tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-217831902011-04-21T15:19:43.097-07:00ChildrenFirstNowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13891732409016177837noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21783190.post-1138763140431240672006-01-31T19:01:00.000-08:002006-01-31T19:05:40.443-08:00<span style="font-family:arial;"></span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6214/2206/1600/CFN_3.0.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6214/2206/320/CFN_3.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /> <a href="http://www.childrenfirstnow.com">www.childrenfirstnow.com</a><br /> January 30, 2006<br /><br />Campaign Release our Fathers<br /><br />This is the voice of children whose fathers have been arrested at the picket lines on January 28, 2006. “They came at night, raided our house while we were asleep and started hitting us with their "hands and feet. They kicked us with their boots, destroyed the household then they took us to jail.”<br /><br />This is the voice of Mahdiye Salimi who is 12 years old. Her two years old sister was also injured in the attack. Mahdiye, described the ordeal in detail in an interview yesterday with a radio station abroad. They were beaten because their father was a labour activists.<br /><br />Over 17000 workers joined a general strike planned by the Union of the Single Bus in Tehran, Iran, demanding for collective bargaining, an increase in pay, recognition of the Union and for release of their union president Mr. Ossanlou.<br /><br />The Islamic Republic of Iran arrested over seven hundred, including wives, children and families, beat up the strikers and their family. The children suffered the most.<br /><br />Children First now calls for the Campaign “Release our Fathers” to make children's voices heard through the media, public campaigns, unions network, publications and the internet. We stress out that we have a zero-tolerance toward harassing and jailing children. The inhuman act of Islamic regime of Iran must be revealed throughout the world.<br /><br />This campaign will continue its work until all arrested strikers be released and their demands are met.<br /><br />Homa Arjomand<br />Coordinator<br />Children First Now<br /><a href="http://www.childrenfirstnow.com/">www.childrenfirstnow.com</a><br /><a href="mailto:homawpi@sympatico.com">homawpi@sympatico.com</a><br />1-416-737-9500<br /> <br /><br /><br />Protest letters may be sent to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran at<br /><a href="mailto:dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir">dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir</a> and a copy to<br /> <a href="mailto:homawpi@sympatico.com">homawpi@sympatico.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/21783190-113876314043124067?l=childrenfirstnow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>ChildrenFirstNowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13891732409016177837noreply@blogger.com0