DC: Protesters Challenge Stoning at Lincoln Memorial | Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)

On Sunday, July 11, 2010, at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool steps in Washington DC, protesters demonstrated in support of human rights and against the barbaric practice of stoning. The protesters included men, women, Muslims, non-Muslims, and represented diverse human rights and feminist causes. The July 11, 2010 event was organized by Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)‘s Jeffrey Imm, and included Maria Rohaly of Mission Free Iran, as well as United4Equality’s Carolyn Cook and Maureen Gehrig, and other feminist activists.

DC’s Lincoln Memorial – July 11 – Protesters Challenge Stoning

Some of the protesters had also been part of the July 2 protest to call for the end to the stoning sentence of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year old Iranian woman, who has been convicted of adultery in the Islamic Republic of Iran and condemned to death by stoning, which was held at the Iranian Interests Section of the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC.

The July 11 protesters continued to urge people to sign the petition to call for an end to the stoning and death sentence against Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani. Over 5,000 people have signed the Mission Free Iran petition in the past week. R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm and volunteers passed out fliers and business cards with a shortcut link to the petition at: http://bit.ly/helpsakineh

R.E.A.L.'s Jeffrey Imm Urges Public to Sign Petition in Support of Sakineh at http://bit.ly/helpsakineh

Maria Rohaly spoke on the how Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was first sentenced by the Islamic Republic of Iran to 99 lashes in public for the accusations of adultery in Iran. Maria Rohaly stated that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani “has spent 5 years in prison for a non-crime that she did not commit. Subsequently, the Islamic Republic decided that that was not enough and they decided that she should buried in a hole up to her chest and have stones pelted at her head until she is dead – that is called stoning and this is called ‘justice’ in the Islamic Republic, and we say no to this kind of barbaric, medieval ‘justice’ that is disproportionally implemented against women in Iran and around the Islamic world. We are here today to ask you for your continued support in the outcry against the Islamic regime’s barbaric abuse of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani as well as number of other women who are currently under, and some men, who are currently under death sentences by stoning for the non-crime for consensual adult relations.”

Lincoln Memorial: Maria Rohaly Speaks Out Against Stoning and in Support of Sakineh

Protester Maria Rohaly stated that Iran is continuing to review the sentence for Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani. While Iran may withdraw the stoning sentence, it may choose another form of death penalty against her. Maria Rohaly stated “there are still no guarantees that she will not be stoned to death, there are still no guarantees that she won’t be executed for a non-crime that she did not commit. Nevertheless they may lift the stoning sentence, what’s on the table now is a 10 year sentence.. Ten years in prison for something that she did not do is still unacceptable and with continued international pressure against this regime and against the barbaric ideas of what justice is comprised of , we can continue and we can force the regime to stop the sentencing of Sakineh, and it is not just about Sakineh it is about all women who are subjected to this inhumane form of justice. Mission Free Iran led the July 2 protest at the DC Iranian Interests Section and has helped to coordinate and promote protests around the world against Iranian stoning.

R.E.A.L. leader Jeffrey Imm condemned those who support stoning anywhere in the world, as a barbaric injustice against human beings and against humanity’s universal human rights. R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm told of one of a case of stoning of a 13 year old girl in Somalia who had been raped, that was also convicted for “adultery,” like Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani. He urged our fellow human beings and the world governments to reject the barbaric practice of stoning as inhumane and a violation of human rights anywhere in the world. He also urged our fellow human being to unequivocally reject stoning and those groups that promote stoning, and addressed the Hizb ut-Tahrir group’s repeated demonstrations on June 22, 2010 and on World AIDS Day, where Hizb ut-Tahrir members have supported calls for stoning of others, including postings on the Hizb ut-Tahrir website supporting stoning.

As Women Watch in Audience, R.E.A.L.'s Jeffrey Imm Challenge All Men to Stand Up Against Violence Against Women

Jeffrey Imm had a special message for men, urging them to take responsibility for ending the barbaric practice of stoning and violence against women. He stated that “it is unmanly, it is wrong for any man to ignore the violence against women. Your daughters, your sisters, your mothers depend on you – they depend on you to speak out – the women around the world depend on you to speak out to other men and say ‘Enough is Enough,’ Stop the Violence against Women! Whether it is stoning, whether it is rape, whether it is any kind of institutionalized misogyny, we need men to speak out and take responsibility for what is happening around the world and determine to change it.” Jeffrey Imm also used the public awareness event to thank the Muslims who joined the protesters at the Lincoln Memorial event, and also to recognize the Muslim groups that are speaking out on behalf of democracy and freedom, such as the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD), American Islamic Congress (AIC), Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV), and other groups.

R.E.A.L. has tried to publicize the continuing plight of stoning in Iran and other parts of the world, and has held multiple awareness events on stoning corresponding to the film released last summer, ‘The Stoning of Soraya M.,’ including a public awareness campaign in Washington DC’s Georgetown. R.E.A.L. supporters have also tried to have home gatherings to watch the DVD release of that film in March 2010.

Feminists Stand Up Against Stoning and For Human Rights

United4Equality Social Justice Activists Carolyn Cook (Left) and Maureen Gehrig (Right)

The Lincoln Memorial protesters also included American feminists and supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment (E.R.A.), designed to gain Constitutional equality for women in America.

Activists included members of the social justice enterprise United4Equality, LLC, led by Carolyn Cook, which is dedicated to ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment (E.R.A.) by 2015, and in support of other social justice issues for women. Carolyn Cook has invested three years pro-bono on a new strategy for E.R.A. She lobbied Congress and secured a House sponsor to introduce a proposed bill for the E.R.A. Carolyn works with Maureen Gehrig in support of the United4Equality social justice enterprise, and has been an activist in many public events including Women’s Equality Day, International Women’s Day, and in support of human rights groups challenging the barbaric practice of stoning against women.

United4Equality's Maureen Gehrig - Consistency on Women's Rights in America: "We Can Be the Beacon of Hope"

United4Equality’s Maureen Gehrig spoke on behalf of feminists in condemning stoning and the abuse of women. She stated to women “this is time to use our heads” and urged women to speak out against violence against women in America as well, stating that those who commit abuse and women who are “not paying a price, to be let off, what does this say to anyone else in the country? Well, I guess the legal system doesn’t care… We need to get back to the rights of every human being, men and women. Because no matter what you are talking about whether it is a religion, whether it is a race, whether it is nationality, there is one thing we have in common… women and men… We need that equality and we need it in this country now, and then we can be the beacon of hope to the rest of the world that yes we can do it right. Don’t do as I say, but do as I do.”

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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) stand with our fellow human beings in defense of our Universal Human Rights.

We urge all – Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.

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