N.W.

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White House: Groups Call for Saudi Arabia King Abdullah to Support Women’s Rights, Religious Freedom

On June 29, 2010 in Washington D.C., human rights groups and volunteers picketed the White House sidewalk and Pennsylvania Avenue while Saudi Arabian King Abdullah met with U.S. President Obama.

June 29, 2010: Saudi Arabia King Abdullah and U.S. President Obama Meet

While King Abdullah and President Obama were meeting, Muslims and non-Muslims, men and women, united to demonstrate in front of the White House to call for President Obama to urge Saudi King Abdullah to support women’s rights and religious freedom in Saudi Arabia, and urged King Abdullah to follow through with previous calls for reforms.

June 29, 2010 - White House Demonstrators from CDHR, IIC, The Gulf Institute, and R.E.A.L — June 29, 2010 - White House Demonstrators from Various Groups: CDHR, The Gulf Institute, IIC, and R.E.A.L.

Groups of demonstrators included representatives of and volunteers supporting The Institute for Gulf Affairs, Islamic Information Center (IIC), Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (CDHR), Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV), and Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.). CDHR, Gulf Institute, and R.E.A.L. had all separately planned demonstrations for that day at the White House. Some groups decided to consolidate their efforts at the White House.

June 29, 2010: Demonstrators Protesting for Women's Rights, Religious Freedom in Saudi Arabia Outside White House

Demonstrators in support of freedom for religious minorities and women in Saudi Arabia represented a broad cross-section of individuals: women, men, Muslims, non-Muslims, Arabs, non-Arabs, white and black Americans. They stood before the White House to urge President Obama to focus on what must be America’s real “common cause” with Saudi Arabia – our shared human rights and human dignity.

June 29, 2010 - Diverse Individuals Unite for Human Rights and Freedom in Saudi Arabia

Demonstrators from the combined supporters of The Institute for Gulf Affairs, IIC, and R.E.A.L. also chanted slogans at the Saudi mission leaders and the White House during the meeting between President Obama and King Abdullah.

One woman demonstrator led a chant for women’s rights, shouting to the Saudi leaders that “women are not property,” and calling for Saudi Arabia to “end gender apartheid in Saudi Arabia.”

Other demonstration chants at the White House including “end religious oppression in Saudi Arabia,” “free Hadi and Nathalie,” and “religious freedom in Saudi Arabia.”

Saudi Mission Outside the White House Gates

Protesters picketed the White House sidewalk with signs and distributed fliers on human rights issues, as Saudi mission leaders were entering the White House gates. One individual entering the White House stopped to take photographs of the demonstrators. The IIC’s Mahdi Husain and R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm picketed past Saudi mission individuals as they took photographs of the demonstrators.

Muslim Mahdi Husain (Right) of the IIC and Christian Jeffrey Imm (Left) of R.E.A.L. Picket Together for Religious and Women's Freedom in Saudi Arabia — Muslim Mahdi Husain (Right) of the IIC and Christian Jeffrey Imm (Left) of R.E.A.L. Picket Together for Religious Freedom and Women's Rights in Saudi Arabia -- Standing Publicly and United for Human Rights

The demonstrators also called upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to act on victims of religious oppression in that nation. The Institute for Gulf Affair’s Director Ali Al-Ahmed denounced such religious oppression, remarking on Hadi Al-Mutif, the longest serving religious prisoner in Saudi Arabia. Hadi Al-Mutif has been in prison for 17 years for a joking comment as a teenager that was viewed as blasphemous by a Saudi court, and was originally accused of apostasy and sentenced to death, even though Hadi Al-Mutif is a Muslim. Hadi Al-Mutif remains in prison and has alleged physical abuse, and much of his time in prison has been in solitary confinement. The Gulf Institute has been promoting a petition calling for the freedom of Hadi Al-Mutif.

The Gulf Institute Director Ali Al-Ahmed Tells Media of the Religious Oppression and Imprisonment of Hadi Al-Mutif in Saudi Arabia

R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm also distributed an orange flier summarizing the concerns of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) regarding the need for religious freedom, freedom of worship, and religious tolerance in Saudi Arabia. The USCIRF made specific recommendations to President Obama to address such concerns in his meeting with Saudi King Abdullah.

