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Dear Maryam I, on behalf of Organization for Women's Liberation, congratulate you for being awarded the secularist of the year in England. I am so pleased to see that your efforts to promote secularism, to defend women's rights and against political Islam has been recognized by the international community. This shows that our movement is in the forefront of the fight for secularism and against political Islam in the West as well as in the Middle East. We are proud to be working with you. Today more than any other time the world is in need of a focused and coordinated international struggle to raise the banner of secularism and for de-religionization of society. Religion has made significant inroads into society, and reactionary movements such as political Islam are threatening humanity. To safeguard freedom, equality and free thinking, to reach equality for Women, to free society of discrimination and superstition, we need first and foremost to promote secularism and to de-religionize the society. We have a long and treacherous struggle before us. Azar Majedi
Heartiest congratulations to you! I was delighted to hear you have been awarded for Secularist of the Year" in London. I am so proud of you and all your significant contribution towards the promotion of secularism. Sincerely,
Maryam won! Maryam Namazie is Secularist of the Year. Ya-hoooooo. Sorry to be so American, but I'm really really pleased. As a matter of fact, I'm also damn smug. Here I've been publishing her articles like mad all this time, which I haven't noticed the Guardian or the Independent bothering to do. Well? Well??! Wouldn't you be smug? Wouldn't you? Who has the better judgment? Eh? Eh? Which would you rather have published - Dilpazier Aslam, or Maryam Namazie? Well maybe now they'll start publishing her. Maybe this will be the push they need. Kenan Malik said, you know. Remember that? In the Guardian (she said pointedly). All the way back in January. It also creates a climate of censorship in which any criticism of Islam can be dismissed as Islamophobic. The people who suffer most from such censorship are those struggling to defend basic rights within Muslim communities. Marayam Namazie is an Iranian refugee who has long campaigned for women's rights and against Islamic repression. As a result she has been condemned as an Islamophobe, even by anti-racist organisations. "On the one hand," she says, "you are threatened by the political Islamic movement with assassination or imprisonment or flogging. And on the other you have so-called progressive people who tell you that what you say in defence of humanity, in defence of equal rights for all, is racist. I think it's nothing short of an outrage." Butterflies and Wheels
we are very proud of you. love Ba Arezuye Behtarinha baraye TO Maryam jan Az tarafe rofagaye Frankfurt
ghorbanat
lots of Love and kisses from Shole, Kj, Reza, Shahrokh and Mersede
Congratulation I am so happy to be your comrade in our fight for a better world! ghorbanat
Dear Mary, Siavash Daneshvar
Ali Javadi
Congratulations. In Iraq, and everywhere, the bitter struggle for secularism continues. You have made a brilliant example in showing along with Homa Arjomand that only socialists are capable of this undertaking. The fight continues. Issam Shukri
in mowafaqyat ra samimane beto wa jonbshe kmonisme kargari tabrik migoyem, kash nader bod wa midid ke rahbarane hezbash be koja raftan. bacahe nazat ra mibosim
Best Regards
Congratulations for your well deserved NSS Irwin prize for Secularist of the
Congratulations! It has been quite a trip since SIPA days. Best regards,
samimaneh in pirozi bozorg ra behet tabrik migoyem. to shayesteh in padash bodi. ma arezoyeh rozhayeh behtari barayet darim. Soheila va Murad sheixi
Congratulations on this and so many other things - and so many good wishes, Mary Anne
I wish the best for you in the way to tackle superstitious, discriminations, Best Regards
Keep up the excellent work. Many thanks, Anna Chen
Ba dorood, Kamal H Artin, California
J. Paul Martin
