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Iran: Zanan women's magazine ordered to close after 16 years

Submitted by wluml on Thu, 01/31/2008 - 00:00
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LA Times
On Tuesday word emerged that Iran's leading women's magazine has been ordered to close.
Zanan Magazine, a reform-minded feminist magazine has been active in promoting women's rights for the last 16 years. Authorities revoked its license and folks in Tehran say there's no hope for appeal.
Managing director Shahla Sherkat was once a hard-line supporter of the Iranian government but became disillusioned after the Iran-Iraq war. Zanan managed to survive previous crackdowns by cautiously avoiding general politics and focusing on women's issues.

But that didn't work, apparently.

According to preliminary reports it was banned for allegedly portraying a negative image of women in Iran, but no official word has emerged yet.

The Iranian Journalists Assn. condemned the closure. In the last two years, 40 periodicals, including Zanan, have been banned across the country by the Press Supervision Board, which is controlled by hard-liners.

The closure inspired cynical commentary from Iranian bloggers. "I think the average life of a magazine is no longer than the time required for getting the 'publishing licence,' wrote Jadi, a blogger at Inside Iran:

Zanan (means women) used to be a "moderate" magazine. It never wrote anything extreme to prevent its closing. But now, after 16 years the only Persian women's magazine is closed.

By: Ramin Mostaghim

29 January 2008

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A response from a young Iranian women's rights defender and WLUML active networker, Leila Mouri:

"Three days ago, most of women’s movement members in Iran were shocked after hearing the news: Zanan (Women) magazine is banned by the Commission for Press Authorization and Surveillance.

Zanan was the only feminist Iranian magazine which tried to carry on its publishing notwithstanding all of the political pressure during the last 16 years.

Zanan magazine, for me as a woman activist was the first inspiring journal to find out my way as an activist and a feminist. It was Zanan that taught me what the women’s right is. By Zanan, I found out and learned about the unjust women’s statute in my country.

Now, another women tribune is shut down by government. It is said that Zanan is closed because of publishing the feminist issues which are against bases of Islam and because it talks about violence against women and unfair codes.The main reason to ban the magazine, mentioned by government, is that Zanan offers “a sombre picture of the Islamic Republic” !

Nowadays,it is really hard to be a women activist in Iran but I am sure that all of the women’s right defenders in my country never give up their efforts to make a better condition for Iranian women. However it is disappointing that Iranian government can not tolerate any different voice."

http://www.femirani.com/english/?p=23