The demonstrators called for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support women’s rights in that nation, and called for changes to the guardianship program that exists in Saudi Arabia.

Demonstrators also called for the religious freedom of Canadian Nathalie Morin who, along with her children, has been held a prisoner by her common-law husband in Saudi Arabia. The DC Chapter of the Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV), held a protest demonstration outside of the Saudi Embassy on this subject on Saturday, June 26, 2010. The June 26 protest was led by MPV’s Fatima Thompson. The Canadian branch of MPV also held a protest in Toronto on June 26, outside the G20 Summit.

Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) DC chapter activist Fatima Thompson Protests for Women's Human Rights - Photo from June 26 Protest Outside Saudi Embassy

At the Tuesday, June 29 protest at the White House, MPV’s Fatima Thompson passed out fliers to the White House visitors, engaging them to become aware of the plight of Nathalie Morin and Hadi Al-Mutif in Saudi Arabia. She urged women to become educated on the women’s rights issues challenging Saudi women in terms of the guardianship program and the challenge to women’s rights in daily life and law in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Nathalie Morin, shown here with her eldest son, Samir (now nearly seven years old), says she has been trying to return to Canada for 2½ years. (Family photo)

While Fatima Thompson was distributing fliers, R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm also addressed the White House visitors with his portable microphone system from the Pennsylvania Avenue area, while holding up posters with photographs showing the abuse that Nathalie Morin and her children have undergone in Saudi Arabia. R.E.A.L.’s Imm stated, “if a woman was beaten like this, if children were abused like this, in the United States, wouldn’t we call the police? The attack on women’s rights in Saudi Arabia is very much a law enforcement issue – one of enforcing our universal human rights for women’s rights and dignity – consistently around the world.”

In Saudi Arabia: Abuses of Canadian Nathalie Morin and Her Children - Held Against Her Will — In Saudi Arabia: Abuses of Canadian Woman Nathalie Morin and Her Children - Nathalie Morin is Held Against Her Will

After protesting at the White House, the demonstrators then moved to outside the Blair House down the street from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue for visiting dignitaries to continue to send their message in support of religious freedom and women’s rights to the visiting Saudi mission. Demonstrators saw Saudi King Abdullah and his aides during the protest demonstration outside of Blair House.

June 29, 2010 - Human Rights Activist Demonstrating Outside Blair House

While human rights activists demonstrated on June 29, 2010, Saudi King Abdullah and U.S. President Obama met and told the media of some areas of common interests. The news media reported that the two were finding common grounds on the topic of Middle East peace, as well as frustration with the media. King Abdullah, stated, regarding the media: “May God spare us from all of the bad things they can do to us. (Laughter) And may God — and may God bless us with all the positive things they can do for us and for humanity,” to which President Obama replied “Well, that is an excellent prayer.”

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) stands in support of our unqualified, universal human rights for both women and men, and for the religious freedom, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience for all. R.E.A.L. stands in support of freedom of the press and freedom of expression. But most importantly, R.E.A.L stands in support of our fellow human beings, and recognizes that all human rights campaigns are missions of mercy, and the most important element to successful human rights is compassion and dignity to all.

R.E.A.L. urges all to Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.

R.E.A.L. urges the press of the world not to be silent about human rights violations and oppression, whether it is found in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the United States, or anywhere else in the world. R.E.A.L. urges the media and press to continue to be a voice of conscience in reporting the news of the world, no matter how inconvenient the truths of our conscience may be to world leaders.

Without such a compass of our conscience in human rights, all of our freedoms, including our freedom of expression, will remain endangered in too many parts of the world.

We must all be responsible for equality and liberty.

Additional Photos are at this web link.

As additional photos are obtained from other volunteers, we will update this blog posting and the web link of photographs.