Dear Maryam, I was very joyed to receive from you the news that you have been adjudged by On behalf of your Journal of Brave Minds, the Institute, the editorial team, Considering the significance of this event, I'll increase pages in the My heartfelt wishes to you. We are proud to have you with us. Be well,
Sheila Ayala/Canada congratulations Maryam !! Nico
I will be in touch. all the best, Priya
ba salamhaye farawan surush,magid,porya,kathy,pedram
many congrats - so well deserved!! And so good that there is now a Best,
you go girl rohollah afrogheh
Congratulations! This is Doris from GABRIELA Network in NYC. It has been more than 5 or 6 (?) years since we last spoke, and I think you were still here in NY. And I wish you're here in NY now because we are actually hosting a woman from the Philippines who chairs Bangsamoro Women, a secular Muslim Filipinas' organization and a member of GABRIELA Philippines women's alliance. We would've loved to introduce her to you. Or maybe you know each other already? Her name's Amirah Ali Lidasan. She's also the spokesperson for the Soara Bangsamoro Political Party and vice-chair of BAYAN Philippines/New Patriotic Alliance. We're holding a public forum with her and the secretary general of GABRIELA Philippines next month (I'll email you details, just in case you happen to be here or know of anyone who might be interested.) On another note, I will be in London some time early/mid 2006, partly to visit friends, but more to check-out what's happening with the immigrant communities there, particularly with women of Philippine ancestry. I hope we can arrange to meet. Again, congratulations on this award. Also, congratulations with the baby (I remember reading on the WPI website about you being on maternity leave). Looking forward to hearing from you, In militant sisterhood,
best regards
Accept my love. Ahmed Al-Shahmani.
This is to congratulate Ms. M. Namazi on her decoration with the said award. With Best wishes
I just wanted to wish you hearty congratulations on your well deserved award. With best wishes Josh Kutchinsky
I.K.Shukla
Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations! I don't really know how to express myself ... I am so so pleased that you won the Irwin prize for Secularist of the Year. Since I got the email saying that you were nominated for the award, I was 100% sure that you are the winner and no one Else. I am so proud of you darling! Keep up the excellent work...., we are all there for you!! Siamak Amjadi
The BHA was delighted to hear that its own Maryam Namazie, who is employed by the Association, has won the first ever Secularist of the Year award. The prestigious award, sponsored by Dr Michael Irwin and the National Secular Society, was given to Maryam Namazie for her tireless work in opposition to the Iranian theocracy and the rise of political Islam throughout the world. Hanne Stinson, executive director of the British Humanist Association said: ?We employ Maryam to manage and develop the BHA ceremonies network so that we can meet the growing demand for humanist funerals, weddings, namings and other ceremonies, but while she has been employed with us, Maryam has also continued her campaigning work. She does that as a private individual, but we are still immensely pleased that Maryam?s commitment to human rights in Iran and elsewhere in the Muslim world has been recognised in this way.? Maryam Namazie was awarded the Prize for ?Secularist of the Year? on 8 October, having been judged to have made the most significant contribution to the promotion of secularism in the preceding year. The ?5,000 annual prize was presented by Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee at a lunch at the Montcalm Hotel in London. The event also featured a cabaret from stand-up comedian Stewart Lee, co-author of the controversial ?Jerry Springer ? the Opera?, who is also one of the BHA?s ?distinguished supporters of Humanism?. Notes for editors: For further information or comment, contact Hanne Stinson or phone 020 7079 3580. Maryam Namazie is currently on leave, but the BHA can forward emails to her or ask her to telephone media enquirers.
Mehran Azimi Congratulations, Maryam!
