'WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM' : a new project

[Doctor Fab]

Hello All,

a week ago I received a kind request from our Iranian friend Negar regarding the protests that are growing in her country after the death of Mahsa Amini (see Negar's note).
After some consideration, even with the feedback from some friends, we've decided to start a new project, entitled  'WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM' .

We'll use the googlegroup 26. Poetry from Iran to collect poems and also short stories for this anthology (see below).

Here is Negar's note:

_______________

Dear fellow poets,

On 16 September 2022, the 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini (#MahsaAmini) was arrested and then beaten to death by Iranian "morality police of Islamic Republic" for not wearing the hijab in accordance with the islamic standards set by the government.
Amini's death resulted in a series of large-scale protests in Tehran and across the country, and even garnered a statement from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees focusing on violence against women in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The government's response to the protest has been brutal: the internet was shut down and the police has opened fire on the demonstrators. Yet the number of people protesting has grown and more and more public figures are supporting us, in Iran and from abroad.

Indeed we can't accept to be silenced because we are #MahsaAminis’ voice.

This is not just a feminist protest, but rather it is a protest for protecting the human rights of everyone: women and men, girls and boys, religious and non-religious people.

This is why I'm reaching out to you: to invite you to write poems and/or short stories about and for the Iranian people, so as to make our message stronger.

Poems and short stories will be collected and published by Fabrizio Frosini & Poets Unite Worldwide: an Anthology for #MahsaAmini, Iran and Iranian people with the title "Women, Life, Freedom" -- it is the slogan of our movement, the Iranian women's movement against compulsory hijab.

Please, help us to make the whole world hear our voice!

Thank you very much for your help

Kind regards,
Negar

_______________

The poets/writers who want to take part in this anthology can ask to be registered.

After registration, you can submit your entries through the GROUP EMAIL: 26-poetry...@googlegroups.com

Submissions:
-- UP to 3 (three) POEMS (of any length)
and/or
-- 1 (one) SHORT STORY

DEADLINE :   NOVEMBER 30

Cheers

F.

______

P.S.:

The deadline of the other publishing project ["Fire, Water, Hunger, War: A Collapsing World"] is December 15.

Participants in this anthology must send their poems to the group 12. Poetry for Our Planet  -- if registered, the poets can submit their contribution directly to the Group EMAIL : 12-poetry-fo...@googlegroups.com

[if you are not yet registered (only the registered poets can submit their poetry) just let me know: I'll register you]

[Doctor Fab]

'WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM', an update

The Iranian authorities have released a report alleging that Mahsa Amini died from an "underlying illness", refuting evidence that she died from police brutality.
They similarly claimed that Sarina Esmail Zadeh and Nika Shakarami —two teenage protestors brutally killed by security forces— "committed suicide".

About Nika Shakaram, this is from the BBC : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63128510

On Thu, Oct 6, 2022 at 6:11 PM Doctor Fab wrote:

Hello All,

a week ago I received a kind request from our Iranian friend Negar regarding the protests that are growing in her country after the death of Mahsa Amini (see Negar's note).
After some consideration, even with the feedback from some friends, we've decided to start a new project, entitled  'WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM' .

We'll use the googlegroup 26. Poetry from Iran to collect poems and also short stories for this anthology (see below).

Here is Negar's note:

_______________

Dear fellow poets,

On 16 September 2022, the 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini (#MahsaAmini) was arrested and then beaten to death by Iranian "morality police of Islamic Republic" for not wearing the hijab in accordance with the islamic standards set by the government.
Amini's death resulted in a series of large-scale protests in Tehran and across the country, and even garnered a statement from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees focusing on violence against women in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The government's response to the protest has been brutal: the internet was shut down and the police has opened fire on the demonstrators. Yet the number of people protesting has grown and more and more public figures are supporting us, in Iran and from abroad.

Indeed we can't accept to be silenced because we are #MahsaAminis’ voice.

This is not just a feminist protest, but rather it is a protest for protecting the human rights of everyone: women and men, girls and boys, religious and non-religious people.

