Dear Sisters,
We have to protect our own worldwide..here's a chance to do something, sign the petition, write the British home office, or cut and paste this and get it around to all your Lesbian and Feminist websites and blogs....please, please help her, don't let her be a statistic of the violently homophobic and woman hating Iranian government!
Here is the initial site I was taken to on her behalf:
http://coilhouse.net/2010/05/save-the-life-of-Kiana-Firouz/#more-14946
Here is the petition for her, sign immediately so she won't be deported:
www.petitiononline.com/Kianaf/petition.html
Here is the documentary she's in about Iranian Lesbians called "Cul De Sac": http://culdesacmovie.com/index.html
Here is about her personal story and how to help also:
http://www.everyonegroup.com/everyone/mainpage/entries/2010/5/6_campaign_to_save_the_life_of_Kiana_Firouz_at_risk_of_deportation_from_the_U.K..html
Hope that link works..let me know if they don't. PLEASE ACT NOW!!! We don't want a sister to be tortured and have to go to the gallows because she's spoken out about her oppression, is a visible figure because of the movie, and because most of all, she's a Lesbian in a totally woman hating Lesbian hating culture!
Kiana Firouz, 27 years old, is an outspoken Iranian LGBT rights activist, filmmaker, and actress. When clips of her video documentary work featuring the struggle and persecution of gays and lesbians in her country were acquired by Iranian intelligence, agents began to follow Firouz around Tehran, harassing and intimidating her. She fled for England where she could safely continue her work and studies.
She plays a starring role in Cul de Sac, a documentary film produced in the UK about the condition of lesbians in Iran, and based heavily on Firouz’s own life story. Directed by Ramin Goudarzi-Nejad and Mahshad Torkan, the movie will premiere in London in a few days. Since the trailer was posted on YouTube in December 2009, Cul de Sac has attracted global media attention, with thousands of views. Apparently, some of those views included members of Ahmadinejad’s puppet media in Iran. They know who Firouz is and what she stands for. They may want her to come back to the country she was born in to answer for it.
Still from Cul de Sac.
Firouz, understandably, has requested asylum from the British government. Much to everyone’s shock and dismay, the British Home Office has rejected her application for refugee status. Yes, they know she’s gay. Yes, they know she could be deported back to Iran at any time, and that if this happens, Firouz will most likely be sentenced to torture and death after being found guilty of the “unspeakable sin of homosexuality” because she has participated in explicit lesbian sex scenes in the movie, and been a fierce proponent for human rights in her country.
In Iran, the punishment for lesbianism involving mature consenting women consists of 100 lashes. This punishment can be applied up to three times. After a fourth violation of Iranian law, a woman convicted of “unrepentant homosexuality” is finally executed by hanging, often publicly, in front of a howling mob.
From EveryOne Group:
Kiana filed for a court appeal following the Home Office’s decision to reject her application for asylum, but the judge overruled her appeal. According to Kiana’s lawyer, the last remaining chance is to appeal the judge’s decision, but the risk of deportation is imminent.
The EveryOne Group, an international human rights organization, which was involved in the asylum cases of the lesbian Pegah Emambakhsh, who risked being deported from London to Tehran in 2007, and of the Iranian gay, Mehdi Kazemi, appeals to the British government and the democratic forces of the European Union, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, that Kiana Firouz be immediately guaranteed adequate humanitarian protection and that the order for her deportation be repealed, given that on return to Iran she will face a death sentence not only because a lesbian but because of her civil rights activism.
The EveryOne activists invite concerned readers to send protest e-mail messages to the British Home Office (public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk) requesting that Kiana receive refugee status as soon as possible, for she is a symbol of the international fight against homophobia and repression of gays and lesbians in Islamic countries.
I’ve spent a fair amount of my day researching, fact-checking and [edit for clarification: attempting to] verify this story, and I can’t figure it out: why is this news not EVERYWHERE right now? Why is this petition for Firouz so anemic? There should be hundreds of thousands of names on that list.
And yet, I am only just catching wind of Firouz’s story from a chance visit to Kim Boekbinder’s blog, where Kim posted a heartbreaking letter written by an Italian friend of hers, Sylvia K. An excerpt:
No major newspaper even remotely talks about Kiana’s story, nor do gay activists. People don’t seem to care much at all. I do. Last night I wrote to Kiana. Nothing much, only to say that I was so saddened and angry, that her story had moved and inspired me and that I was SO thankful to her for standing up for what she truly believed in… This morning before going out I found her reply. It goes like this :
“Dear Sylvia
I am proud of you. we should proud of each other for being strong. I am so thankful for your supportive and kindly letter. It does not matter what is going to happen to me. Its all about freedom.
