One Law for All and FiLiA for a Mass hair-cutting in solidarity with Iran
Campaign Update:
One Law For All and FiLiA charity are again joining forces as part of the Hair4Freedom campaign launched in November 2022.
Our first joint action in central London saw women line up to cut their hair in solidarity with the women’s revolution in Iran, in an event lasting hours and making headlines around the world.
The action was covered extensively, including on Daily Telegraph Australia, VOA, ABC News, Cyprus Mail, Alein Farsi, Independent Persian, Kayhan London, VOA 365, Sri Lanka News, Yahoo, Reuters and others.
Hair4Freedom will be staging their next protest on Friday 24th February 2023 this time outside the Iranian Embassy in London. There we will both cut hair and throw the hair we have collected from protesters around the country: a symbol of how terrified the Iranian regime is of a simple strand of hair.
Since the start of the women led revolution, sparked by the murder of Mahsha Amini for allegedly wearing her hijab ‘incorrectly’, nearly 20000 protesters have been arrested, many of them women and girls. There are reports of rape and sexual assault and those sentenced in sham trials have been given extraordinarily long prison sentences. Some women are also facing execution. We call on this government to end relations with the regime due to their shocking and brutal large scale human rights violations.
To contact either FiLiA or One Law For All for comment, please email: campaigns@filia.org.uk
#Hair4Freedom #16DaysOfActivism
Piccadilly Circus, London
on 26th November
at 3pm
Maryam Namazie, spokesperson of One Law for All and Lisa-Marie Taylor, CEO of FiLiA are calling on women to join them in solidarity with Iran’s women’s revolution for a mass hair-cutting.
A women’s revolution is unfolding in Iran, the main slogans of which are ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ and ‘We don’t want an Islamic state.’
Since the murder of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Zhina Amini by the Islamic regime of Iran’s morality police for ‘improper’ veiling, there have been daily mass protests in Iran. These protests, led by brave Iranian women and girls, are being supported by men and attended by people in their tens of thousands every day across the country.
The Islamic regime of Iran’s security forces are deploying weapons of war against protesters and have killed hundreds, arrested tens of thousands, many of whom have been tortured, including sexual violence, electric shock treatment and lethal force. 227 members of the 290-seat Islamic parliament have called on the judiciary to issue death sentences for those arrested during the protests. Some of the protestors have already been sentenced to death.
JOIN #HAIR4FREEDOM
@One_Law_for_All
@FiLiA_Charity
To join this solidarity action, here are the steps that women can take:
Join One Law for All and FiLiA in Piccadilly Circus, London on 26th November at 3 pm for a mass hair-cutting.
You can cut as much or as little of your hair as you are comfortable with.
If you are taking part virtually please take a photo or video (10 seconds or less) of your hair-cutting solidarity action and post on social media during the 16 days of activism.
Remember to tag @One_Law_for_All and @FiLiA_Charity and use hashtags #Hair4Freedom #MahsaAmini #16DaysofActivism.
Post your hair in a small freezer-style bag, and a name label if you can (no later than 15 December) to: Hair 4 Freedom, One Law for All , BM 1919, London WC1N 3XX
We hope to deliver your hair to the British Foreign Office and The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London during January 2023. More information will be added to the website once all the hair has been received.
Write to your MP about your involvement in this solidarity action (see below for a draft email you can use and to access a tool to help you find your MP’s email address). Remember to add your own comments if you can; personalised emails have more impact.
#Hair4Freedom is being organised during and as part of 16 days of activism. The Global 16 Days Campaign, launched by the Center for Women's Global Leadership and feminists from around the world at the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991, is used worldwide to call for the elimination of sex-based violence. It is run annually from November 25 (International Day Against Violence Against Women) to December 10 (International Human Rights Day) #16DaysOfActivism.
HOW TO WRITE TO YOUR MP
Email your MP on the day of your hair-cutting action, which you can do using our pre-prepared template:
Use this site to enter your postcode to find your MP’s email address. If you are taking part in this action internationally, please message members of parliament in your own country.
Copy and paste the text provided below into your own email. Feel free to adapt the suggested text with your own messages. Remember that an original message will have more impact. Please cc m.namazie@onelawforall.org.uk and campaigns@filia.org.uk in your message.
Dear XXXXXX,
I am writing to you as your constituent to let you know that I am taking part in a FiLiA and One Law for All joint solidarity action, #Hair4Freedom, to support the women’s revolution in Iran.
Since the murder of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Zhina Amini for ‘improper’ veiling by the Islamic regime of Iran’s morality police on September 16, there have been ongoing mass protests across Iran. Led by women, and supported by men, the slogan ‘Women, Life, Freedom,’ and the bravery of a young generation demanding freedom have inspired me and the world.
The protests have been met with unimaginable violence. According to human rights groups, over 300 protestors have been killed, many of them children. The regime is using weapons of war on civilians meaning that the real numbers will be higher. Over 14,000 are known to have been arrested. 227 members of the 290-seat Islamic parliament have called on the judiciary to issue death sentences for those arrested during the protests. Some protestors have already been sentenced to death.
I believe continuing relations with this regime is unjustifiable. Can you please contact the government and let them know that the Iranian women fighting for freedom don’t need to be saved. They do demand, however, that the British government stop dealing with their murderers. At a minimum, the government should end diplomatic ties with the regime and facilitate their expulsion from international bodies, including the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Anything less is unethical.
Thank you for your time,
NAME