International Children’s Day in Iran

These last three years have been so remarkable to see all these brave people going out and celebrating International Children’s Day during this time of dreadful regimes.The pictures you witness on this site are from the International Children’s Day, which was held in Iran in many cities, from 7^th October, 2008 until this moment. This year was especially astonishing because of people’s high expectations and refusal to compromise with the appalling situations going on around them. 

International Children’s Day has become a political event in Iran in the last several years. The reason for that is the hazardous line the situation has got into for children in Iran. We bring just a bit of the state official reports we got recently in Iran to let you have some ideas about the children’s current situation in Iran:
At the time of 1998 the numbers of students in the schools in Iran was more than 18 million which has reduced to 14 million this year. We should mention that the population growth in Iran is about 3 percent. That means ten years after, the numbers should have increased to much more than 18 million, but instead has reduced. The authorities themselves have said that more than 3.6 million kids have not registered for school this year.  There are kids that are not registered at all. The official report says more than 600,000 children do not even have birth certificates. This number is just of those who have been found; there should be millions who have not even been founded yet. There are kids who officially don’t even exist in the first place.
A child does not go to school just because her family can not afford it and she has to work instead. Child Labor in Iran is very popular. All these kids are actually working and living on the streets or are working in some workshop. Another official report says that the child prostitution age has gone to as low as 11 years old. Addiction to narcotic substances gets victims among these children as well. A police report in Tehran has announced that children’s addiction to narcotic has gone to an age as low as 13 years old.

 No wonder why International Children Day this year has become such a political event.Iran is not a poor country, especially during last three years of Mahmood Ahmadinejad; oil revenue has become three times as much as before; more than $76 billion per year.At the same time we are witnessing millions of workers who have no job or have a job for which they do not get paid for months or even if they get paid, it is three times below the poverty line average announced by Iranian National Central Bank. A whole society is sensing the hazard distinction of generations to come. How we are supposed to deal with all these short comings and disasters. That is the question flying in peoples mind nowadays in Iran. International Children Day this year was held in many cities in Iran in such a climate. What kind of people organizes these events? Labor activist, lefts and all freedom loving people in Iran are among them, who are trying to get rid off this regime and the sooner the better. Children can not wait!

We just translated here one of the resolutions in one of the many gatherings which are being held in Iran this year. This was endorsed in the city of Sannandaj gathering: 

1-      Provide unconditional security, comfort and child welfare
2-      Stop all sorts of violence against children. Law should be direct and without any preconditions for any violence against children
3-      Prohibition of  any Child Labor
4-      Free Education and Healthcare with high standard for all Children
5-      Prohibition of any child abuse or punishment in family or society. Prohibition of any child torture or imprisonment. Immediate stop of all Child Execution
6-      Support Children without guidance by proper and controllable institutions with governmental financial support. Confront with reactionary culture that looks down on orphans.
7-      Child rights do not recognize Iranian or not Iranian, these rights are all the same for all. Children can not be categorized as for nations or religions or Ideologies. Children so called “Immigrants” should enjoy all opportunities deserved for a humane life.
8-      Prohibition of all body abuse with name of tradition or culture.  Prohibition of Child circumcision.
International Children Day organizing committee in Sannandaj
Oct 8, 2008 

Congratulations to anyone who arranged and participated in this International Children’s Day.

                                                      Mehran Mahboobi,
                                             Chairperson of CFN in Canada
                                                          10/10/2008