International Petition in Support of Zanan Magazine

If you want to sign this petition, Please send an email to zananmagazine@yahoo.com

February 10, 2008

This Letter is addressed to the following:

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Supreme Leader of Islamic Republic of Iran);
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi (Head of the Judiciary of IRI);
Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (President of the Islamic Republic of Iran);
Dr. Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel (Speaker of the Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran)

C/O H.E. Mohammad Khazaee
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
Fax: 212-867-7086

We the undersigned are deeply dismayed to hear that the publishing license of the monthly magazine Zanan has been revoked by the Press Supervisory Board.

For the past 16 years, Zanan has been an important voice reporting on issues that Iranian women face - their problems as well as their achievements. It has also been an indispensable forum for encouraging dialogue among those genuinely interested in solving broader social problems. Its sustained coverage of women's lives in Iran has allowed a balanced international understanding of Iranian society. Revoking Zanan's publication license deprives all Iranians a vital source on women's issues and closes one more journal at a critical moment of the country's life.

We are extremely disturbed by this revocation by a body that constitutionally does not have the authority to revoke the license of any publication. We ask for its immediate withdrawal, and reconstitution of publishing permit for Zanan. The revocation of Zanan's permit stands in violation of the right to free expression and is, as such, unacceptable by any standards.




Initial Signatures:

  1. Dr. Margaret Abraham, Professor and Special Advisor to the Provost for Diversity Initiatives, Hofstra University
  2. Dr. Janet Afary, Associate Professor, Purdue University
  3. Dr. Haleh Afshar, Baroness OBE and Professor, University of York
  4. Dr. Leila Ahmed, Professor, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University
  5. Dr. Kazem Alamdari, California State University, Los Angeles


  6. Dr. Margot Badran, Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University
  7. Dr. Shaul Bakhash, Professor, George Mason University
  8. Dr. Ali Banuazizi, Professor, Boston College, and Past President of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA)
  9. Dr. Nimat Hafez Barazangi, Research Fellow, Cornell University
  10. Dr. Asma Barlas, Professor and Program Director, Ithaca College
  11. Dr. Golbarg Bashi, Visiting Scholar, Columbia University
  12. Dr. Asef Bayat, Professor and Academic Director, International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM), Leiden University, The Netherlands
  13. Dr. Jane Bayes, Professor and Director, Institute of Globalization, Gender and Democracy, California State University, Northridge
  14. Judith Bello, Peace Activist, New York
  15. Dr. Elizabeth Berry, Professor Emeritus, California State University, Northridge
  16. Dr. Marilyn Booth, Associate professor and Director, Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  17. Dr. Ladan Boroumand, Research Director, Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation
  18. Dr. Roya Boroumand, Executive Director, Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation
  19. Dr. Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Associate Professor, Founding Director, Middle Eastern Studies Program, Syracuse University
  20. Dr. Stephen Eric Bronner, Professor, Rutgers University
  21. Margaret Burke, Assistant Professor, Hofstra University
  22. Dr. Judith Butler, Professor, University of California, Berkeley


  23. Dr. Houchang Chehabi, Professor, Boston University
  24. Dr. Noam Chomsky, Professor and Author, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  25. Dr. Esther Ngan-ling Chow, Professor, American University
  26. Dr. Juan Cole, Professor, University of Michigan and Past President of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA)


  27. Dr. Hamid Dabbashi, Professor, Columbia University
  28. Kathleen Desautels, 8th Day Center for Justice, Chicago
  29. Dr. Ellen Carol DuBois, Professor, University of California, Los Angeles


  30. Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Laureate, Iran
  31. Dr. Goudarz Eghtedari, Host, Voices of the Middle East
  32. Dr. Kaveh Ehsani, Research Scholar, University of Illinois at Chicago
  33. Dr. Nada Elia, President, Association of Middle East Women's Studies (AMEWS)
  34. Dr. Nader Entessar, Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice, University of South Alabama
  35. Dr. Fatemeh Etemad Moghadam, Professor, Hofstra University
  36. Dr. Brenda Elsey, Assistant Professor, Hofstra University and Co-Coordinator, Long Island Teachers for Human Rights
  37. Dr. Haleh Esfandiari, Director, Middle East Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars


