ماهنامه شماره یکصد و چهل ودوم رهائی زن – به جنبش نه به اعدام بپیوندید

No to Islamic Excutions in Iran

Here is the complete English translation of this issue of the RahaiZan (Women’s Emancipation Organization) publication:

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The freedom and equality of women is the benchmark for the emancipation of society.

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

• Organization for the Emancipation of Women: RahaiZan.Org

• Editor-in-Chief: Minoo Hemati (minohemati@gmail.com)

• Managing Editor: Sharareh Rezaei (shararehrezaei.p@gmail.com)

• Monthly Publication: 3rd Series, Issue 142 (July & August 2026 / Tir & Mordad 1405)

Table of Contents

• Despotism, the Engineering of Fear, and the Suppression of Women — Aliyeh Dadgar

• Morteza Parvin, Imprisoned Painter and Sculptor, Created a Mural in Protest Against the Death Penalty on the Yard Wall of Evin Prison #NoToExecution #GhezelHesar #Evin

• The Border Between Disaster and Freedom: No to War, No to the Islamic Republic — Afshin Salavati

• Statement of Prisoners on Hunger Strike at Ghezel Hesar Prison Against Executions: "Supporting the movement against executions at Ghezel Hesar Prison is the duty of every honorable and freedom-loving human being."

• The Position of Women in Society: From Demanding Equality to Everyday Realities — Raheleh R.

• An Analysis of the Current Crisis in Iran — Maryam Moradi

• Announcement by the Organization for the Emancipation of Women: The publication will not be released in the month of August.

• How Women Pay the Highest Price for the Economic Crisis and War — Elaheh Amani

• Announcement Regarding the Cancellation of the 2026 Annual Cologne Women's Seminar

• The Middle East in the Jaws of War and Despotism: No to War, No to the Islamic Republic — Farideh Salavati

• The Legend of Godiva — Ferdows Dini

• Exiled — Nouri Sharifi

• Joint Action Announcement: Online Meeting on the 4th Anniversary of the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement

• No to Execution, No to War; No to the Entirety of the Islamic Republic — Mohammad Baha-eddin Vahedi Yeganeh

• Let Us Be the Echo of Ghezel Hesar Prisoners and Their Families: Anti-Execution Mural in Evin Prison by Imprisoned Artist Morteza Parvin — No to Execution

• Join the RahaiZan Publication!

• The End Line of Darkness: No to War, No to Despotism — Mahnaz Salavati

• Normalizing Violence: The Collapse of Ethics in Politics — Sharareh Rezaei

• News Column: Issuance of the Final Sentence Condemning Pejman Jamshidi to 99 Lashes

Submit Your Articles: You can send social, legal, psychological, sociological, and health articles, personal reports/experiences from women's and children's lives, poetry, news reports, translations, book/movie reviews, etc., for RahaiZan to: Markazi@RahaiZan.org

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The Right to Life and Welfare for All

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

Despotism, the Engineering of Fear, and the Suppression of Women

Author: Aliyeh Dadgar

How Tyrannical Regimes Enslave Freedom and Equality by Creating Fear

History has shown time and again that before tyrannical governments rule over people's bodies, they attempt to dominate their minds and psyches. They know very well that people who overcome their fear will no longer be obedient. Therefore, fear is not an unintended consequence, but one of the most important tools for exercising power and maintaining dominance.

In autocratic regimes, violence is not an exception or a temporary reaction; it is a conscious and organized policy. Arbitrary arrests, imprisonment, torture, forced confessions, censorship, threats, deprivation from work and education, pressure on families, and the suppression of every critical voice are links in a chain whose goal is not just to limit the physical body, but to shatter a person's independent will and capacity for resistance.

A government that builds its survival on fear has, in fact, lost its legitimacy long before defeating the people. Legitimacy stems from the consent of citizens, not from bayonets, prisons, and security apparatuses.

Fear is not directed solely at political activists. Authoritarian regimes try to inject it into all layers of society: targeting students, teachers, workers, journalists, writers, artists, and even ordinary citizens who simply want to express their opinions freely. A society that fears speaking out gradually loses its ability to think, critique, and make demands as well.

