Nasrin Sotoudeh an internationally renowned human rights lawyer jailed in Iran, has been handed a new sentence that her husband said was 38 years in prison and 148 lashes.Her crime? Defending the rights of women in Iran,
today
i went swimming
alone
in the blue green ocean
on a beautiful autumn day
today
i drove to my local pub
alone
to buy some wine
to have with dinner tonight
nasrin will never know
what that is like
nasrin will never know
what it is like to be afforded
the rights of a human being
it fills me with horror
to know that in countries like mine
(filthy decadent western ones)
a stray cat
has more human rights than
this remarkable courageous woman
this continuing nightmare
this cruelty to women
this abominable abuse
has got to come to an end
somehow
it just cannot go on and on
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
―
(please support her in any way you can)
This is heartbreaking :( May justice prevail..
ReplyDeleteWe talk about equality and use such references as "post-feminism" for the end of this decade but stories like hers tell us the reality of this world at large. This indeed has got to come to an end.
ReplyDeleteIt is criminal the way women are treated in these countries. It is criminal that we still support many of these nations, such as Saudi Arabia. It's a strange world, when parts of it are in the 21st century and other parts are still in medieval times. Your poem pulls no punches and really gets the point across. Hope you are doing well.
ReplyDeleteYes! Yes! It has to end!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rall, for highlighting Nasrin’s maltreatment by contrasting your own life with hers, and showing how this planet isn’t as civilised as we’d like it to be. I admire the courage of women like Nasrin and encourage everyone to petition for her release. I am appalled that Iranian men treat women so disgustingly. They are living in the dark ages. Only brave women, together as one, can enlighten them.
ReplyDelete