Mina Ahadi’s speech at the House of Commons, Tues 11^th Feb 2003

Stoning is medieval and must be abolished immediately

My name is Mina Ahadi and I am the coordinator of the International Committee against Stoning, which is an international network of nearly 200 women’s rights’ and human rights’ organisations and individuals from around the world, and which is fighting to save the lives of people sentenced to stoning and for the abolition of the inhuman law of stoning and of retributory punishment (the law of Qesas).

I have never been proud of what I am doing, because the very fact that the law of stoning exists, and, what’s more, is actually carried out in the 21^st Century, shows the kind of world we are living in. Future generations will look back at life at the beginning of the 21st Century and wonder how in our so-called civilised world women could be buried up to their chests in a ditch and stoned to death for engaging in an extra-marital relation – something which should be their own private affair. Why could not civilised humanity of this century stop this pain and suffering and this outrage?

Sadly, it is true that our world has not been civilised enough and strong enough to abolish this horrific and medieval practice.

Stoning is a method of killing human beings in Islam-stricken countries. If Islamists succeed in imposing stoning in a particular part of the world – for instance, in northern Nigeria - they will also be able to impose the entirety of their inhuman Sharia laws on society and thereby consolidate their rule.

Stoning is a practice that belongs to the reactionary movement of political Islam. It is carried out by Islamic governments or by groups aiming to set up Islamic governments.

These are states which enjoy the approval and backing of the Western governments. Their creation and survival has indeed depended on the support and appeasement bestowed upon them by European and Western governments.

Today, I would like to address Members of the British Parliament by saying that while in London, Amnesty International has collected one and a half million signatures for a petition against stoning, the British government has not uttered even a single word of criticism of stoning - let alone condemn it. Tony Blair and Jack Straw have made no protests whatsoever to the Iranian government against stoning or other horrendous violations of human rights in Iran. Indeed, they have shown no interest at all.

The policy of the European governments and the EU towards the Islamic Republic of Iran has been one of appeasement and support – something which we and other human rights’ organisations have strongly condemned. Recently, in a German daily, the German government responded to my criticisms by claiming that the German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer had always brought up these issues at his meetings with Kamal Kharrazi, the Iranian Foreign Minister.

But this was skirting the issue, i.e. the need for a clear condemnation of stoning and of other flagrant human rights’ violations in Iran.

In such circumstances, our Committee turned to the people in European countries, through campaigning and public meetings, which has generated a huge amount of public interest, support and appreciation for our work.

During the past three years, our Committee has called a number of demonstrations in the capital cities of Europe and in Brussels, organised numerous public meetings, reached out to the public via the world media, lobbied governments and the European Union, petitioned the contestants at the Miss World competition to boycott the event, which was being held in Nigeria, in protest at the stoning sentences against Amina Lawal and others in Nigeria, and staged symbolic protest actions, such as the ‘walk for life’ by one of our Committee members in Turkey from Ankara to Istanbul to highlight the gravity of the issue of stoning.

And there have been invaluable achievements. So far, the campaign has helped save the lives of three women: Safieh Hussaini in Nigeria, Zafaran Bibi in Pakistan and Abouka in Sudan. Under the sheer pressure of our campaigning, the authorities in Iran recently announced a moratorium on stoning.

However, the complete abolition of stoning in Iran and everywhere and saving the lives of those currently under sentences of stoning will depend on keeping up this international pressure.

Our Committee will continue its work until the total abolition of stoning. To achieve this goal, we need your help. Members of Parliament and all concerned organisations and individuals in Britain can assist this campaign by:

- publicly condemning the Islamic Republic of Iran and demanding the abolition of stoning and retributory punishments (the Islamic law of Qesas), decriminalisation of consensual sex between adults, and an end to all forms of human rights’ violations in Iran;

- putting pressure on the British government to cut off all diplomatic links with the Islamic Republic of Iran until the abolition of stoning and the law of Qesas and an end to all forms of human rights’ violations in Iran;

- joining our Committee.

Thank you!