In Iran, women are among the first and primary targets of the policy of manufacturing and spreading fear. Mandatory hijab, control over women’s bodies and dress, legal discrimination, social restrictions, the suppression of women's protests, and violent crackdowns on activists of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement are all part of a systematic mechanism for generating fear in society. The regime knows well that controlling women does not just mean limiting half of society, but serves as a tool to exercise power over the entirety of society. Hence, women's struggle for freedom, equality, and the right to choose is not merely a fight for women’s rights; it is a battle against one of the most fundamental tools replicating despotism and fear in society.

However, the most dangerous phase is when fear transforms into self-censorship—when a person censors themselves before uttering any word, views silence as safer than truth, and prefers survival over human dignity. In such a state, the government no longer needs a permanent presence of suppressive forces because part of the machine of repression has been transferred directly into the minds and behaviors of the citizens.

For this reason, autocratic regimes fear awareness above all else. Books, free media, independent universities, critical thinking, and free journalism represent serious threats to a system that rests its survival on fear. A regime that fears the publication of an article, a lecture by a professor, student activity, or even a comment in the public sphere actually fears the power of truth.

Another tool of despotism is breaking down social trust. The government attempts to build a wall of distrust among citizens: colleagues mistrust colleagues, neighbors fear neighbors, and families refrain from expressing their opinions freely, placing human relations under constant suspicion and surveillance. A society that loses its social capital and mutual trust is easier to control.

Creating fear is not merely to silence dissenting voices; its purpose is to break the spirit of solidarity and eliminate hope for change. The more citizens feel isolated, lonely, and powerless, the easier it is for the regime to maintain its dominance. For this reason, tyrannical regimes always fear the formation of independent associations, civil society organizations, labor unions, women's groups, student associations, and free media, because these institutions rebuild social capital and mutual trust, turning fear into collective resistance.

Yet history teaches us another truth: no government has been able to rule over fear forever. Fear can induce silence in people for a time, but it cannot destroy the desire for freedom, justice, and human dignity. As pressure increases, questions deepen; as censorship walls grow taller, the thirst for truth and freedom expands even further.

The "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement is a clear example of this historical reality. A regime that attempted for years to force society into silence through terror and horror faced a generation that defied fear. The presence of women at the forefront of protests showed that when the wall of fear cracks, the possibility of forming a widespread movement for freedom and equality emerges.

True power is not the ability to inflict fear; it is the ability to attract trust, respect, and citizen participation. A government relying on prisons, censorship, threats, and repression to survive effectively admits that it possesses no capital other than fear. Fear is the hidden pillar of tyrannical regimes, yet it is also their most fragile element.

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War, Destruction, Slaughter

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

(Article Continuation from Page 2)

...because the moment citizens overcome their fear, the primary tool of domination collapses. History has shown that tyranny fails due to the collapse of the wall of fear in people's minds before it fails due to the collapse of its institutions.

That day will mark the return of freedom, human dignity, equality, and justice to society—a day when women will no longer be recognized as the primary victims of fear and repression, but will take their rightful place as key pioneers of freedom and equality in building a free, secular, equal, and human-centered society.

The Border Between Disaster and Freedom: No to War, No to the Islamic Republic

Author: Afshin Salavati

(Placard image text: "No to War, No to the Islamic Republic, No to Execution")

Today, at the dark intersection of self-inflicted crises and the heavy threat of external threats, Iran stands at a point where there is no room left for compromise, hesitation, or political expediency. We live on a fault line of suffering connected on one hand to the naked despotism ruling our land and life, and threatened on the other hand by the ominous shadow of war and foreign intervention. At this crucial juncture, the slogan "No to War, No to the Islamic Republic" is not merely a political stance; it is a vital manifesto for survival, human dignity, and reclaiming the right to self-determination.