This is why I'm reaching out to you: to invite you to write poems and/or short stories about and for the Iranian people, so as to make our message stronger.

Poems and short stories will be collected and published by Fabrizio Frosini & Poets Unite Worldwide: an Anthology for #MahsaAmini, Iran and Iranian people with the title "Women, Life, Freedom" -- it is the slogan of our movement, the Iranian women's movement against compulsory hijab.

Please, help us to make the whole world hear our voice!

Thank you very much for your help

Kind regards,
Negar

_______________

The poets/writers who want to take part in this anthology can ask for registration.

After registration, you can submit your entries through the GROUP EMAIL: 26-poetry...@googlegroups.com

Submissions:
-- UP to 3 (three) POEMS (of any length)
and/or
-- 1 (one) SHORT STORY

DEADLINE :   NOVEMBER 30

Cheers

F.

______

P.S.:

The deadline of the other publishing project ["Fire, Water, Hunger, War: A Collapsing World"] is December 15.

Participants in this anthology must send their poems to the group 12. Poetry for Our Planet  -- the registered poets can submit their contribution directly to the Group EMAIL : 12-poetry-fo...@googlegroups.com

[Doctor Fab]

• 1.

Anthology 'WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM'

Update on Iran:

Rights groups say more than 150 people have been killed since the protests in IRAN began on 17 September.

From the BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63188795

Iranian authorities often say "the victim committed *suicide*", or "died of an illness" (!) , but we're speaking of (at least) 150 people --- killed by whom? ...they certainly did not shot *themselves*!

Indipendent media outlets and associations, human rights organizations and liberal think tanks (both center-left and center-right) agree that the protests in Iran are motivated by a popular desire for freedom and democracy, and not manipulated by "external agents" or "counter-revolutionaries", as stated by the government.

BTW, similarly to what is happening in Russia, disinformation by Iranian authorities about brutality against demonstrators is increasingly disconnected from reality and more likely to boost protestor anger than to soothe it.

Government-affiliated media outlets are echoing disinformation about protestors' deaths, claiming that several demonstrators died from "underlying illness or suicide", or other causes "absolutely unrelated" to police brutality. Indipendent reports also suggest that Iranian authorities edited Sarina Esmail Zadeh's telegram account to support the authorities' narrative that she committed suicide.
Anyway, as a matter of fact, october 8 saw some of the most significant protest activity since Mahsa Amini's death, and the protests featured participation from a broad swath of the Iranian population including students, merchants, the so-called "urban elite", and many marginalized minorities. This is a clear demonstration of the people's support for the protesters.

Indeed, the sheer span of the protests is amazing: demonstrations have swept up every major city, alongside dozens of smaller cities and towns. The "cut hair" has become a symbol all over the world, and the protests signal a real "generational shift" in Iran.
Even in the West (in both 'Old Europe' and America), people should learn the meaning of "fighting for freedom" from young Iranians (and from young Ukrainians too).

For the Anthology 'WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM' you can submit up to 3 poems and/or 1 short story. Deadline is November 30

— the registered poets can submit their contribution directly to the Group EMAIL : 26-poetry...@googlegroups.com

[GROUP 26.: if you are not yet registered (only the registered poets can submit their poetry) just let me know: I'll register you]

• 2.

As a reminder:

The deadline of our other publishing project, "Fire, Water, Hunger, War: A Collapsing World", is December 15.

Participants in this anthology must send their entries [up to 3 poems] to the group 12. Poetry for Our Planet

 — the registered poets can submit their contribution directly to the Group EMAIL : 12-poetry-fo...@googlegroups.com

[GROUP 12.: if you are not registered yet, let me know and I'll register you]

• 3.

Both EBOOK and PAPERBACK of our latest Anthology 'POETIC FANTASIES, Volume 6' are online at Amazon:

– Ebook:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGT5SFTV/
– Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGNKPVMD/

• 4.