Take care and do not forget you are not alone, we are many…
Kiana”
I wrote it on a piece of paper and hurried out of the house.
I spent the greater part of this rainy day sitting in one of the University’s courtyards, crying alone [...] I look at myself, always complaining about homophobia in Italy, about the fact we have no equal rights, and I feel like a fucking piece of shit. Because for me, it is SO easy to go to London, to Paris, to Berlin and be the butchest fiercest lesbian around, without having to be afraid of being lashed 100, 200, 300 times and then hung, a thick rope around my neck, people rejoicing all around.
It does matter what happens to Kiana Firouz. This should not be a reality for her, or anyone else.
Here is the official Cul de Sac website.
Here is the petition endorsed by Kiana Firouz herself.
And this is her story.
Let’s make some noise, comrades.
______________________________________
UPDATE #1, WED, 12:25pm:
Not sure if messages addressed to that email for the BHO (public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk) are going through.
I’m hoping to hear back from Kiana herself via email so Coilhouse can do a bit more follow-up and fact-checking.
Meantime, commenter Ethan suggests “writing a letter to either of these two as well. Taking the time to write a personal letter is much more effective than just signing a petition, please do both.”
Minister of State (Borders and Immigration) -
Home Office, 2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF
Fax: +44 870 336 9034
Secretary of State for the Home Department -
Home Office, 2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF
Fax: +44 20 7035 0900
_______________________________________________
UPDATE #2, WED, 2:56 pm
Still waiting for a personal response from Kiana.
Called the line listed on the Cul de Sac website for press inquiries, and a man who did not give his name answered. I told him that I’m further fact-checking a story about Kiana and the film, and requested more information about her situation. The man declined to answer any question directly related to Firouz’s potential deportation, and asked me to use the email address listed on the site instead to officially state my reasons for contacting Kiana. He told me that this message would be passed on to her.
I hope to hear more from her soon. Knowing more concrete facts about this case, and hearing directly from Kiana, will either a) help to give this fight more tooth and claw or b) expose it as a fabrication. If the former, all the better. If the latter, I’ll be swift to apologize on behalf of Coilhouse for propagating something unsubstantiated. Thank you, everyone.
Posted by Meredith Yayanos on May 11th, 2010
Filed under Activism, Culture, Events, Film, Gender, Grrrl, Politics, Queer, Religion, Revolutionary, Serious Business, Sexuality, We disapprove, Why
21 Responses to “Save the Life of Kiana Firouz”
Natasha Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 12:23 am
Making noise NOW.
Nadya Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 2:29 am
Guys, I highly encourage everyone not only to sign the petition, but especially to email public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk. Signing the petition is good, but writing a letter is even better. Also, please spread the word about this!
I wonder if this is her Flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiana-firouz/
This should be everywhere: Bust, Curve, AfterEllen, Feministing, Bitch, Jezebel. And then it should spill over into mainstream media. Maybe they just haven’t heard of this story yet. Let’s get it out there!
Ethan Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 2:37 am
Hello everyone,
Please consider writing a letter to either of these two as well, Taking the time to write a personal letter is much more effective than just signing a petition, please do both.
Minister of State (Borders and Immigration) -
Home Office, 2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF
Fax: +44 870 336 9034
Secretary of State for the Home Department -
Home Office, 2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF
Fax: +44 20 7035 0900
Syd Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 3:04 am
I had no idea. I’m going to try hard to raise awareness of this issue.
Elana Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 5:17 am
I’m confused – was any explanation given for the rejection of her application for asylum?
Jamie Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 6:47 am
Sent an email. Thanks for bringing this to light.
Save Kiana Firouz! - Nerdcore Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 6:50 am
[...] Save Kiana Firouz! Maggy schreibt mir: Hey, ich weiß dass an dem Thema nichts nerdiges ist, aber da du mit deinem Blog eine sehr große Reichweite hast, dachte ich, du kannst vielleicht eine Ausnahme für eine echt wichtige Sache machen. Es geht um Kiana Firouz, 27, lesbisch, eine iranische LGBT Rights Aktivistin, Schauspielerin, Filmemacherin, die kurz davor steht, aus England zurück in den Iran abgeschoben zu werden, wo sie mit ziemlicher Sicherheit gefoltert oder hingerichtet werden wird. Und das alles weil sie einen Film gemacht hat, der genau die Situation von Homosexuellen im Iran schildert.. Die Regierung hat davon Wind bekommen, weshalb sie nach England geflohen ist, wo man ihr jetzt aber kein Asyl gewähren will. Das mal als kurze Zusammenfassung… Hier steht das alles nochmal besser: http://coilhouse.net/2010/05/save-the-life-of-kiana-firouz/#more-14946 [...]