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Demonstration Group Contacts:

The Institute for Gulf Affairs
Ali Al-Ahmed, Director
Website: http://www.gulfinstitute.org/

Islamic Information Center (IIC)
Mahdi Husain, Public Relations
Website: http://www.IslamicInformationCenter.org

Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (CDHR)
Ali H. Alyami, Executive Director
Website: http://www.cdhr.info

Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV)
Washington DC Activist: Fatima Thompson
Website: http://www.mpvusa.org/

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) volunteer group
Founder: Jeffrey Imm
Website: https://www.realcourage.org
Email: info@realcourage.org

R.E.A.L. Supports Our Universal Human Rights for All Human Beings

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Groups’ Upcoming Events

The human rights groups all have additional upcoming events this summer. The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (CDHR) has a conference on Muslim scholars’ warnings on radicalism on July 20, 2010 in Washington DC on Capitol Hill, 4:00pm – 6:30pm, Rayburn House Office Building Room B-369. The Islamic Information Center (IIC) has a conference in Washington DC at the Capitol Hilton on July 23 through 25. The Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) group has an annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia on August 6 through 8.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) has a public outreach scheduled for Sunday July 11 at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool at 2 PM, where it encourages Muslims and non-Muslims to join together to demonstrate our shared support for democracy and freedom, in response to groups that seek to deny such freedoms, and urges those interested to contact R.E.A.L. at info@realcourage.org

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Orange Ribbon for Universal Human Rights - Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)

India: “Hindu Honor Killings”

Reports on honor killings in India, and articles by women’s rights activist Phyllis Chesler

Sify News: Honour killings: Conflict between tradition and modernity
— Sify News: “With a spate of so-called ‘honour killings’ shocking the nation in recent weeks, human rights activists say the increase in such cases is a testimony to the growing conflict between rigid family tradition and modernity.”
— “They also feel the problem can be resolved by increasing awareness and bringing tougher legislations.”
….
— “A series of cases, where young men or women were murdered for marrying outside caste or within the same sub-caste or against the family’s wishes have come to the fore in recent times. Delhi had back-to-back cases in the past two weeks.”
— “Only a few politicians have spoken against such crimes because caste can determine an election win or loss, felt Kant, whose organisation had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Supreme court on this issue.”

India: A Demonstrator Calls for a Comprehensive Law against "Honor Killings" (Photo: Sify News)

Outlook India: Congress for Stern Handling of Honour Killing Cases
— Jayanthi Natarajan condemns “honor killings,” murders, and violence
— did not comment on “gotra marriages”
— Outlook India: “Asked whether Congress supports Khap Panchayats’ demand for a change in Hindu Marriage Act, she said, ‘We have not taken any view on changes in the Hindu Marriage Act.'”

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A TV grab of Kuldeep Singh and his wife Monica (Ankit Chaudhury's sister) murdered in "honor killing" in North Delhi, along with a third victim Shobha (sister of Mandeep Nagar)

Times of India: Honour killing case: Pistol used by accused recovered
— accused Mandeep Nagar, Ankit Chaudhury, and Nakul Khari
— Triple “honor killing” case – killing Ankit’s sister Monica and her husband Kuldeep Singh, and Shobha, Mandeep’s sister
— Times of India: “Making a headway in the Ashok Vihar honour killing case, Delhi Police have recovered from Rishikesh the pistol allegedly used by three youths to kill three of their relatives for marrying outside their caste.”
— “A team of city police recovered the .32 bore pistol from Rishikesh where they had taken the accused — Ankit, Mandeep and Nakul — for further investigation in the case. The trio were arrested from Ghaziabad on June 24.”
— “The accused had told police that they had thrown the pistol in the river after killing Ankit’s sister Monica and her husband Kuldeep for marrying outside the community. Later, they allegedly killed Shobha, Mandeep’s sister, who had earlier eloped with a person outside her community.”
— Outlook India: 3 Honour Killing Suspects Sent to 5 Days’ Police Custody
— IBN: Cops find weapon used in Delhi honour killings
— IBN: “The weapon used in the gruesome triple honour killing case of a Delhi couple and another young girl has been reportedly recovered. The pistol used to kill Monica, her husband Kuldeep Singh and her cousin Shobha was found in Rishikesh.”
— New Kerala: Delhi: Honour killing after 4-year marriage – in Ashok Vihar, north Delhi
— Couple shot dead in Ashok Vihar

