---

FOR A FREE AND SECULAR MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

The 2009 protests in Iran followed by the Arab Spring have the potential to herald a new dawn for the people of the region and the world. The protests have clearly shown that people in the region, like people everywhere, want to live 21^st century lives.

We, the undersigned, emphasise their modern and human dimension and wholeheartedly welcome this immense and historical development. We are vehemently opposed to their hijacking by Islamism or US-led militarism and support the call for a free and secular Middle East and North Africa made by citizens and particularly women in the region.

Secularism is a minimum precondition for the freedom and equality of all citizens and includes:

1. Complete separation of religion from the state.

2. Abolition of religious laws in the family, civil and criminal codes.

3. Separation of religion from the educational system.

4. Freedom of religion and atheism as private beliefs.

5. Prohibition of sex apartheid and compulsory veiling.

SIGNATORIES

1. Mina Ahadi, Spokesperson, International Committees against Stoning and Execution, Iran/Germany

2. Marieme Helie Lucas, Sociologist, Founder and former international coordinator of Women Living Under Muslim Laws and founder of Secularism Is A Women’s Issue, Algeria/France

3. Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson, Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Iran/UK

4. Shahla Abghari, University Professor, Iran/USA

5. Siavash Abghari, Esmail Khoi Foundation, Iran/USA

6. Ahlam Akram, Palestinian Peace and Human Rights Writer and Campaigner, Palestine/UK

7. Sargul Ahmad, Women’s Liberation in Iraq, Iraq/Canada

8. Mahin Alipour, Coordinator, Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Iran/Sweden

9. Reza Alkrami, Human Rights Activist, Iran/USA

10. Farideh Arman, Coordinator, Committee to Defend Women’s Rights, Iran/Sweden

11. Sultana Begum, Regional Gender Adviser, Diakonia Asia, Bangladesh
12. Djemila Benhabib, Writer, Algeria/Canada

13. Codou Bop, Journalist and Director of GREFELS, Dakar, Senegal

14. Ariane Brunet, co-founder Urgent Action Fund, Québec, Canada

15. Micheline Carrier, Sisyphe, Québec, Canada

16. Patty Debonitas, Iran Solidarity, UK

17. Denise Deliège Femmes En Noir, Belgium

18. Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Sweden

19. Fanny Filosof, Femmes en Noir, Belgium

20. Mersedeh Ghaedi, New Channel TV Programme host, Iran/Norway

21. Groupe de recherche sur les femmes et les lois, Dakar, Senegal

22. Laura Guidetti, Marea Feminist Magazine, Italy

23. Zeinabou Hadari, Centre Reines Daura, Niger

24. Anissa Hélie, Historian, Algeria/France/USA

25. Rohini Henssman, Human Rights Activist, India

26. Hameeda Hossein, Chairperson Ain o Salish Kendra, Dhaka, Bangladesh

27. Khayal Ibrahim, Women’s Liberation in Iraq, Iraq/Canada

28. Leo Igwe, Founder, Nigerian Humanist Movement, Nigeria

29. Ayesha Imam, Women’s Human Rights and Democracy Activist, Nigeria/Senegal

30. International Campaign in Defence of Women’s Rights in Iran, Sweden

31. International Committee against Execution, Germany

32. International Committee against Stoning, Germany

33. Iran Solidarity, Iran/UK

34. Maryam Jamil, Women’s Liberation in Iraq, Iraq

35. Sultana Kamal, Executive Director, Ain o Salish Kendra and Chairperson Transparency International, Bangladesh

36. Abbas Kamil, Unity Against Unemployment in Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq

37. Harsh Kapoor, South Asia Citizens Web, India

38. Akbar Karimian, Human Rights Activist, Iran/UK

39. Cherifa Kheddar, President of Djazairouna, Algeria

40. Monica Lanfranco, Marea Feminist Magazine, Italy

41. Houzan Mahmoud, Representative of Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, Iraq/UK

42. Nahla Elgaali Mahmoud, Biologist, Sudan/UK

43. Anwar Mir Sattari, Human rights Activist, Iran/Belgium

44. Amena Mohsin, Professor, Dept. International Relations Dhaka University, Bangladesh

45. Khawar Mumtaz, Director Shirkat Gah, Lahore, Pakistan

46. Taslima Nasrin, Writer and Activist, Bangladesh

47. U. M. Habibun Nessa, President, Naripokkho, Bangladesh

48. Partow Nooriala, Poet, Writer and Human Rights Activist, Iran/USA

49. Asghar Nosrati, Human Rights Activist, Iran/Sweden

50. One Law for All, UK

51. Pragna Patel, Southall Black Sisters, UK

52. Fariborz Pooya, Iranian Secular Society, Iran/UK

53. Protagora, Zagreb, Croatia

54. Hassan Radwan, Activist, Egypt/UK

