On March 8, Women and Men chant “ No to Islamic constitution, yes for full equality between women and men”

In days we will celebrate 8^th March, the international women’s day, the day women and all freedom-loving people call for ending oppression and sexual discrimination against women and inferior status and deprivation of basic rights and freedoms imposed on them. It is the day we raise the banner of our demand in full equality between women and men. On March 8, we stress the fact that building a better world worthy of human being is impossible without full emancipation of women and their equality with men.

It was said more than half a century ago, “ The measure for liberation of a society is freedoms and rights of its women”. Today we say freedom of women and their equality with men is a precondition for building a free and humane society and one of its basic pillars. The struggle against oppression on women is an imperative step to build the pursued society. March 8 is the day to remember all these facts and to struggle to impose them on the current inverted oppressive society.

IWD is the day when women in Iraq say no to the USA and its war, occupation and militarism. It is the day women say no to the violations of gangs of political Islam against their rights.

On this day women say no to the unfolding dark scenario, which affect every aspect of the life of the society and women in particular. It is they day women say no for Islamists, ethnocentrisms, sectarians and tribesmen who compete to impose anti-women laws, values, traditions and sentiments on the society. 

Eighth of March is a day to organize and mobilize our ranks to stand up to the neo-oppressors who for their staunch animosity to human being and women, are rubbing their hands to impose an Islamic constitution which consider Islam the sole source of law on Iraq. They seek to impose an Islamic constitution and tighten the enslaving laws and resolutions imposed on the people of Iraq by the fascist Baath regime. They seek to sustain and intensify the practices of the deposited Baath regime by directing a bigger blow to the secularity of the society and the rights and gains achieved by women and all secular, egalitarian and freedom loving people over decades of non-stop struggle.

The constitution they seek is a blatant attack on the rights of women, their freedoms, and aspirations. It is an attack which aims at violating every aspect of women’s life including at school, family, work, education and all other social fields. 

This is not what women and freedom-loving people want and struggle for.  They rather seek to set religion and Islam in particular, tribe, sect and other mediaeval nonsense aside. They struggle for and look forward to see the day they win all their civil and political rights fulfilled. There must be no place for this set of laws in constitution and in the life of people. 

Eighth of March, is the day all women discontent women with compulsory hijab , sexual segregation which is an insult to human being be man or woman protest. A day women protest against the interference of Islam, Islamic gangs, mullahs in their lives, their finest personal affairs and against violation of children’s dignity for nothing just for being females. It is they day where all people seeking equality, freedom and reinstating the civil and individual rights in the society make their demands heard. We have to heal the wounds inflicted on us by Baathists, Islamists and all the forces which did all they can to perpetuate oppression against women and their inferior status in society. March 8 is they day we say “ enough” for all these dark and misogynist forces. Is the day we organize our ranks to overthrow the system, which find sexual difference enough reason to oppress half of the society. These live aspirations among people will not become a reality without the free and conscious intervention of women and freedom loving people around a radical, humanist, and emancipator banner- a worker socialist banner. 

Today the civil society and its freedom, prosperity and secularism face a serious danger more than ever. We all see the reactionaries of all varieties collaborate to impose the most reactionary laws and political alternatives on the society and to deepen the current unfolding dark scenario.

These special circumstances which America has created in Iraq, and not their popularity have given the Islamists an opportunity to talk happily about imposing a constitution which regard Islam the sole source of law. The front of the left, progressive people, defenders of freedom and civil society and the broad masses of people who call for a better world has to organize their ranks and to stand using all their capacity stand up to these reactionary and outdated alternatives. This front has to reject the Islamic and nationalist regime, struggle to dismiss the occupation forces from Iraq and establish a secular non-ethnic government, which represents the interests and aspirations of people in freedom, equality and prosperity.

Yes for IWD

Yes for equality between women and men

Yes for Freedom and Equality

Worker-communist Party of Iraq

February 15,2005