India: Men Accused in Delhi "Honor Killings" -- Mandeep Nagar, Ankit Chaudhury, and Nakul Khari -- Accused of killing Ashok Vihar, Shobha Nagar, — India: Men Accused in Delhi "Honor Killings" -- Mandeep Nagar, Ankit Chaudhury, and Nakul Khari -- Accused of killing Ashok Vihar, Shobha Nagar (Photo: IBN Live)

Times of India: NRI held for suspected honour killing in Punjab
— Amritpal Kaur “honor killing”
— Times of India: “A non-resident Indian (NRI) will be produced in a court here on Wednesday following his arrest on Tuesday night for allegedly murdering his teenaged step-daughter in a suspected case of honour killing.”
— “Mehtab Singh was arrested after the police got a tip-off that he had brought his step-daughter Amritpal Kaur, 17, from Brussels, Belgium, earlier this month and clandestinely cremated her here after saying that she died of food poisoning.”
— “Police officials said the death of the girl seemed to be mysterious and that the step-father had shown undue urgency in cremating her.”
— “The police are investigating if the girl was killed by Mehtab Singh as she had fallen in love with a youth, Lakhwinder Singh, in Belgium.”
— “Lakhwinder belonged to another lower caste and this was not to the liking of Mehtab Singh. He is believed to have poisoned her a few days back and got her cremated.”

Hindustan Times: Honour killing: Girl hacked to death by mother
— Rekha Yadav “honor killing”
— Hindustan Times: “In yet another case of suspected honour killing, a 16-year-old girl was hacked to death in the district allegedly by her mother who disapproved of her relationship with a neighbour, a senior police officer said on Tuesday.”
— Rediff: Honour killing: Now mother hacks girl to death

Sify News: Another suspected honour killing in Haryana

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The Asian Age: “India has over 1,000 honour killings a year”
— Asian Age: “As instances of ‘honour killings’ are reported with alarming — and increasing — regularity across the country, a research paper to be presented at an international conference in London by some Indian jurists on crimes against women next week suggests that the total number of such killings could be well over 1,000 every year in India.”
— “The research paper titled ‘Social-legal perspective of forced marriages’, prepared by Chandigarh-based senior lawyer Ranjit Malhotra, an alumnus of the University of London and dealing with cases of intercontinental marital disputes and custody of children, says that at least ‘900 incidences of honour killings’ take place in three states alone — Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh — every year.”

— on July 2, 2010 in UK, Ranjit Malhotra to present research paper “Social-legal perspective of forced marriages” claiming total number of honor killings in India could be over 1,000 every year
—- Program for July 2, 2010 event

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Hindu Honor Killings? Yes, In India – by Phyllis Chesler

Hindu Honor Killings Article Challenged by Hindu Human Rights Activists – by Phyllis Chesler

— Phyllis Chesler: “In June, 2010, (this very month), 16 Hindu victims (five male-female couples, five girls alone, one man alone) were murdered, their bodies finally discovered, the perpetrators finally arrested or sentenced. The murderers were all members of the girl’s family-of-origin in a planned conspiracy.”

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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our unqualified universal human rights for all human beings, including equality and liberty for all women of every religion, ethnic background, race, and identity group. We urge all to support such universal human rights for all women, without question, and to Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.

Muslims and Rights Activists Call for Women’s Rights, Freedom for Nathalie Morin, at Saudi Arabia Embassy

On June 26, 2010, at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington DC, Muslim women, Muslim men, and other supporters of human rights called for women’s rights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Specifically, the Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV). led by DC chapter activist Fatima Thompson, sought to protest the male guardianship program, and the conditions of gender apartheid for women in Saudi Arabia, while Saudi King Abdulaziz was attending the G20 summit in Canada. The Washington Times also reported on the plans for the protest in their June 25 article, “Women’s rights supporters to protest outside Saudi mission.”

Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) DC chapter activist Fatima Thompson Leads Saudi Arabia Protest in Washington DC - June 26, 2010

A Canadian woman, Nathalie Morin, has been held against her will in Saudi Arabia, by her common-law husband since 2005. Nathalie Morin has been a victim of conjugal violence, confinement and abuse, and activist had photographs of the abuse of Nathalie Morin and her children. The Canadian National Post reported on the plight of Nathalie Morin and the efforts of Canadian political leaders in seeking to help her in a report: “Help sought for Canadian family in Saudi Arabia.” According to the National Post, Nathalie Morin’s common-law husband Samir Said Ramthi Al Bishi, “met with Canadian officials in Saudi Arabia on Sept. 22, at which time he demanded $300,000 in exchange for the release of Ms. Morin and the children.”

At the June 26, 2010 protest, Muslim women and men, as well as other human rights activists, condemned the mistreatment of Nathalie Morin demanding that she and her children, and other similarly detained were allowed to return to their home countries for safety. The MPV protest statement sought to “declare to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Government that Americans are demanding Nathalie Morin and her children, as well as any foreign nationals held captive, be returned to their countries immediately, that they respect the human rights of women and children and ensure the safety of Nathalie Morin and the safety of her children.”

June 26, 2010: Protest at Saudi Arabian Embassy Calls for Release of Nathalie Morin and Respect for Women's Rights

The leader of the protest, Fatima Thompson spoke to television media on the subject, and a Saudi woman gave an interview on the story in Arabic. When additional reports are available, this blog posting will be updated.

Protesters marched around the Saudi Arabian Embassy and chanted “Free Nathalie Morin,” “No Guardian for Mature Women,” “End Gender Apartheid,” and “Saudi Arabia Keep Your Promises.”

Protesters at June 26, 2010 Call for Women's Rights Outside Saudi Arabian Embassy

Protesters Marching Outside Saudi Arabian Embassy

Protesters were showing their signs and chanting to individuals entering the Saudi embassy. One Saudi Arabian embassy employee came out with a camera to take the photographs of the protesters.

Protesters Marching Outside Saudi Arabia Embassy

Protesters also showed their signs to drivers going past the area, near the John F. Kennedy Center. Some drivers saw the protesters and stopped to give a “thumbs up” in support of their efforts.

Several Muslim men came and joined the protest at the Saudi Arabian embassy, and marched together with Muslim women and rights activists in support of Nathalie Morin and women’s rights in Saudi Arabia.

Muslim Women and Men Protesting Together for Women's Rights - June 26, 2010 Protest Outside Saudi Arabian Embassy

One man joined the protest whose family came from an African nation as workers and had lived in Saudi Arabia for two generations without gaining citizenship.

Fatima Thompson was speaking to Muslim men on the plight of Saudi women as they passed by the protest group, seeking their support for women’s rights.

Protest Leader Fatima Thompson Speaks with Muslim Men on Women's Issues

Some protesters also distributed a fliers with a report:
— “UN: Saudi Arabia Pledges End of Men’s Control Over Women”

Protesters sought to urge the Saudi Arabian government to be responsible for its pledges for women’s rights.

The protesters also included Jeffrey Imm from the volunteer human rights group Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.), whose group plans an event at the White House on women’s rights and religious freedom on Tuesday, June 29 at 12 Noon (see also Adobe Acrobat PDF flier).

Update: June 28 – 9 PM – The Gulf Institute has changed the time of their event on June 29 White House and moved it also to 12 Noon as well. I am certain we will coordinate efforts.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)'s Jeffrey Imm at June 26, 2010 Saudi Arabia Embassy Protest for Women's Rights

[Additional photographs at Online photo gallery of photographs of June 26 protest taken by Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)]

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Press Release from Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV)
PROTEST – Nathalie Morin and Gender Apartheid – Saturday June 26, 2010 at 1:30pm

PROTEST
Saturday June 26th, 2010, 1:30 pm in front of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia
601 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20037
To denounce the confinement of Nathalie Morin and her children, and foreign nationals, in Saudi Arabia

Canadian, Nathalie Morin who is 26 years old, along with her three small children, has been held against her will in Saudi Arabia by her common-law husband since 2005. A victim of conjugal violence, confinement and abuse, Nathalie must return to Canada with her children. But in Saudi Arabia a woman must have the authorization of her male guardian to leave the territory and her aggressor will not allow this.