55. Mary Jane Real, Women’s Human Rights Coalition, Manila, The Philippines

56. Edith Rubinstein, Femmes en Noir, Belgium

57. Nawal El Sadaawi, Writer, Egypt

58. Fahimeh Sadeghi, Coordinator, International Federation of Iranian Refugees, Iran/Canada

59. Gita Sahgal, Director, Centre for Secular Space, UK

60. Nina Sankari, Secularist and Feminist, Poland

61. Secularism Is A Women’s Issue (International Network)

62. Aisha Lee Shaheed, London, UK

63. Farida Shaheed, Shirkat Gah, Lahore, Pakistan

64. Siba Shakib, Filmmaker, Writer and Activist, Iran/USA

65. Sohaila Sharifi, Women’s Rights Campaigner, Iran/UK

66. Issam Shukri, Head, Secularism and Civil Rights in Iraq, Iraq/Canada

67. Southall Black Sisters, UK

68. Fatou Sow, Sociologist CNRS, Dakar, Senegal

69. Afsaneh Vahdat, Coordinator, International Campaign for Women’s Rights in Iran, Iran/Sweden

70. Lino Veljak, Professor of Philosophy, Zagreb University, Croatia

71. Fauzia Viqar, Director Advocacy and Communications, Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Centre, Lahore, Pakistan

72. Anne Marie Waters, One Law for All, UK

73. Vivienne Wee, anthropologist, feminist and human rights activist, Singapore and Hong Kong, China

74. Women In Black, Belgrade, Serbia

75. Sara Zaker, Theatre Director, Bangladesh

76. Stasa Zajovic, spokesperson Women in Black, Belgrade, Serbia

---

In light of the recent pronouncements of the unelected Libyan Transitional Council for ‘Sharia laws’, the signatories of the manifesto vehemently oppose the hijacking of the protests by Islamism or US-led militarism and unequivocally support the call for freedom and secularism made by citizens and particularly women in the region.

Secularism is a minimum precondition for a free and secular Middle East and for the recognition of women’s rights and equality.

We call on world citizens to support this important campaign by signing on to our petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/world-citizens-defend-a-free-and-secular-middle-east-and-north-africa

We also ask that supporters click ‘like’ on our Facebook page to support this important campaign: http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Free-and-Secular-Middle-East-and-North-Africa/271164176261820#!/pages/A-Free-and-Secular-Middle-East-and-North-Africa/271164176261820 and Tweet: #freesecularMENA in support of a free and secular Middle East and North Africa.

For more information, contact:
Marieme Helie Lucas
Maryam Namazie
Telephone: +44 (0) 7719166731
For a Free and Secular Middle East and North Africa
Email: secularMENA gmail.com
BM Box 2387, London WC1N 3XX, UK

---

ARABIC

بيان من أجل شرق اوسط وشمال افريقيا علمانية إن احتجاجات إيران عام 2009 والربيع العربي الذي أعقبها تحمل أملاً بفجر جديد لشعوب المنطقة وللعالم. لقد أظهرت الاحتجاجات بشكل واضح أن شعوب المنطقة، كغيرها من شعوب العالم، تسعي لحياه تواكب متطلبات القرن الحادي والعشرين. نحن، الموقعون أدناه، نؤكد على البعد الحديث والإنساني لهذه الثورات ونرحب ترحيبا حارا بهذا التطور التاريخي الكبير. ونحن نعارض بشدّة سلب مكتسبات هذه الثورات سواء كان ذلك على يد الحركات الإسلامية أو السياسات العسكريتارية بقيادة امريكا، ونؤيد الدعوة لقيام شرق أوسط وشمال إفريقيا علمانية بارادة المواطنين في المنطقة وخاصة النساء. إن العلمانية تمثّل الحد الأدنى من أجل تحقيق حرية ومساواة كل المواطنين، ويشمل ذلك: 1. فصل الدين عن الدولة فصلاً تاما. 2. إلغاء التشريعات الدينية الخاصة بالأسرة والتشريعات المدنية والجنائية. 3. فصل الدين عن النظام التعليمي. 4. حرية الدين والإلحاد كمعتقدات شخصية. 5. منع سياسة التمييز الجنسي والحجاب الإجباري.

---

PERSIAN

مانیفست برای خاورمیانه- شمال آفریفای سکولار

مبارزات سال 88 (2009 میلادی) در ایران و در پی آن “بهار عربی” این ظرفیت را دارد که طلوعی تازه را به مردم منطقه و جهان نوید دهد. اعتراضات به روشنی میدهد که مردم این منطقه، نظیر مردم هر جای دیگر، خواهان یک زندگی قرن بیست و یکمی هستند.

ما امضاء کنندگان زیر بر ابعاد انسانی و مدرن این مبارزات تاکید میگذاریم و با تمام وجود از این تحول عظیم تاریخی استقبال میکنیم. ما قاطعانه مخالفت خود را با مصادره این انقلابات و مبارزات توسط اسلام گرایی و یا میلیتاریسم (دولتی) تحت رهبری آمریکا اعلام میداریم و از فراخوان “یک خاورمیانه و شمال آفریقای آزاد و سکولار” حمایت میکنیم که توسط شهروندان این منطقه بویژه زنان مطرح شده است.

سکولاریسم پیش شرط حداقل برای آزادی و برابری همه شهروندان و دربرگیرنده این مفاد است: ١- جدائی کامل مذهب از دولت. ٢- الغای قوانین مذهبی در قوانین خانواده، مدنی و جنایی. ٣- جدائی مذهب از سیستم آموزش و پرورش. ٤- آزادی مذهب و بی مذهبی بعنوان اعتقادات شخصی. ٥- ممنوعیت آپارتاید جنسی و حجاب اجباری.

---