رفتن به محتوای اصلی

In Condemnation of the Tragic Murder of Romina Ashrafi; a Shame under the Name of "Law"!

In Condemnation of the Tragic Murder of Romina Ashrafi; a Shame under the Name of "Law"!

In Condemnation of the Tragic Murder of Romina Ashrafi; a Shame under the Name of "Law"!

The tragedy of the murder of Romina Ashrafi, a 13- or 14-year-old girl from Talesh, Iran, has shocked the society. A father cut off his daughter's head with a sickle to defend his family's "honor" and blamed his daughter's escape with a boy to justify his horrific act. This murder is one of the most painful cases of honor killings that still occur in our country. In the shadow of the discriminatory laws of the Islamic Republic (IR) and the patriarchal culture of the country, any enlightenment and talk about such repeated crimes is practically forbidden. Investigations into the matter, and even engaging in this issue in the forms of publications, books, and films are taboo and are considered "misrepresentation" by the regime repressive agencies. Romina's murder is not a unique phenomenon. According to the IR's law enforcement officials, honor killings make up a large part of the killings in Iran.

The heinous murder of Romina and other Rominas in the name of defending the "honor" of the "family" in societies where patriarchal traditions and culture have become part of society's habit and violence against women and children is common, and worst of all, promoted by the system in power and the law, is a terrible incident, but it is not unexpected.

In our country, every time such a heinous and heartbreaking incident occurs and it provokes public opinion, the leaders of the IR remain silent, and with their silence, they absolve themselves of responsibility. Until the wave passes and this kind of filthy glands in the society and its subcultures are repeated, the regime officials suppress every step to change this situation at the outset, put aside bills related to the prohibition of violence against women and children and declare them contrary to the "Sharia" (Islamic Laws). No one is advocating a return to the age of the "eye for an eye" rule. Human "retribution" is not the solution. Our society needs the free dissemination of alternative culture and values ​​against the decadent anti-values ​​of patriarchy. In any healthy society where such crimes occur, all factors are used by taking educational, legal, and long-term measures, such as providing safe housing for women to eradicate violence in social dimensions.

The main abomination of the murder of Romina Ashrafi is that a collection of some of complex contradictions in our society, from common child marriage under the shadow of the IR laws to patriarchy and honor killings and justifying structures of this collection is evident. This institutionalization is reflected in the laws and rules. The laws of the IR recognizes discrimination against women and makes women subject to the will of men in any situation and the property of their "guardian" (father, husband and grandfather). Article 301 of the Islamic Penal Code explicitly states that "the father or paternal grandfather who kills his child shall not be subject to retribution and shall be sentenced to pay diyat (blood money) to the heir of the victim and canonically punished (ta'zir)." Under the law, not only in such cases, the court can impose between three and ten years in prison only if there is a fear of disobedience or the possibility of a recurrence of the crime, or if it is considered a "disruption of public order." Acknowledging this "right" which is based on the legality of killing, "father" easily kills the "child."

By insisting on canonical laws and rules based on discrimination and spreading obsolete traditions, the IR has promoted patriarchy and discrimination and by paving the way for catastrophes such as the sharp-edged sickle on Romina's neck, has left a society and the world in shock and anger by hearing this painful news. Romina has not only been killed by a reactionary, psychotic and ruthless father, she is a victim of the country's medieval and decadent culture (from acid spraying, mutilating women who are forced to sell their bodies and lives, to the silent murders of "honor”) which is legally protected by the IR. Many lives like Romina's refreshing gaze that were full of life, and in the spring of their blossoms, had fallen victims to the death knell of prejudice and ignorance… and these tragedies are not over yet.

The Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian) is deeply saddened by the tragic murder of Romina Ashrafi and expresses its condolences to her mother and brother, and calls for an end to violence against women and children. The laws of the IR serve to consolidate discrimination against women and maintain the traditional structure of patriarchy in Iran. Our party recognizes the IR, which claims to be the guardian and the head of the society, by spreading culture and enactment of patriarchal laws, as the main responsible entity for these social catastrophes. We support the courageous struggle of our country's women against discrimination and for gender equality. Our party emphasizes the constitutional amendment, the complete repeal of discriminatory laws, and compliance of all laws of the country with the norms of human rights. We consider it our duty to work with all anti-discrimination activists for gender equality and against current discriminatory laws. We believe that freedom from the shackles of tyranny and authoritarianism is not possible without the struggle to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women. Ensuring the legal status of women and men, expanding their real and effective presence in the political and social spheres, is a fundamental step in the transition to democracy in the country and its strength.

Political-Executive Board of the Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian)

May 30, 2020

افزودن دیدگاه جدید

متن ساده

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • نشانی‌های وب و پست الکتونیکی به صورت خودکار به پیوند‌ها تبدیل می‌شوند.
CAPTCHA
کاراکترهای نمایش داده شده در تصویر را وارد کنید.
لطفا حروف را با خط فارسی و بدون فاصله وارد کنید