I was delighted to hear that you have been awarded the very first Secularist of the Year Award, in recognition of your work in women's rights and for rationalism in general. Well done! I hope this will put courage into the hearts of many who are struggling for a voice in oppressive regimes worldwide. Best wishes and long may you prosper,
She works in our building you know Last Saturday saw the presentation of the first 'Secularist of the Year' award, hosted by the National Secular Society (www.secularism.org.uk) in London. The sold-out lunch was entertained by comedian and co-writer of Jerry Springer The Opera, Stewart Lee. Journalist Polly Toynbee then tooK the stage, to present the inaugural Irwin Prize to human rights campaigner (and BHA employee) Maryam Namazie. Maraym has been tireless in her opposition to the Iranian government in particular, and Sharia-justified oppression of women, for many years, and was a deserved winner. She has also just had a baby. Double congratulations Maryam! Click here to read some of her articles
http://www.iranian.com/News/2005/October/namazie.html http://www.iranian.com/PhotoDay/2005/October/namazie.html
Diana Quick
Iqbal Latif (Ike)
Hi M, This is fabulous news, how wonderful you are! Love,
Regards
Congratulations and I am proud of you, I always saw the difference between you and a lot others, Keep up defending women, and humanity,.I will always support you . Best regards
Congratulations on receiving this important award. I wish you Yours, Janet Afary
ien movafaghette bozorg raba to samimane tabrik migoyam va ba omid pirozihaee digarat. minoo madani
I have just returned from Jerusalem and France, and got your e-mail. I am so glad that your work has been recognised and that you have won this great award. I hope that this helps in your continued work to promote the separation between church and state across the world! With kindest wishes Deborah
I wish to also congratulate you for winning Secularist of the Year. May through your efforts and resolve many people in your country (Iran) in years to come finally realise that religion is a private affair and all religions in this world we live in are equal (be it the main monotheistic ones , or polythestic religions, that is the real beauty of human and spiritual diversity), Islam needs to be confined to and belongs in the mosques and not in the bedrooms, schools, streets, workplaces (worst I heard was that this religious zealot Mr Amadinejad, has compelled men who work for govt ministries to wear beards as a sign of islamic devotion, can things get more stupid than that? ) of a nation that has a long pre-islamic history, I am surprised that so many Iranians (may be for lack of knowledge or the islamic regimes well oiled brainwashing mashinery) do not attribute alot of significance to their pre-islamic heritage, which dates way back to Cyrus and Darius (and not Mohammed,who is Arab!!).But as I discovered trough discussions with people from Middle East more generally (i.e. Egyptians: Pharaonic dynasties ), many are pretty ignorant about the great civilisations that once existed there before islam swept accross the region and destroyed them. Best wishes, Walter Onubogu
ba behtarin arezuha baraye to. Manochehr Zhandifar az tarafe komiteye Frankfurt
Paul Martin shared the good news about your recent prize. This is Cheers, Chivy
Dear Maryam, That is fantastic! With the increasing encroachment of religion in politics throughout the world I am glad that you are a voice of reason and responsibility. Congratulations on such a well-deserved honor! All the best to you,
Heartiest congratulations. Your untiring effort of many years has finally been recognised. You are a History will record you as a valiant lady who fought to free women and
Abul Kasem
Well done, Good news, Keep up, Congratulations Dear. Dawood, Dubai
I would like to congratulate you for winning Secularist of the Year in the U.K. Shahryar Alijani
Congratulation, I am so happy for you and all of us, you deserve it. I hope one day the world recognize the survivor of the Islamic holocaust. More than 5 million Iranian runaway from this Islamic holocaust and all this years you were one of the best defender for them in the west. Best wishes for the greater victory Down with Islamic republic of Iran Yadi mahmodi Dear Maryam, Many congratulations on your award! Well done and wish you more success! Kind Regards, Pooneh Ravi
Congratulations, I hope you continue in the same way. Best wishes, Aso Hamedy MARYAM NAMAMAZE ZANE GAHRAMAN HAST YALI SOKLAR VAGE NEST ALI
benobe xod az moafaghyatet samimane xosh hal shodam va in moafaghat ra behet samimane tabrik migam.