1. Domestic Despotism: The Primary Center of Suffering and Crisis

Over more than four decades of rule, the Islamic Republic has brought nothing to Iran except destruction, economic collapse, repression, systemic death cycles, and international isolation. A system that defines its survival through crisis-making, suffocation, and ruining the human capital of this land does not represent the will of the Iranian nation; rather, it is the single greatest obstacle to development, peace, and freedom. Every day this regime continues, a heavy cost is extracted from the lives and futures of the children of this land.

2. The Ominous Shadow of War: An Instrument for the Survival of Despotism

On the other side of this deadly equation lies the specter of war and external threats. Warmongers outside the borders and crisis-profiteers inside are two sides of the same coin. War is not a solution for freedom; war is a catalyst for further repression, deeper securitization of space, destruction of national infrastructure, and the sacrifice of innocent human lives. No freedom emerges from the ruins of bombardment, and no tyranny is overthrown by heavy bombs whose steep price is paid by defenseless people. Despotic rulers welcome war because they see it as a shield to cover up domestic failures and execute the ultimate suppression of protest voices.

The Third Voice: The Iron Will of a Nation for Survival

Faced with this destructive binary (domestic despotism vs. foreign war), the Iranian nation has chosen its third and inevitable path. The shout of "No to War, No to the Islamic Republic" means saying no to domestic bringers of death and no to foreign destroyers. This 'no' arises from the collective popular will of a people who want to be the architects of their own destiny. This slogan draws a line through all who either submit to captivity under the pretext of preserving the system, or prescribe Iran's destruction under the guise of saving it.

Tomorrow's Iran will not be liberated by foreign bullets or bombings. The freedom of Iran is the product of the collective will of a people who consciously abhor war and are more determined than ever to demand an end to crisis and misery.

Supporting the Movement Against Executions in Ghezel Hesar Prison Is the Duty of Every Honorable and Freedom-Seeking Human Being

Ghezel Hesar prisoners have gone on a hunger strike with sewn lips against executions.

Statement of Hunger-Striking Prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison Against Execution

Greetings to the ever-vigilant people of Iran,

Today, July 22, 2026 (31 Tir 1405), marks the 10th day of the hunger strike in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison. Stop the executions before more lives are taken! We, a group of 1,500 prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison, have gone on strike fully aware that the pressure from this dry hunger strike endangers our lives and brings us closer to death. But despite all these limitations, as long as this cycle of death and systematic mass killing machine is not halted, we will not give up our human demands.

Therefore, we desperately implore all human rights organizations, international bodies, UN special rapporteurs, and the awakened consciences of the world to take practical steps immediately in support of this strike to stop the execution orders without delay. No to Execution!

Wednesday, July 22, 2026 (31 Tir 1405)

#SupportPrisonersAgainstExecution #ExecutionIsStateOrganizedPremeditatedMurder #NoToExecution

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Women Against Misogynistic and Unequal Laws

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

The Position of Women in Society: From Demanding Equality to Everyday Realities

Author: Raheleh R.

(Placard image text: "Equality is Our Right")

Woman: A Second-Class Citizen?

When the law tells a woman that to end a life devoid of security, love, or dignity she must provide reasons, yet requires no justification from a man to end a marriage, the issue is not just about divorce. The issue is that the law does not view a woman as having full ownership over her own life.

Women’s rights in Iran are less a purely legal matter and more a mirror reflecting the power dynamic between the state, the family, and the woman's body. In many laws, a woman is defined not as an independent citizen, but in relation to her father, husband, or legal guardian. This perspective begins with marriage, extends to divorce and child custody, and hangs over employment choices and freedom of movement.

Divorce: When Freedom Is One-Sided

The right to divorce is perhaps the clearest example of legal inequality. A man can end a joint life simply by going to court and following legal formalities; a woman, however, must prove she has suffered sufficiently—proving violence, addiction, abandonment, or demonstrating that continuing life is unbearable. As long as the law maintains a fundamental difference between men and women in the right to choose and decide, one cannot speak of real equality.

Why must a woman who no longer wants to remain in a relationship seek permission from the law to leave, while a man does not? This distinction is not merely a legal clause; it reflects the assumption that ultimate authority over the family rests with the man. Under such a structure, a woman must obtain the consent of a court or her husband to exercise her rights over her body, life, and future.

