A Tehran appeals court has confirmed a sentence of two and half years in prison and 10 lashes in the case of Iranian women’s rights activist Delaram Ali for participating in the June 12, 2006 womens’ rights demonstration in Hafte Tir Square.

The demonstration was an inspiration to people around the world. The Tehran regime garnered worldwide condemnation when police attacked participants and beat Delaram severely at the scene, dragging her on the ground, causing her to suffer a broken arm. Several complaints were filed against police, by Delaram and several other beating victims. The complaints were dismissed, and instead, the authorities prosecuted Delaram.

A student and a member of the One Million Signatures Campaign, Delaram is one of dozens of Iranian women who have recently found themselves facing jail terms for asserting their democratic rights of non-violent protest in Iran. Yesterday, the mother of Ronak Safarzadeh, a One-Million-Signatures campaigner in Iranian Kurdistan, was beaten by police when when she went to ask about Ronak’s condition. Ronak was arrested at her home three weeks ago.

Iranian women’s rights activists are specifically appealing to the international community to take swift action condemning the unjust ruling in the case of Delaram Ali. Please stay tuned to Kamangir.

UPDATE: An open letter from Delaram: What have you done to us? What have you done that has transformed the ring of the telephone into an alarm of danger? What have you done to transform the sound of the door bell into a fear of the repetition of nightmares of the past?

In one of life’s little coincidences, has anyone else noticed that the Galloway aligned ‘Respect Renewal’ faction’s name bears a striking resemblance to the name of another party which has renewal, or rather ‘resurrection’ in its name?

New Hitchens here.

I know that it’s private grief that shouldn’t be intruded on, but just in case you’ve not been following it all, George Galloway’s flag of convenience, Respect - the unity coalition - is falling to bits. The SWP have been locked out of the offices (but clearly have the passwords for the website) and the recent converts to anti-communalism are allegedly in merger talks with the Lib-Dems.

OK. You probably know all of that already?

But if that weren’t bad enough, the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty are offering the Village Idiots their full support. I’ve heard of sectarian nastiness, but that takes the biscuit.

Alan Cumming has an appropriate name.

Circumcised men are said to suffer from… “significant penile sensory deficit” … – a Men’s Health magazine survey in 2000 suggested that uncircumcised men lasted an average of four minutes longer during sex than their circumcised peers.

“significant penile sensory deficit”

“significant penile sensory deficit”

“significant penile sensory deficit”

“significant penile sensory deficit”

“significant penile sensory deficit”

“As to immoral practice,” [Hitchens] writes, “it is hard to imagine anything more grotesque than the mutilation of an infant’s genitalia.” He argues that circumcision weakens the faculty of sexual excitement and diminishes its pleasure, pointing out the significance of the operation being performed on babies rather than those who have reached the age of reason. (One study found that 92% of male infants subject to circumcision were not given anaesthetic during the procedure.)

Article here.

Fishheid McMoonface, when not involved in cocking up football semi-finals draws, has been flogging a two month nationalist stunt Winter Festival, which will run from 30 November to 25 January. In the event that the admirer of romanticised feudalist bullshit and his cronies succeed in freeing themselves of the yoke of competition with their southern counterparts, this song has all the prerequisites of a perfect nationalist anthem.