As a teacher of history in a secondary school in Scotland I am dismayed by the gradual encroachment of religion (through faith-led assemblies, for example) and have always argued that religious education should play no part in the curriculum -- although, sadly, it is compulsory. Once again, well done -- and I am just about to join the National Secular Society via their website. Best wishes, James W. Ferguson salam maryam entexabe shoma be onvane zane sokolare sal ra be shoma tabrik migoyam va beraton movafaqiyathaye baz ham bzorgtar arezo mikonam mahmoud az turkiye rasti maryam harvaqt dost dashti az weblogam mitoni shear bexoni
be to eftexar mikonim va en pirozi ra be to be hezb va jonbeshe komonism kargari tabrik migoyem. zende bad maryam Elham behzad manesh
marayame aziz, ehdaye jayezeh sekolariste sal dar landan tavasote anjomane sekolarhaye landn ra behet tabrik migam, emroz filme ein marasem ra az net negah kardam va didam ke nemayande va sokhangoye jonbeshe basharyate motamaden va azadikhah, chegone dar ein donyaye nabarabr be ehtram be khadamate ensandostane teori va nazarate mansor hekmat, dar moqabelash az ja bar mikhizand, ein jayze yek eftekhar bozorg baraye to va jonbeshe sosialisti baraye rahaeiye ensan ast. mojadadan behet tabrik migam. abdol golparian 14 ocktobr
Congratulations on being named Secularist of the Year--until I read today's Observer' I had not heard of you. It is to me intensely depressing to know that in Iran today women are far more oppressed than under the Shah. When I visited Esfahan in the 1970s, I stayed with a family who would have thought of themselves as 'good enough' Muslims. Only the mother (very much the boss of the family) wore the Chador--and that only loosely (more as a woman of my mother's generation in the UK would wear a hat or headscarf when shopping) when she out. Her adolescent daughter had her head uncovered at all times. The evils of 'liberal' relativism in relation to Human Rights are evils we all must face. Also I do think that for some males on the left a false liberalism in relation to say Islam allows them to smuggle into public discourse anti-feminist sentiments which had in the past stayed carefully hidden. Perhaps there is a secret thrill when they support the stoning to death of women for alleged sexual crimes. What I would call their 'Kingsley Amis moment' Some males on the left were less than enthusiastic about the rise of feminism and this might represent their chance to covertly fight back.
Congratulations for being chosen as the secular of the year. It just shows another little piece of your brilliance and deep humanism. I wish you the best. Comradely greetings, Siyaves Azeri
Maryam Aziz, Congratulations! You deserve Nobel Prize or the best Wishing you the best, Ezat
I would like to add my congratulations to Maryam Namazie for winning the Secularist of the Year award. Everyone who values freedom and progress must admire and respect the courage of these Iranian comrades... Charlie Pottins
Dear Maryam Congratulations on this. I'll try not to be a liberal apologist. Best wishes Very many congratulations on your accolade: well deserved for courage to say the essentials Manuela Sykes
Dear Ms. Namazie My name is Hans Schoenburg and I am writing on behalf of Breaking the Ice. Before I begin I would like to congratulate you for all the amazing effort you have put into fighting for secularism, refugee and women's rights and on your recent award. Breaking the Ice is an international, non-profit, conflict resolution foundation that brings together people from different cultures, viewpoints or sides of a conflict in the hope of overcoming the barriers of mistrust, misunderstanding and fear that are the root causes of conflict and violence in our world... Hans Schoenburg
Anthony Timmons
Many congratulations on your NSS award! Eleanor S Davidson
...Maryam Namazie of the Worker-communist Party of Iran, ... was recently awarded the National Secular Society's "Secularist of the Year" award. The NSS are not socialists but they're definitely on the right side against the type of people who tried to have Jerry Springer The Opera axed or those who successfully shut down the play Bezhti in Birmingham. They also understand that opposing anti-Muslim racism doesn't mean defending religious ideas or lining up with the most reactionary elements within the Muslim community and Muslim world. Which is presumably why they've given Maryam their award... Looking Left is pretty pleased. Congratulations, comrade! Workers' Liberty |
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