Maternal Custody: Responsible, But Lacking Authority

One of the major paradoxes in Iranian law is the difference between custody (hazanat) and guardianship (velayat). A mother may raise a child for years, care for them, stay awake during illnesses, and be the primary caregiver, yet for key legal and financial decisions, final authority rests with the father or paternal grandfather.

This means the law limits motherhood to responsibility while entrusting authority to the man. Such a structure signals that while a woman's caregiving is valuable, legal trust in her is incomplete. This view not only undermines women but also places the child at the center of an unequal structure.

Woman: Subject of the Law or Right-Holder?

One of the most fundamental feminist critiques of Iranian family law is that it views a woman not as an independent individual, but as a dependent family member. Many of her rights are tied to the consent or will of a man—from leaving the country to key decisions regarding children.

This persists even as Iranian women maintain a massive, impactful presence in universities, labor markets, research, art, medicine, engineering, and management. How can a woman managing patient treatments, educating future generations, or leading an organization face legal restrictions when deciding her own personal life?

Law and Structural Violence

Violence does not always start with physical battery; sometimes the law itself sets the stage for violence by making it difficult to escape an abusive relationship or stripping decision-making power from one party. When a woman wanders through divorce courts for years, when proving violence is harder than enduring it, or when a mother faces legal obstacles in deciding for her child, the issue is not merely a family dispute—it is a question of justice.

Equality: Threat to the Family or Condition for Its Health?

Critics of legal reform sometimes frame legal equality as a threat to the family. However, experience in many countries shows that families are more stable when built on mutual respect, consent, and equal rights rather than legal privilege for one side.

A family where a woman remains out of fear of legal or economic obstacles is not stable; it is a relationship maintained by inequality. The future women demand is not just about changing a few legal articles; the primary demand is recognizing women as independent and equal human beings who do not need legal guardians to decide on marriage, divorce, children, or their future.

Legal equality is not a privilege for women; it is a prerequisite for justice. A society that deprives half its population of equal rights is neither free nor fair. Women's rights are a metric for measuring democracy, justice, and human dignity in any society. Reforming family laws is not an attack on the family, but a defense of a family founded on love, consent, and equality rather than discrimination.

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War Kills, It Does Not Bring Freedom

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

(Image text: "NO WAR WITH IRAN")

An Analysis of the Current Crisis in Iran

Author: Maryam Moradi

To gain a deeper understanding of the fire burning across Iran today, one must not look solely at recent military and political events. This crisis is the logical outcome of decades of structural incompetence, ideology-centric foreign policy, and prioritizing the survival of the ruling class over national interests.

Fundamental Conflict with National Interests

The greatest manifestation of irresponsibility by the regime was tying the fate of an 85-million-person country to doctrines of 'strategic depth' and proxy wars. Spending money from the pockets of the Iranian people on transnational goals—instead of investing in advanced defense systems, modernizing the air force, or strengthening domestic infrastructure—went toward equipping regional militias. The result transformed Iran into a theater of international conflicts without an adequate defense shield.

Furthermore, blindly pursuing a 'Look East' policy tied national interests to major players like Russia and China—countries that historically use Iran as a bargaining chip with the West and never prioritize Iran's security over their own interests. Today, amid the flames, Iran lacks a single real strategic ally in the world.

Internal Collapse Before External Attack

Resilience in war conditions requires a dynamic economy, strong foreign reserves, and stable infrastructure. Iran's rulers, however, dragged a country into war that was already drained by systemic corruption and sanctions. The destruction of vital infrastructure and energy imbalances (electricity, gas, water) that plagued the nation during peacetime have turned into paralyzing security threats.

Plundering resources instead of building strategic reserves, combined with billion-dollar embezzlements and capital flight by the ruling class, left the treasury at its weakest. Under these conditions, the heavy financial burdens of war fall directly on the shoulders of people struggling beneath the absolute poverty line.

