[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 19430-19431]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           LADIES OF LIBERTY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the women of Iran are inspiring people 
around the world leading in the cause and fight for freedom. They have 
taken to the streets by the thousands because of the fraudulent 
government elections and repressive government subjugation. They are 
giving even men courage to protest. The New York Times ran an 
eyewitness report saying, ``For days now, I've seen women urging less 
courageous men on. I've seen them get beaten and return to the fray.'' 
Women shout at the men to ``Get up. Get up. Speak out against 
government oppression.''
  Untold numbers of Iranian women have been arrested. Shadi Sadr is a 
journalist, lawyer, and a human rights activist. She was last seen 
Friday, July 17, on her way to prayer. She was seen struggling with 
government henchmen as they beat her and dragged her into a car.
  Shadi managed to break away for a few moments, but she was chased 
down, beaten with batons and taken to prison in Tehran to keep her 
voice silent. She is jailed this very night as we assemble here in this 
cradle of liberty. What's the charge? What's her crime? Seeking freedom 
and respect seem to be her crimes. And by any means necessary, the 
black-booted government thugs want to silence those who exercise the 
first human right of freedom--and that being the freedom to speak out 
against oppression.
  As a lawyer, Shadi represents Iranian activists and journalists. She 
has won cases for several women sentenced to be executed for violations 
of religious laws, and those convictions have been overturned. She is 
also involved in Women's Field, a group defending women's rights in 
Iran, including the ``Stop Stoning Forever'' campaign.
  Mr. Speaker, women are tragically stoned to death for religious 
violations in Iran, for acts that aren't even crimes in civilized 
countries. They are buried up to their waist with their hands tied 
behind their backs, then a mob throws stones at them until they're 
dead. And sometimes it takes more than an hour to die. These violent, 
barbaric acts are to be condemned by those who value life and liberty.
  For the first time in a Presidential campaign in Iran, women made 
their oppression an issue in the election. Women courageously 
confronted their oppressors demanding freedom.
  One Iranian woman said, ``When the elections were stolen, women felt 
betrayed. They took to the streets. Images of security forces beating 
up unarmed, innocent women were shocking and fueled their anger. At 
times, the number of women exceeded those of men in the protest.''
  One protester told reporters, ``We don't sit in the corner and wait 
for the

[[Page 19431]]

men to make change. We do it. We are the mothers of Iran.''
  You see, Mr. Speaker, women in Iran have been fighting for dignity 
and respect for over 30 years. Mr. Speaker, these mothers of Iran have 
true courage, the kind of courage that comes from standing for truth 
over government lies. The kind of courage that comes from fighting for 
freedom against tyranny.
  It's been said ``Tyranny is when the people fear the government. 
Freedom is when the government fears the people.'' And now, the 
government of Iran has begun to fear these ladies of liberty.
  The women of Iran have shown their courage to the world. They speak 
with one bold voice saying ``NO MORE''. They will not be silenced 
because truthful, righteous words cannot long be silenced by the stones 
of oppression and the rocks of brutality.
  The Ladies of Liberty are writing their own glorious page in history. 
They have been unjustly trampled, dragged, beaten, shot, and killed by 
a government that has declared war on its own people.

                              {time}  1930

  They have earned their honored place among those who have shed blood 
for freedom. But their fight is not for their native Iran alone. It is 
a fight for all freedom-seeking women and men worldwide that are being 
persecuted by their own government. Shadi Sadr and the wonder women 
have earned the respect of the free world.
  Mr. Speaker, it is only a matter of time before the women of Iran win 
their freedom. They are throwing off the yolk of tyranny. With every 
step they take, they move closer to the day that liberty will be 
theirs. When they are successful in liberating their country from 
tyranny, Iran and the world will be safer. Their cause is righteous and 
their actions are just.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________