Gender apartheid and the male guardianship system of Saudi Arabia is a violation of women’s human rights and international law. As long as the U.S. and Saudi governments consider Nathalie and her children’s case a private affair, they will not deploy all efforts to ensure their safety and bring them home to Canada. During this time, Nathalie’s condition continues to deteriorate as the abuse worsens.

On June 26th and 27th, representatives of the Saudi government will participate in the G-20 summit in Toronto to discuss the economy. In June 2009 Obama stated in his speech in Cairo: «But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn’t steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose.
These are not just American ideas; they are human rights. And that is why we will support them everywhere.» We call on President Obama to defend human rights by demanding that any foreign nationals held captive in Saudi Arabia be allowed to exit the country.

This protest is to declare to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Government that Americans are demanding Nathalie Morin and her children, as well as any foreign nationals held captive, be returned to their countries immediately, that they respect the human rights of women and children and ensure the safety of Nathalie Morin and the safety of her children.

Location: 601 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20037

We will not abandon Nathalie and her children to an undeserved fate

Information: www.nathaliemorin.org E-mail: soutiennathaliemorin@gmail.com

Contact Information for MPV:

Ani Zonneveld – MPV-USA (national organization) ani@mpvusa.org 323-842-2869
Fatima Thompson – MPV-DC (local chapter) thompson.fatima@gmail.com 703-901-0720

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Saudi King to Visit DC June 29 – Calls for Religious Freedom, Women’s Rights

According to media reports, Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday, June 29 in Washington DC. Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) will have a public awareness event in front of the White House at 12 Noon on Tuesday June 29 during the meeting, to urge Saudi Arabia to support religious freedom, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Religious freedom groups and groups concerned about women’s rights are asking President Obama to urge King Abdulaziz to seek reforms on religious freedom and women’s rights in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called upon President Obama to urge “the Saudi government to implement effective strategies for preventing people from embracing violent extremism in the first place. They will need to focus on reforms that ensure that intolerance has no place in their culture. Despite the Saudi government pledging to the United States nearly four years ago that it would undertake such reforms, very little progress has been made. In this regard, we appeal to you to raise three important issues: revising the Saudi government-controlled curriculum and textbooks; reining in the government-funded Commission to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice (CPVPV), or religious police; and releasing Hadi Al-Mutif, the longest serving religious prisoner in Saudi Arabia.”

Women’s rights groups, led by the Muslims for Progressive Values, have organized a demonstration outside the Saudi Arabian embassy on Saturday, June 26, at 1:30 PM, to “to declare to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Government that Americans are demanding Nathalie Morin and her children, as well as any foreign nationals held captive, be returned to their countries immediately, that they respect the human rights of women and children and ensure the safety of Nathalie Morin and the safety of her children.”

In addition to R.E.A.L.’s June 29 White House event, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) will be joining the Saturday, June 26 demonstration at the Saudi Arabian embassy.

We support the universal human rights for all people of all religions, of all genders, of races, and all ethnic backgrounds. We call for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We also call upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to ensure the universal human rights of women, children, and all of its citizens in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We urge others to join us in such support for unqualified, universal human rights as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Choose Love, Not Hate. Love Wins.

Additional Reports:

USCIRF Urges President Obama to Raise Religious Freedom Concerns During Saudi King’s Visit

June 26: DC Saudi Arabia Embassy Protest for Women’s Rights

Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz to meet with Obama at the White House later this month
— BNO News: “President Barack Obama and Saudi Arabia King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz will meet at the White House in Washington, D.C. later this month, officials announced on Sunday.”
— “The two leaders plan to meet at the White House on June 29, where they are set to discuss issues such as Gulf Security, peace in the Middle East, and other regional and global matters.”
— DNA News: “In another meeting between Obama and a key ally in the Middle East, Saudi King Abdullah will visit Washington for talks on June 29, the White House said.”

UAE: Sex and the City Movie Banned, Called “Anti-Muslim”

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Media Council has decided that the new movie “Sex and the City 2” will be banned from being shown in UAE cinemas. The movie is scheduled to be released on May 27, 2010.