I'm working on our book on UKRAINE - the title is "UKRAINE FOREVER : THE VALUE OF DEMOCRACY AND PEACE"

It contains poems and a few prose pieces by the following 25 authors:

Anna Banasiak, John Davison, Sheryl Deane, Fabrizio Frosini, Birgitta Abimbola Heikka, Lidia Hristeva, Farzad Jahanbani, Varghese Kuncheria, Konstantinos Lagos, Elaheh Abdi Langaan, Aron Lelei, Mj Lemon, Kenneth Maswabi, Geeta Radhakrishna Menon, Mallika Menon, Unnikrishnan Sivasankara Menon, Mulatwa Mosisa Gari, Bharati Nayak, Valsa George Nedumthallil, Asim Nehal, Annette Potgieter, Govinda Rimal, Isaac Seiffudin, Anzelyne Shideshe, Kim Solem

I've edited a number of the poems, but at least some of them (plus a few prose pieces) need to be edited by native English speakers............ 🤔

Cheers

F.

______________________________________

[Doctor Fab]

'WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM', an update:

Protests in Iran keep on, despite hundreds of protesters have been killed* by security forces — *and more than 30 children are among the dead.

Parents of Iranian youth are increasingly describing murdered protesters as  martyrs of freedom:

The father of one killed protester told mourners that his son described Mahsa Amini’s death as an impetus for change at his 40-day commemoration ceremony on October 29.

Another father of a killed protester similarly described his son as a martyr at his funeral on October 31.

The mother of another killed protester described her son as someone who gave his life to the Iranian nation at his 40-day commemoration ceremony on November 4.

The parent of a young Iranian protester told that she felt compelled to ”reclaim Iran” for her daughters and all Iranian girls on November 3.

On the "opposite side":

The Iranian government is attempting to mobilize pro-regime rally honoring a historic female Shia martyr, presented as a model of female Islamic dignity, and even framing its policies as "pro-women."

Armed Forces General Staff Cultural and Propaganda Deputy Abol Fazl Sherkachi claimed that the regime defends Iranian women against Western countries that seek "to commoditize them," while a female Basij Organization member similarly denounced Western standards of gender equality.

_______________

This is to remind you of the appeal of our Iranian friends:

Dear fellow poets,

On 16 September 2022, the 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini (#MahsaAmini) was arrested and then beaten to death by Iranian "morality police of Islamic Republic" for not wearing the hijab in accordance with the islamic standards set by the government.
Amini's death resulted in a series of large-scale protests in Tehran and across the country, and even garnered a statement from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees focusing on violence against women in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The government's response to the protest has been brutal: the internet was shut down and the police has opened fire on the demonstrators. Yet the number of people protesting has grown and more and more public figures are supporting us, in Iran and from abroad.
Indeed we can't accept to be silenced because we are #MahsaAminis’ voice.

This is not just a feminist protest, but rather it is a protest for protecting the human rights of everyone: women and men, girls and boys, religious and non-religious people.
This is why I'm reaching out to you: to invite you to write poems and/or short stories about and for the Iranian people, so as to make our message stronger.

Poems and short stories will be collected and published by Fabrizio Frosini & Poets Unite Worldwide: an Anthology for #MahsaAmini, Iran and Iranian people with the title "Women, Life, Freedom" -- it is the slogan of our movement, the Iranian women's movement against compulsory hijab.

Please, help us to make the whole world hear our voice!
Thank you very much for your help

_______________

The poets/writers who want to take part in this anthology can ask for registration.