The Deep State-Nation Rift

In classic military doctrines, social capital and popular support are the most crucial components of national security. Through years of repression, political closure, and ignoring basic citizen rights, the regime has completely destroyed this relationship. The regime's crisis of legitimacy shows that a nation that does not consider itself a stakeholder or beneficiary of rulers' policies has no motivation to sacrifice to preserve that structure. Rulers conflated the sacred concept of defending the homeland with defending the regime's survival, creating social indifference or resentment toward state warnings.

Illusion of Might vs. Field Reality

Years of state propaganda tried to project an invincible, deterrent image of military power. Facing war realities, however, revealed serious gaps in defense systems caused by sanctions and prioritizing offensive missile projects over modern air defense. Deep, organized intelligence penetration at top security levels—stemming from prioritizing ideological loyalty over meritocracy—made the country vulnerable from within.

What is happening in Iran today is a national tragedy scripted by irresponsible rulers and traitors to the homeland. Yet Iranian history shows governments come and go while the nation and land remain. Weathering these flames requires national vigilance so that the eternal interests of Iran are not sacrificed to ruler obstinacy on one side and foreign enemy greed on the other. Drawing a clear line between Iran and its ruling regime is the key to preserving national cohesion for the day after the crisis.

Announcement — Organization for the Emancipation of Women

We inform our readers and supporters that the publication will not be issued in the month of August.

The Organization for the Emancipation of Women wishes you a happy summer holiday!

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War, Destruction, Assault on Workers' Livelihoods

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

How Women Pay the Highest Price for the Economic Crisis and War

Author: Elaheh Amani

War transforms labor markets by destroying infrastructure, displacing populations, collapsing economic activity, disrupting education/health systems, and severing social networks. While consequences affect all society, economic impacts on women are deeper and longer-lasting. Women face job losses, income reductions, and economic insecurity in both formal and informal sectors, while simultaneously bearing heavier unpaid care and social reproduction burdens essential for family survival.

According to 2019 estimates, ~264 million women lived in 36 countries classified as Fragile and Conflict-affected Situations (FCA). Based on the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security Index, these women face poverty, gender-based violence, displacement, educational disruption, and limited access to jobs.

A October 20, 2025 UN Secretary-General report on "Women, Peace and Security" warned the world faces the highest number of active conflicts since 1946. 676 million women live within 50 km of deadly conflicts. Civilian casualties among women and children quadrupled compared to the prior two years, and conflict-related sexual violence rose 87%.

In the formal economy, factory closures, workplace destruction, and school/hospital disruptions eliminate thousands of jobs held significantly by women. Wage cuts, payment delays, temporary contracts, and job insecurity make women's economic standing increasingly fragile.

Brain drain among female specialists (doctors, nurses, professors, entrepreneurs) depletes national capacity for years. ILO (2023) and World Bank reports show military conflicts can reduce GDP by over 20% long-term, with women's return to labor markets trailing men significantly.

The impact on women's informal employment is even broader. Over 2 billion people work in the informal economy globally (ILO); in many low/middle-income countries, over 60% of working women are in informal roles (home-based work, street vending, micro-agriculture, textiles, food sales). War destroys these income sources directly as markets close and supply chains break. Lacking legal protections (unemployment insurance, healthcare, pensions), informal women workers have no safety net and are forced into lower-paying, longer, and exploitation-prone work. UN Women emphasizes women's livelihoods are first to be damaged in crises and last to recover.

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War, Destruction, Slaughter

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

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Alongside lost job opportunities, a major overlooked impact of war is the massive increase in unpaid care work. Women take on caring for the wounded, elderly, disabled, traumatized children, securing water, food, fuel, and rebuilding community spaces. UN Women reports women/girls perform over 3/4 of global unpaid care, which war dramatically intensifies, curtailing women's education, paid work, and skill development.

Prominent economist Nancy Folbre notes: "Care work is the invisible heart of every economy." Yet its economic value is rarely factored into post-war reconstruction budgets.