A senior spokesman for the UAE National Media Council told Time Out Dubai that: “Sex and the City 2 will be banned from being shown in cinemas across the UAE when it is released for various reasons. Among them are that the film’s website stated that filming was done in Abu Dhabi even though they were denied permission to do so and that they continue to attribute the locations shot in Morocco as being in Abu Dhabi, which is false, as the theme of the film does not fit with our cultural values. Also, they persisted in using Abu Dhabi’s name in the movie despite the fact that no official permission was given to them to do so.”

Promotional Still for "Sex and the City 2" (Photo: Warner Bros)

The UAE National Media Council is responsible for judging movies to be shown in the UAE, as well as censoring films. The UAE National Media Council censorship board has approved showing of films such as “The Da Vinci Code,” however.

While the story in the movie “Sex and the City 2” purportedly takes place in the UAE, it was not filmed in the UAE, as the UAE government also forbid filmmakers from shooting the movie in the UAE. It was filmed in Morocco instead. However, despite refusing to allow the film to be made in the UAE, and banning showing of the movie in the UAE, analysts believe that the UAE city of Abu Dhabai will get a tourism boost from the showing of the film.

The writer and director of the movie, Michael Patrick King, told Collider.com that the reason for choosing UAE and its city Abu Dhabi for the movie setting was because “it’s the new Middle East and the future… I think there’s a very big story in the Middle East and it also is a very advanced, glamorous capital.”

While the movie was being banned in its “setting,” the UAE — in Hollywood, it was being described as an “anti-Muslim” movie, by the Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter’s review of the movie stated that “[Carrie] and her friends run up against the puritanical and misogynistic culture of the Middle East… The rather scathing portrayal of Muslim society no doubt will stir controversy, especially in a frothy summer entertainment, but there’s something bracing about the film’s saucy political incorrectness. Or is it politically correct? SATC 2 is at once proudly feminist and blatantly anti-Muslim, which means that it might confound liberal viewers.”

Others reviewers have also been critical of the movie regarding women and Islam. USA Today’s Claudia Ping states that “director Michael Patrick King is out of his league attempting to comment on the inequitable treatment of Muslim women,” Roger Ebert criticizes the movie for being “oblivious to Arab ideas about women’s modesty,” and another reviewer states that “‘Sex and the Ctiy 2’ script insults Muslim culture.”

Entertainment Online (E Online)’s Leslie Gornstein’s comments on the movie indicate that she is shocked that the movie is intended to “take place in a Muslim country,” adding that “at least a few Muslims wondering what the filmmakers were thinking.” E Online also quotes the Council of American Islam Relations (CAIR)’s Ibrahim Hooper as stating that “I thought the location was a bit odd for that kind of movie.” (The CAIR organization has been listed as one of the unindicted co-conspirators in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing trial.)

The movie is being released as yet another high-profile UAE prosecution of a woman for alleged sexual “crimes” is in the news. The latest in a long series of UAE oppressive criminal prosecutions is the arrest of an 18 year old girl, who stated that she was a gang rape victim. The Muslim girl “LH” was then charged with the crime of “consensual sex,” which carries a sentence of lashes and up to life imprisonment for a Muslim girl. “LH” has since retracted her rape charges and the UAE government prosecution is considering whether to continue to prosecute her for the crime of “consensual sex,” or reduce the criminal charge to “deception” which carries a prison sentence of 6 months to two years.

In March 2010, the UAE government convicted an Australian woman who was a rape victim of “adultery,” and sentenced her to 12 months in prison. In January 2010, the UAE government arrested and jailed a 23 year old British woman who was a victim of rape, and charged her with “illegal sex.”

In April 2010, a British woman, Charlotte Adams, was put in jail for one month for alleged giving someone a kiss on the cheek in public for the crime of “indecency.”

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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) stands for women’s rights without borders, and in unequivocal support of women’s universal human rights and dignity. We challenge those who would oppress and attack women to realize that when half of the world is denied basic human rights, such an outrage is an attack on human rights for all people everywhere.

We urge all people to be responsible for equality and liberty.