Archer Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 7:18 am
I attempted to send an email to public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk but it didn’t go through.
Andy Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 8:03 am
Just signed that petition as well. Sadly, the only way this could get resolved in an acceptable way would be if mainstream media got ahold of it and decided it was a worthy cause. A simple petition doesn’t stand a great chance of influencing anything.
I’ve seen that happen so many times here in Sweden where the Immigration ministry has been forced to reconsider it’s stances on a number of humanitarian cases where “common sense” should have settled it all. It’s when national media starts getting indignated that things start happening since no-one wants bad press.
Laura Gardner Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 9:14 am
I emailed the home office and will now go and find the petition. Her story should not have a sad ending.
.typhoid Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 9:41 am
While I have not found mention of Kiana by name in the newspaper, the Guardian did run this story recently:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/09/supreme-court-gay-lesbian-asylum-seekers
Kate Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 10:15 am
I also tried to email the Home Office at the address listed above, and it didn’t go through. Does anyone have a different email address? I looked through the British Home Office’s website but didn’t find any useful information or a general contact email address.
Syd Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 11:49 am
I quickly put together this page incase anyone is interested in making some noise over on crowdrise
http://www.crowdrise.com/campaigntosavethelif/fundraiser/sydlow#top
please show support there and encourage others to do so!
Rettet Kiana Firouz!!! « mädchenblog Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
[...] Rettet Kiana Firouz!!! schokolade am 12. Mai 2010 in allgemein Kiana Firouz, 27 years old, is an outspoken Iranian LGBT rights activist, filmmaker, and actress. Wh… [...]
Mer Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Update:
Doing some more research on this story. I’m hoping to hear back from Kiana herself via her Flickr site. Also, have emailed Kim to email Sylvia to find out what contact info she used to write Kiana.
I just called the line listed on the Cul de Sac website for press inquiries, and a man who did not give his name answered. I told him that I am further fact-checking a story about Kiana Firouz and the film, and requested more information about Kiana’s situation. The man declined to answer any question directly related to Firouz’s potential deportation, and asked me to use the email address listed on the site instead to officially state my reasons for contacting Kiana. He told me that this message would be passed on to her. I can definitely understand his wariness. I hope I hear from her. Knowing more concrete facts about her case, and hearing directly from her, will help to give this fight more tooth and claw.
Some more articles and mentions of Kiana on the web:
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/middle-east/100407/iran-lesbian-gay-rights-ahmadinejad
http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2010/04/protest-at-british-embassy-in.html
http://eurout.org/2010/04/25/uk-gay-asylum-seekers-will-be-send-back-despite-facing-death-penalty-their-home-country?page=0,1
http://www.irqr.net/English/240.htm
http://eurout.org/2010/04/25/uk-gay-asylum-seekers-will-be-send-back-despite-facing-death-penalty-their-home-country?page=0,1
Jeff Floss Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
I feel we should all try to email the mainstream media papers, magazines, and TV stations to try to get them aware of Kiana’s story
Alan Tyson Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
I just sent off an e-mail to both the Home Office and a local GLBT activist group in Iowa who I’m sort of involved with. Hopefully they’ll spread the word. I suggest, if anyone is affiliated with/on the mail list of any such groups, they get the word out about this.
Maria Ferrreira Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
At 26 April the email Public.Enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk works
I received a answer at 5-05-2010 from Treat Official Correspondence [CITTO@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk]
Dear Ms Ferreira
Thank you for your e-mail on behalf of Kiana Firouz concerning their immigration matters.
Your support has been noted.
Yours Sincerely,
Public Correspondence Team
UKBA
I Lacey Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
As well as emailing the Home Office, I have also emailed the editor of The Independent newspaper, which ran an extensive, eventually successful, campaign to stop the deportation of gay Iranian teenager Mehdi Kamezi, to bring her case to their attention.
Richard B Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
You might want to create a petition at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/ rather than petitionsonline – petitionsonline is less than worthless,
Matt Bell Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Posted it on Digg and several social media sites. Hope it helps to get the ball to roll that little-bit faster..
http://digg.com/world_news/Save_The_Life_Of_Kiana_Firouz
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