These factors compound into the "feminization of poverty." Loss of husbands, displacement, asset destruction, severe inflation, and lost savings turn millions of women into primary household heads with severely restricted economic access. UNDP notes post-war patriarchal structures leave women with less access to credit, land ownership, productive resources, and investment. Reconstruction programs lacking a gender perspective perpetuate economic gender inequalities across generations. Women's economic empowerment must be a core pillar of post-war recovery and lasting peace.

Contemporary Examples of War's Impact on Women:

• Gaza: Since October 2023, local economy collapsed. Thousands of female workers in education, healthcare, public service, and micro-enterprises lost jobs. Unpaid care burdens skyrocketed amid severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and fuel. UN Women warns the war set back fragile progress in women's economic empowerment by decades.

• Ukraine: Following the 2022 Russian invasion, millions of women were displaced internally or became refugees, taking on labor roles in neighboring countries while supporting families back home. Domestically, women filled vital roles in health, education, relief, logistics, and agriculture, transforming businesses toward emergency supplies.

• Sudan: Civil war since 2023 triggered massive displacement. Millions of women lost livelihoods in agriculture and local markets, driving many to survival on little to no income amidst collapsed banking systems.

• Afghanistan: Taliban rule (2021) imposed severe bans restricting women from formal jobs, NGO work, and secondary/higher education. World Bank estimates these restrictions strip billions annually from Afghanistan's economic potential.

• Syria: Conflict since 2011 forced millions of women into household leadership. Many turned to informal home businesses, sewing, or humanitarian work, yet remain excluded from economic decision-making and reconstruction planning post-Assad flight (Dec 8, 2024).

• Ethiopia (Tigray War 2020–2022): Women farmers lost access to land, seeds, and local markets. The crisis involved widespread conflict-related sexual violence, severely impeding safe economic participation.

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Bombing Infrastructure, Evictions, and Worker Family Starvation

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

The Impact of Economic Crisis, War, and Structural Instability on Iran’s Labor Market (Gender Focus)

Recent economic crises coupled with war risks have impacted Iran's labor market deeply. Available data indicates that the number of people who lost jobs or exited the labor market completely reached ~4 million.

According to the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, between March 2025 and January 2026 (Esfand 1403 – Dey 1405), over 611,000 insured individuals exited the Social Security Organization's formal employment rolls.

Simultaneously, over 3.1 million people gave up searching for work ("discouraged worker effect" / labor force exit). Gholamhossein Mohammadi, Deputy Minister of Labor, stated that the 40-day war between Israel/US and the Islamic Republic destroyed over 1 million job opportunities and left ~2 million unemployed. Labor market expert Hamid Haj-Ismaili estimated 3 to 4.5 million people in Iran either lost jobs or exited the labor market between last winter and late April.

Statistical Center of Iran data shows economic participation rate dropped to 39.7% in Winter 2025/2026 (Winter 1404). Out of 66+ million working-age Iranians (15+ years), only ~26 million are active in the labor force (employed or seeking work), while over 40 million are economically inactive.

While global average female economic participation is ~47–48% and Middle East/North Africa (MENA) averages ~19–20%, female economic participation in Iran stands at less than 14–15% (compared to male participation of 67–70%), ranking Iran among the lowest in the world for female economic participation.

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War, Destruction, Slaughter

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

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Women are usually the first group to lose job security in crisis conditions. In Iran, women constitute ~73% of the economically inactive population. Out of ~33.3 million women over age 15, only ~4.077 million participate in the labor market, leaving over 29 million women outside the workforce.

Female unemployment rates are estimated at ~15% (nearly double the national total rate). Working in vulnerable service sectors, informal jobs, and small businesses, women lose jobs first. Increased domestic care burdens during crises further limit their job market re-entry.

An observed 12% increase in single-person workshops reflects forced self-employment rather than thriving entrepreneurship. Some reports indicate ~200,000 women not only lost jobs but stopped searching for work entirely due to soaring inflation, commuting/childcare costs, and low wages making work economically unfeasible.

Sanctions, currency volatility, and war threats—compounded by internet restrictions—severely hit online businesses where women were heavily employed. In some instances, female workers were replaced directly by male workers during cutbacks.

