Dr. Homa Hoodfar, a well-known scholar of women and Islam has been detained in Iran. While it is possible that Dr. Hoodfar is caught in
the power struggle between the hardliners and the so-called
pragmatists within the ruling cleric in Iran, the arbitrary arrest of
people on groundless accusation of collaboration with foreign enemies
is not an oddity in Iran. The arrests and heavy prison terms given to
Iranian journalists, teachers, workers, university students, human
rights and women’s rights activists, and individuals of dual
citizenship who venture visiting their homeland, are the response of
the Iranian regime to the economic and political crises that have
engulfed the country.
We object, in the strongest way to the detention of Dr. Hoodfar and
urge the Canadian government to make its utmost efforts, urgently, for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Hoodfar, and her safe passage out of Iran.
Name Family name, affiliation (in alphabetical order)
Abbas Azadian, Psychiatrist
Akbar Masoumbaigi, Author
Akram Pedramnia, Author
Amir Hassanpour, University of Toronto
Amir Kasravi, Flight Safety Specialist
Ardeshir Zarezadeh, Human Rights Activist
Arsalan Kahnemuyipour, University of Toronto
Asad Moznebi, Satirist
Bahar Almasi, Poet
Bahram Bahrami, Author
Farah Taheri, Journalist
Farid Haerinejad, Documentary filmmaker, journalist
Goudarz Garmroudi, Journalist
Haideh Moghissi, York University
Hassan Zerehi, Publisher, Shahrvand
Hossein Sharang, Poet
Lily Pourzand, Abused Women Shelter Manager and College Instructor
Mehrak Kamali, University of Arizona
Mehrdad Ariannejad, Community Activist
Mehrdad Hariri, CEO President, Canadian Science Policy Centre
Mehrnoush Ahmadi, L.G.B.T.Q Rights Activist
Mohammad Tajdolati, Journalist
Nasrin Almasi, Journalist
Niaz Salimi, Social Activist
Reza Allamehzadeh, Artist-Filmmaker
Roya Ghahremani
Saeed Honarmand, Columbia University
Saeed Rahnema, York University
Sahar Mirshafie, Social Activist
Samsam Kashfi, Poet
Sareh Sokoot, Poet
Shahbaz Nakhai, Author
Shahram TabeMohammadi, University of Toronto
Shahrzad Mojab, OISE, University of Toronto
A Copy of this petition will be delivered to:
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P., Prime Minister of Canada
The Honourable Stéphane Dion, P.C., Minister of Foreign Affairs
