International Coalition for Women's Rights

International Coalition for Women's Rights

Since our last email, we have been busy organising an International Coalition for Women's Rights, to which a number of well-known personalities and organisations have signed up.

As you know, on April 19, 2009, the Somali parliament unanimously endorsed the introduction of Sharia law across the country. A few days earlier, the imposition of Sharia law in Pakistan's northwestern Swat region was approved. Last month, a sweeping law approved by the Afghan parliament and signed by President Hamid Karzai required Shi'a women to seek their husband's permission to leave home, and to submit to their sexual demands. Because of international and national protests the new law is now being reviewed but only to check its compatibility with Sharia law.

The imposition of Sharia law in the legal codes of Somalia, Pakistan and Afghanistan brings millions more under the yoke of political Islam.

Local and international pressure and opposition are the only ways to stop the rise of this regressive movement and defend women's universal rights and secularism.

From Iran and Iraq to Britain and Canada, Sharia law is being opposed by a vast majority who choose 21st century universal values over medievalism. Join us in supporting this international struggle and calling for:

* the abolition of discriminatory and Sharia laws * an end to sexual apartheid * secularism and the separation of religion from the state * equality between women and men

You can find a list of initial signatories here: http://www.equalrightsnow-iran.com/discriminatory_laws.html

You can join the International Coalition for Women's Rights by signing here: http://www.petitiononline.com/ICFWR/petition.html

If you haven't already done so, you can also sign a petition opposing Sharia law in Britain here: http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/index.html

We must mobilise across the globe in order to show our opposition to Sharia law and our support and solidarity for those living under and resisting its laws.

In the coming months, we will be organising towards mass rallies in various cities across the globe on November 21. We've chosen this date to mark both Universal Children's Day (November 20) and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25). If you are interested in helping us organise a rally in your city, please contact us.

And please don't forget we need money to do all that has to be done. And we have to rely on those who support our work to provide it.

If you are supportive, there are many ways you can raise funds. You can:

* send in a donation - no matter how small * organise a picnic or cook a dinner for your friends or colleagues and ask them to contribute to our work * invite us to speak and raise money for our work at the event * hold sales or organise a concert or exhibition and donate the proceeds to us * ask if your workplace gives donations to employee causes and make an application.

You can send in your donations via Paypal (http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/donate.html) or Worldpay (http://www.ex-muslim.org.uk/indexDonate.html) or make cheques payable to CEMB or One Law for All and mail them to: BM Box 2387, London WC1N 3XX, UK.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes

Maryam

ENDS

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