Sociologist Mostafa Ab-Roshan notes:

"The gender gap in the labor market results from structural, cultural, and economic factors: traditional gender roles, lack of affordable childcare, employer concerns over maternity leave, and unequal hiring practices. During economic downturns, competition intensifies and women are pushed out first. Long-term female unemployment weakens economic independence, reducing women's voice in family and financial decisions."

International forecasts (e.g., IMF) project negative growth for Iran’s economy amid sanctions, low investment, political instability, and war fallout. Addressing the "feminization of unemployment" requires reforming 47-year-old discriminatory gender structures.

Announcement: Cancellation of the 2026 Annual Cologne Women's Seminar

July 18, 2026

Dear Friends and Companions,

Since April 2025, preparations began for this year's seminar—an event organized by and for women for over four decades. Relying on past experiences, we planned for at least 100 participants and reserved the venue while applying for financial grants from various foundations. Unfortunately, all grant requests were rejected or met with negative responses, and registrations did not exceed ~40 people.

Given the slow registration pace and upcoming deposit deadlines for the venue, the organizing committee concluded that funds could not be secured. With great regret, we announce the cancellation of this year's seminar. Registration fees and donations will be refunded promptly.

Respectfully,

Organizing Group of the Annual Cologne Women's Seminar (July 18, 2026)

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War Kills, It Does Not Bring Freedom

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

The Middle East in the Jaws of War and Despotism: No to War, No to the Islamic Republic

Author: Farideh Salavati

(Placard text: "No to War, No to the Islamic Republic, No to Execution")

The Middle East stands once again under the shadow of rising tensions and war risks. Iran faces two simultaneous crises: domestic discontent/repression on one hand, and foreign military conflict threats on the other.

For a section of society, "No to War, No to the Islamic Republic" rejects both paths leading to suffering. Opposing war does not mean supporting the status quo, and opposing the ruling regime does not mean welcoming foreign military intervention. Iran's future depends on peaceful solutions driven by citizen demands and preserving national interests. Sustainable freedom, development, and welfare are only possible through stability, public participation, and human rights respect.

The Legend of Godiva

Author: Ferdows Dini

This legend depicts a struggle between justice and injustice through the confrontation between Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and his wife, Lady Godiva. When Lord Leofric decided to raise taxes on citizens who could not afford existing burdens, Lady Godiva opposed the cruelty.

Hoping she would back down, the Lord issued a humiliating condition: "You must ride naked on my horse through the city streets tonight; if you do, I will forgive the people's taxes."

Godiva covered her body with her long golden hair and rode through town. Upon learning of her sacrifice, the citizens closed their windows and shutters so no eyes would gaze upon her, reducing her shame. This silent solidarity defeated the Earl's cruelty, forcing him to cancel the tax increase.

The lesson remains relevant after nearly 1,000 years: justice succeeds not only through individual courage, but through collective solidarity. (Note: John Collier painted the famous artwork depicting naked Lady Godiva on horseback).

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Uprising Against Executions

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

Exiled

Author: Nouri Sharifi

Exile is an undeniable reality forced upon many due to war, political repression, and human rights violations. Forced exile leaves deep wounds and feelings of detachment.

Yet beyond forced exile lies self-imposed psychological exile—a state born of despair where individuals isolate themselves, reject helping hands, and inflict internal destruction. While forced exile holds hope for future freedom, self-imposed exile offers no release until one breaks internal mental barriers. As Saadi wrote on the soul leaving the body: true liberation happens when we reclaim inner self-worth and human dignity.

Joint Action Online Meeting: 4th Anniversary of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" Movement

Collective Action of Independent Iranian Women Organizations

• Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026 (21 Shahrivar 1405)

• Time: 9:00 AM California | 18:00 Central Europe | 19:30 Iran

• Platform: Zoom

• Topic: Four years since the Women, Life, Freedom revolutionary uprising and the state murder of Jina (Mahsa) Amini — Achievements, challenges, and the path ahead post-war.