  38. Priscilla Fairbank, Peace Activist, New York City
  39. Dr. Farideh Farhi, Adjunct Professor, University of Hawaii
  40. Jean Feraca, Host, Here on Earth: Radio without Borders, Wisconsin Public Radio
  41. Dr. Ellen Fleischmann, Associate Professor, University of Dayton
  42. Dr. Nancy Fraser, Professor, New School University, New York


  43. Akbar Ganji, Journalist and Author
  44. Dr. Hadi Ghaemi, International Campaign for Human Rights, New York
  45. Dr. Lina Gurvich, Assistant Professor, Hofstra University


  46. Dr. Jurgen Habermas, Professor Emeritus and Philosopher, Germany
  47. Dr. Shahla Haeri, Associate Professor and Director, Women's Studies Program, Boston University
  48. Dr. Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, Fellow, Women and Public Policy Program, Harvard University
  49. Dr. Sondra Hale, Professor, University of California, Los Angeles; Co-Editor of Journal of Middle East Women's Studies (JMEWS)
  50. Dr. Donna Haraway, Professor and Chair, History of Consciousness Program, University of California, Santa Cruz
  51. Dr. Nader Hashemi, Global Fellow, University of California, Los Angeles
  52. Alia Hogben, Executive Director, Canadian Council of Muslim Women
  53. Dr. Mehri Honarbin-Holliday, Research Fellow, Canterbury Christ Church University
  54. Dr. Homa Hoodfar, professor, Concordia University


  55. Doug Ireland, Journalist, New York


  56. Dr. Nancy W. Jabbra, Professor and Chair, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angles
  57. Dr. Suad Joseph, Professor, University of California, Davis


  58. Mehrangiz Kar, Visiting Scholar, Wellesley University
  59. Dr. Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak, Professor and Founding Director, Center for Persian Studies, University of Maryland
  60. Dr. Nikki Keddie, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Los Angeles
  61. Dr. Fatemeh Keshavarz, Professor, Washington University, St. Louis
  62. Dr. Azadeh Kian-Thiebaut, Professor and Director, Research and Documentation for Feminist Studies, University of Paris
  63. Dr. Rachel Kreier, Assistant Professor, Hofstra University
  64. Stephen Kinzer, Author and Lecturer, Northwestern University


  65. Joanne Landy, Co-Director, Campaign for Peace and Democracy, New York
  66. Dr. Kate Lang, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of History, University of Wisconsin
  67. Dr. Mary N. Layoun, Professor and Director, Graduate Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison
  68. Dr. Marta Lopez-Garza, Professor, California State University, Northridge


  69. Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate, Ireland
  70. Dr. Akbar Mahdi, Professor, Ohio Wesleyan University
  71. Dr. Saba Mahmood, Associate Professor, University of California, Berkeley
  72. Dr. Sheena Malhotra, Associate Professor, California State University, Northridge
  73. Rev Sandra R Mackie, ELCA, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
  74. Dr. Ricky Manoff, Lecturer, California State University, Northridge
  75. Dr. Kathleen McHugh, Professor and Director, Center for the Study of Women, University of California, Los Angles
  76. Betty Mandell, Co-Editor, New Politics
  77. Marvin Mandell, Co-Editor, New Politics
  78. Dr. Gregory M. Maney, Assistant Professor, Hofstra University
  79. Dr. Ann Elizabeth Mayer, Associate Professor, University of Pennsylvania
  80. Dr. Mehrdad Mashayekhi, Georgetown University
  81. Dr. Avon Mattison, President, Pathway to Peace
  82. Dr. Martin Melkonian, Adjunct Associate Professor, Hofstra University
  83. Dr. Abbas Milani, Professor and Director, Iranian Studies Program, Stanford University
  84. Dr. Farzaneh Milani, Professor, University of Virginia
  85. Dr. Ziba Mir-Hosseini, Senior Research Associate, Middle East Institute, London
  86. Dr. Minoo Moallem, Professor, University of California, Berkeley
  87. Dr. Valentine Moghadam, Professor and Director, Women's Studies Program, Purdue University
  88. Dr. Haideh Moghissi, Professor, York University, Toronto
  89. Monireh Mohammadi, Pearson Education / Penguin, Canada
  90. Dr. Juana M. Mora, Professor and Interim Chair, Asian American Studies, California State University, Northridge
  91. Dr. Claire G. Moses, Professor, University of Maryland, and Editor, Feminist Studies Journal
  92. Dr. Norma Moruzzi, Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago


  93. Dr. Negin Nabavi, Assistant Professor, Montclair University
  94. Yamin Nair, Freelance Journalist, Chicago
  95. Dr. Afsaneh Najmabadi, Professor, Harvard University
  96. Dr. Arash Naraghi, lecturer, California State University, San Bernardino


  97. Dr. Jennifer Olmsted, Associate Professor, Drew University, Madison


  98. Dr. Misagh Parsa, Professor, Dartmouth College, Hanover
  99. Dr. Omid Payrow Shabani, Associate Professor, University of Guelph
  100. Katha Pollitt, Journalist, The Nation Magazine,
  101. Danny Postel, Journalist and Author, Chicago


  102. Dr. Sherene Razack, Professor, University of Toronto
  103. Dr. Juana Maria Rodriguez, Associate Professor, University of California, Berkeley
  104. Dr. Cindy Rosenthal, Associate Professor, Hofstra University
  105. Dr. Elaheh Rostami-Povey, Lecturer, SOAS, University of London
  106. Dr. Leila J. Rupp, Professor and Associate Dean, Social Science, University of California, Santa Barbara


  107. Dr. Layla Saatchi, Wayne State University
  108. Dr. Fatima Sadiqi, Professor, President and Founder, ISIS Center For Women and Development (ICWAD), Morocco
  109. Dr. Ahmad Sadri, Professor and Chair, Sociology and Anthropology Department, Lake Forest College
  110. Dr. Zakia Salime, Professor, Michigan State University
  111. Dr. Caroline Seymour-Jorn, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  112. Dr. Sussan Siavoshi, Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science, Trinity University, San Antonio
  113. Dr. Diane Singerman, Associate Professor, American University


  114. Dr. Mary Ann Tetreault, Professor, Trinity University, San Antonio
  115. Dr. Charis Thompson, Associate Professor, Hofstra University
  116. Dr. Barrie Thorne, Professor and Chair, Gender and Women Studies, University of California, Berkeley
  117. Dr. Nayereh Tohidi, Professor and Chair, Gender and Women's Studies Department, California State University, Northridge


  118. Betty Williams, Nobel Peace Laureate, Ireland
  119. Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Laureate, USA


  120. Dr. Amy Elizabeth Young, Assistant Professor, Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania
  121. Dr. Elise G. Young, Associate Professor, Founder and Coordinator, The Global Women's History Project, Westfield State College


  122. Dr. Fariba Zarinbaf, Assistant Professor, University of Virginia
  123. Dr. Howard Zinn, Author and Professor Emeritus, Boston University
  124. Dr. Sherifa Zuhur, Research Professor and Director, Institute of Middle Eastern, Islamic and Diasporic Studies

Signatures Received Since Original Publication:

  1. Dr. Lila Abu-Lughod, Professor, Columbia University
  2. Dr. Melanie Adrian, Lecturer, Harvard University
  3. Mahnaz Afkhami, President and CEO, Women's Learning Partnership, Bethesda
  4. Nazanin Afshin-Jam, Human Rights Activist; and Founder of Stop Child Executions campaign
  5. Dr. Ramin Ahmadi,Yale School of Medicine
  6. Dr. Kevin B. Anderson, Professor, Purdue University
  7. Dr. Yesim Arat, Professor, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey


  8. Dr. Reza Baraheni, Professor, poet, novelist & literary theorist, University of Toronto, Canada
  9. Dr. Françoise Basch, Professor Emeritus, University of Paris 7, France
  10. Danny Bates, Constituency Co-ordinator, Green Party, London, UK
  11. Tony Benn, President, Stop The War Coalition, UK
  12. Dr. Anna Bigelow, Assistant Professor, North Carolina State University


  13. Dr. Joshua Cohen, professor, Stanford University; and Editor of Boston Review
  14. Dr. Trudy Cooper, Adjunct Professor, Portland State University; and Board Member of American-Iranian Friendship Council
  15. Jeremy Bernard Corbyn, Member of Parliament, UK


  16. Dr. Parviz Dabir-Alai, Professor, Richmond University
  17. Jenny Dare, Everywoman Programme, Al Jazeera English Programme
  18. Dr. Sonia Dayan-Herzbrun, Professor, University of Paris 7, France
  19. Dr. Lara Deeb, Assistant Professor, University of California, Irvine


