What are some of the achievements in terms of womens rights under Islam?
AS: Let me give you the example of Mokarrameh Ebrahimi, a woman in a remote part of Iran who spent a decade in jail with her partner and young son. They were accused of adultery – subject to stoning- because they were unable to obtain divorce. It was really the strength of the women’s movement that revealed the case and kept it in the newspapers. In 2006, the Stop Stoning Forever in Iran Campaign was launched. A number of women lawyers in Iran went to find out how many women and men were in jail awaiting stoning sentences. They were extremely brave, they mobilised the local and national women’s movement, and when they thought the time was right they mobilised the international community and international women’s movement. Human rights lawyers took on their case and campaigned using urgent action alerts and legal mechanisms at the international level. Eventually, she [Ebrahimi] was released. This is an achievement – but in Iran stoning has not been removed in the law. IPS: How can men a