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Uprising Against Executions

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

No to Execution, No to War; No to the Entirety of the Islamic Republic

Author: Mohammad Baha-eddin Vahedi Yeganeh

The Islamic Republic uses executions not as justice, but as a political weapon to instill public terror and crush protests. Executions and warmongering are two sides of the same coin used for regime survival.

1. Execution as an Instrument of State Terror: The regime uses death sentences to silence dissent, activists, and justice-seekers.

2. Warmongering (Plundering Lives and Tables): Regional proxy adventures drain national resources while poverty rises.

Our historical duty in streets, universities, and prisons is to declare loudly: No to Execution, No to War; Down with the Foundation of the Islamic Republic!

Echo the Voice of Ghezel Hesar Prisoners and Their Families: No to Execution!

1,500 prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison entered their 10th day of hunger strike protesting death sentences. Victims of poverty and state corruption cry out: "People, do not let them kill us!"

The state killing machine accelerates executions under war conditions, using war as a cover to suppress society. The "No to Execution Tuesdays" campaign has expanded across 59 prisons nationwide over 130 weeks. Execution is a disgrace to any regime relying on violence.

Signatories / Supporting Organizations:

1. Pensioners' Union (Ettihad-e Bazneshtegan)

2. Kermanshah Electricity & Metal Association

3. "Do Not Execute" Campaign (Eadam Nakoned)

4. Justice Seekers (Dadkhahan)

5. Council of Pensioners of Iran

6. Organizing Council of Oil Contract Workers Protests

7. Organizing Council of Informal Oil Workers Protests (3rd Pillar)

8. Coordination Council of Nurses' Protests

9. Voice of Iranian Women (Nedaye Zanan-e Iran)

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Woman, Life, Freedom

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

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The situation is extremely urgent and dangerous. Large numbers in prisons across Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, and other cities face execution risks daily. An official explicitly admitted: "If we do not execute, protesting people will pour into the streets."

We must take action—strikes, actions, graffiti, and any movement to shatter the execution cart.

The End Line of Darkness: No to War, No to Despotism

Author: Mahnaz Salavati

We stand at a critical historical juncture. War is a gift for totalitarian survival; regimes swallow remaining liberties under 'national security' pretexts while sacrificing youth.

We say no to war because we love life, and no to the Islamic Republic so we can build a free, prosperous, and secure country. The path forward is neither submission to tyranny nor accepting war's destruction, but the third path driven by popular will.

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Uprising Against Executions

Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

Normalizing Violence: The Collapse of Ethics in Politics

Author: Sharareh Rezaei

Reducing human lives to numbers and war equations represents an absolute moral collapse. Figures like Shahram Kholdi, who recommend attacks on Iranian soil or destruction of infrastructure, advocate war rather than freedom. History from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan proves war buries children and destroys national futures long before reaching governments.

Recommending the deaths of tens of thousands of Iranian officers as a 'response' is moral bankruptcy. Executioners are not only turbaned clerics in courts; sometimes they wear suits and ties behind microphones advocating massacres. Freedom does not come from foreign army gun barrels; it is built by citizens refusing to trade lives in war markets.

#HandsOffIran #StopWar

News Column: Final 99-Lash Sentence Issued for Pejman Jamshidi

(Source: Emtedad / Elaheh Mohammadi)

Melika Parsadouste, the complainant in the case against actor Pejman Jamshidi, confirmed to Emtedad that a sentence of 99 lashes for an illicit relationship (rabeteh-ye na-mashroo) was issued by Branch 9 of Tehran Criminal Court 1. Following an appeal, the verdict was affirmed entirely by Branch 29 of the Supreme Court.

Under Article 637 of the Islamic Penal Code (Ta'at), illicit relationships carry up to 99 lashes. In cases involving coercion/force, punishment applies to the coercer. The judges acquitted the defendant of rape charges while convicting him to 99 lashes. Parsadouste stated: "The final ruling clarifies everything and exposes false media narratives. What I experienced was sexual violence, and I maintained this truth from day one."

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Publication of the Organization for the Emancipation of Women — Issue 142

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