  20. Dr. Alexandra S. Ellinwood-Jerome, Lecturer, York College of Pennsylvania
  21. Dr. Judith Ezekiel, Professor in Residence, Wright State University


  22. Dr. Mohammad Fadel, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Canada


  23. Dr. Adam Gaiser, Assistant Professor, Florida State University
  24. Dr. Matthew S. Gordon, Associate Professor, Miami University
  25. Philip Grant, Graduate Student, University of California, Irvine
  26. Dr. Paul Gready, Professor & Director, Centre for Applied Human Rights, University of York, UK
  27. Dr. Anouk Guine, Post-doctoral member, GTM, National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS),Paris, France


  28. Dr. Sari Hanafi, Associate professor, American University of Beirut; and Editor of Idafat: the Arab Journal of Sociology, Lebanon
  29. Dr. Mary Hegland, Associate Professor, Santa Clara University
  30. Dr. David Burrell, Professor emeritus, University of Notre Dame


  31. Gretchen Kafoury, Assistant Professor,Portland State University
  32. Sheema Kalbasi, Author & Human Rights Activist, Washington DC
  33. Sarah Kamal,PhD candidate, London School of Economics, UK
  34. Dr. Sossie Kasbarian, SOAS, University of London, UK
  35. Stephen Kinzer, Author & lecturer, Northwestern University


  36. DR. Marie Ladier-Fouladi, Research Fellow, National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), and Associate Professor, EHESS, France
  37. Dr. Ira M. Lapidus, Profesor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley


  38. Effat Mahbaz, Journalist , UK
  39. Dr. Ricky J. Manoff, Lecturer, California State University, Northridge
  40. Dr. Mary Maynard, professor and head, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of York, UK
  41. Dr. Laura Zahra McDonald, Research Fellow, University of Birmingham, UK
  42. Dr. Ellen McLarney, Assistant Professor, Duke University
  43. Margaret A. Mills, Professor, Ohio State University


  44. Dr. Azar Nafisi, Professorial Lecturer & Director, The Dialogue Project, SAIS, Johns Hopkins University


  45. Dr. Simon Parker, Senior Lecturer, University of York, UK
  46. Dr Linda Perriton, Senior Lecturer, University of York, UK
  47. Katherine Platt, Associate Professor, Babson College
  48. Ismail Poonawala, Professor, University of California, Los Angeles
  49. Lily Pourzand, Master Candidate, York University, Canada
  50. Azadeh Pourzand, Oberlin College (2007)


  51. Dr. Kamran Rastegar,Lecturer, University of Edinburgh
  52. Gwen Rogers, manager, management Information Systems, SOAS, University of London, UK
  53. Margaret Renn, journalist, Centre for Investigative Journalism, London, UK
  54. Dr. Jasamin Rostam-Kolayi, Assistant Professor, California State University, Fullerton


  55. Dr. Omid Safi, Professor & Chair, The Study of Islam Section American Academy of Religion, University of North Carolina
  56. Dr. Elizabeth A. Say, Dean, College of Humanities, California State University, Northridge
  57. Dr. Susan Schomburg, Assistant Professor, Bates College/li>
  58. Sholeh Shahbaz, Editor & Publisher, Rahavard Quarterly, Los Angeles
  59. Rouhi Shafii, author, UK
  60. Dr. Irene Siegel, Associate Professor, Hofstra University
  61. Dr. Joan Smith, Director, Cities Institute, London Metropolitan University, UK
  62. Kerry Smith-Jefferys, Lawyer, UK
  63. Dr. Martine Spensky, Professor, Blaise Pascal University, France


  64. Dr. Zahra Taheri, Visiting Associate Professor, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan
  65. Dr. Charles Taylor, professor emeritus, McGill University,Canada


  66. Dr. Peyman Vahabzadeh, Assistant Professor, University of Victoria, Canada


  67. Salma Yaqoob, Councillor, RESPECT , Birmingham, UK
  68. Dr. Seval Yildirim, Assistant Professor & Director, Center for International and Comparative Law, Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa


  69. Dr. Jenny White, Associate Professor, Boston University, and former president of The Turkish Studies Association