Date Adopted:
Date Approved:
Effective Date: Resolution No.______
RESOLUTION NO. _______________
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF IRAN AS
THEY STAND AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN IN ITS PERSECUTION
OF WOMEN AND VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS
WHEREAS, on September 16, 2022, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman, died in the custody of the Iranian “morality police” following a 3-day coma due to wounds, which included bone fractures, hemorrhage, and cerebral edema that are consistent with a severe beating, inflicted by the “morality police” fo r purportedly wearing a hijab improperly; and
WHEREAS, on September 17, Iranians gathered in the streets of Tehran to protest the killing of Mahsa Amini; and
WHEREAS, demonstrations have since spread to more than 80 cities and 20 universities in Iran, wher e women are removing or burning hijabs, cutting their hair, and dancing in front of Iranian security forces, joined by their fellow Iranian citizens; and
WHEREAS, at least 1,200 Iranians have been arrested across Iran according to official sources, and thousands more have been detained and remain in police custody; and WHEREAS, the Government of Iran has a long history of gender apartheid in the form of structural and legal discrimination against women, including barriers for women seeking justice against d omestic violence and criminal prohibitions against women singing or showing hair in public and studying certain technical subjects; and WHEREAS, the Government of Iran approved of “depriving one social right or more” for any woman who posts an unveiled pic ture of herself on social media, and, in August 2022, approved of enforcing mandatory hijab laws through facial recognition; and
WHEREAS, through misogynistic criminal statutes, the Iranian regime for decades has detained and engaged in the ongoing persecution of women and has constantly engaged in various human rights abuses, including unlawful killings, torture, interfering with freedom of speech and peaceful assembly; and WHEREAS, the City of Fresno is home to an Iranian-American community which is diverse in racial and ethnic representation and religious affiliation; and
WHEREAS, the City of Fresno condemns the death and detention of Mahsa Amini by the “morality police” and condemns the Iranian Government for their grave violations of fundamental human r ights; and WHEREAS, the City of Fresno encourages continued efforts by the Biden Administration to respond to the protests, including the recent sanctioning of the Iranian morality police, and urges the international community to continue to stand and show solidarity with the women and children in Iran, joining them in their rallying cry, “Woman-Life-Freedom”; and
WHEREAS, the City of Fresno confirms our unwavering support for the Iranian people’s desire for a democratic and secular Republic of Iran where every individual has the right to practice their religion as they see fit and condemns gender apartheid, human rights violations, and state-sponsored terrorism by the Iranian Government NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AND RESOLVED that this Fresno City Council commends the bravery, courage, and resolve of the women and men of Iran demonstrating in more than 80 cities and risking their safety to speak out against the I ranian Government’s gender apartheid and pays tribute to the many women and children including Mahsa Amini, who gave their lives in pursuit of freedom and human rights.