After registration, you can submit your entries to the GROUP EMAIL: 26-poetry...@googlegroups.com

Submissions:

• UP to 3 (three) POEMS (of any length)

and/or

[Doctor Fab]

Hello All,

this is a reminder and an update:

 — Submission DEADLINE : NOVEMBER 30

 — Update from international news agencies:

The courage of young people in Iran is cornering a regime that has been repressing and slaughtering innocent citizens for two months, and is now condemning demonstrators to death.
There is singing and dancing for freedom in many public places in Iran: in subways, on buses, in the streets, in squares, women and men sing and dance together even if it is forbidden and if they risk flogging and prison, even if the pasdaran and Basij forces shoot at them in subways and on buses. And the revolt spreads, fuelled by the anger over the killing of so many innocents -- even small children. Now, after the students, also traders and factory workers go on strike.
"Iranian security forces have opened fire on people at a metro station in Tehran and beaten women who were not wearing mandatory hair coverings as protests over the death of Mahsa Amini entered a third month."
"More than 300 people have been killed by security forces over two months of protests, according to the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR). The group says 15,000 people have been arrested, a figure the Iranian authorities deny. Five protesters have so far been sentenced to death for enmity against god."
Meanwhile, disagreements within the regime are brewing over the cause and proper response to the protests, with a number of officials acknowledging that domestic issues and the regime's brutality have driven many of the protests in recent weeks.
Prominent Sunni cleric Moulana Abdol Hamid (in Sistan and Baluchistan Province) keeps condemning the regime crackdown and supporting protesters.

(read the appeal of our Iranian friends below)

Best

F.

[Doctor Fab]

Hello everyone,

This is to inform you that the deadline for submitting entries for the anthology 'WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM' (on the protests in Iran) has been extended to the end of the year (DECEMBER 31st).

Submissions:

•  Up to 3 (three) POEMS (of any length)

and/or

• 1 (one) SHORT STORY

________________
An update on Iran:

 — As reported by the "Critical Threats Project" (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute, on November 26, the "Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei publicly rejected the possibility of compromise or reform to placate the ongoing protests. Khamenei reiterated his hard line on the protests and his accusation that foreign actors incited the unrest. He ended his speech with a Quranic verse that social media users interpreted as further affirmation that he will not make concessions. Khamenei made these remarks in a meeting with Basij members and lauded their role in protest suppression."

 — The NGO 'Human Rights Activists in Iran' (HRAI) estimated on November 25 that the regime has arrested over 18,000 protesters thus far – among them are children and teenagers. More than 400 people have been killed.
 — CNN published a report on November 21 detailing the horrific acts of sexual assault and violence the regime is committing against arrested protesters: https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2022/11/middleeast/iran-protests-sexual-assault/index.html/

 — However, the brutality and horrible abuses do fuel anger and resentment towards the regime, and alienate large swaths of the population. All of this is entrenching anti-regime sentiment throughout Iran.

Best
F.

Please read the appeal from Iran (below). Thanks.

-----
P.S.:
The deadline for sending poems for the other anthology, 'Fire, Water, Hunger, War: A Collapsing World', has also been extended: the new deadline is January 31st.
["Climate pledges are falling short, and a chaotic future looks more like reality" (NYT)]

_________________

Dear fellow poets,

On 16 September 2022, the 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini (#MahsaAmini) was arrested and then beaten to death by Iranian "morality police of Islamic Republic" for not wearing the hijab in accordance with the islamic standards set by the government.
Amini's death resulted in a series of large-scale protests in Tehran and across the country, and even garnered a statement from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees focusing on violence against women in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The government's response to the protest has been brutal: the internet was shut down and the police has opened fire on the demonstrators. Yet the number of people protesting has grown and more and more public figures are supporting us, in Iran and from abroad.
Indeed we can't accept to be silenced because we are #MahsaAminis’ voice.

This is not just a feminist protest, but rather it is a protest for protecting the human rights of everyone: women and men, girls and boys, religious and non-religious people.
This is why I'm reaching out to you: to invite you to write poems and/or short stories about and for the Iranian people, so as to make our message stronger.

Poems and short stories will be collected and published by Fabrizio Frosini & Poets Unite Worldwide: an Anthology for #MahsaAmini, Iran and Iranian people with the title "Women, Life, Freedom" — it is the slogan of our movement, the Iranian women's movement against compulsory hijab.

Please, help us to make the whole world hear our voice!
Thank you very much for your help

Kind regards,
Negar

_________________