County Derry women unite in support of women’s rights

The Baha’i community of Magherafelt are marking the end of a yearlong commemoration remembering 10 Baháʼí women who were executed over 40 years ago in Iran, for their belief in the equality of women.

On June 18, 1983, ten brave women were hanged in a single night in a square in the city of Shiraz, by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Their only crime was refusing to renounce their belief in their faith which promotes the principles of gender equality, as well as unity, justice and truthfulness.

This week local Magherafelt woman, Mahin Gornal, who has been to the fore to ensure these 10 brave women are never forgotten spoke to the County Derry Post.

“The women were hanged one by one, each forced to watch the next woman’s death in a harrowing attempt to coerce them into recanting their faith,” said Mahin.

Those women were: Simin Saberi aged 24, Shahin (Shirin) Dalvand aged 25, Akhtar Sabet aged 25, Mahshid Niroumand aged 28, Zarrin Moghimi-Abyaneh aged 29, Tahereh Arjomandi Siyavashi aged 30. Her husband, Jamshid Siavashi, was executed two days earlier. Nosrat Ghufrani Yaldaie, aged 46. Her son, Bahram Yaldaie, was executed two days earlier. Ezzat-Janami Eshraghi aged 57 was executed along with her daughter Roya aged 23. Her husband, Enayatullah Eshraghi was executed two days earlier and the youngest martyr was Mona Mahmoudnejad, aged just 17.

“Last year on the 40th Anniversary of the women’s executions, the Baha'i International Community launched a global campaign, called #OurStoryIsOne, to honour the executed women and the long struggle for gender equality lived by women of all faiths and backgrounds in Iran for many decades and which still continues to this day,” explained Mahin.

Mahin Gornall was born in Iran but a twist of fate brought her to County Derry in the Christmas of 1981, where she spent the holiday period at a Baha’i Winter school. It was here she met her future husband, Les Gornall. Two years later they were married and living in Magherafelt, where Mahin now calls home.

The mother-of-three is well-known in Magherafelt not just for her human rights activism but also her work in the local community. For 27 years she volunteered as a swimming coach for the Mid Ulster swimming club and when the Integrated Primary School was formed Mahin was a founder-governor for nine years. She is active in the women’s movements in the town and is also an executive member of UNIFEM. Mahin now runs English classes online and face to face helping refugee families and newcomers from many different countries.

“It is essential to make known to those who seek to erase the names of the peacemakers that they shall not be forgotten,” continued Mahin.

“Rather those names have become an inspiration to achieve ever greater levels of personal action to secure freedom, unity and justice in our communities, especially in the field of women’s equality which was not only at the heart of their sacrifice, but is at the heart of many other problems in the world from; mental and physical health, to the education of the next generation and the protection of the environment,” she added.

Showing solidarity with Mahin and the Baha’i community is local Aontú representative and Human Rights Solicitor, Noreen McEldowney.

“I was delighted to help raise awareness for this campaign and to stand in solidarity with Mahin and the local Baha’i community, as they continue to ensure that the memory of those 10 brave women is never forgotten. 

“We as women must continue to highlight the struggle for women’s equality in both Iran and in Ireland,” said Mrs McEldowney, who lives in Ballinascreen.

Mrs McEldowney who worked with many Iranian asylum seekers in Melbourne Australia, said she has been very aware of the inequality faced women in Iran.

“Many of the Iranians I worked with were persecuted because of their Christian faith, their rejection of Islam and their demand for women’s rights,” she explained. I recall one Iranian family who were persecuted, and forced to leave their home just because they wanted their daughters educated. It wasn’t until I met Mahin however that she told me about the 10 Baha’i women of Shiraz and I was delighted to help her raise awareness of their courage, bravery and martyrdom. 

“Now more than ever women must unite together to stand up for the right to education, childcare, and the protection of religious freedom,” she continued.

“Forty years on women are still fighting for our basic rights. Here in the six counties, we don’t even have a childcare policy. Just recently Down South, we saw all of the political parties except Aontú, try to erase the word ‘mother’ from our constitution, and most recently we have seen a mother being charged because she was praying outside a hospital a where abortions are being performed. Is this what those in power call progressive?” asked Mrs McEldowney.

“If you ask me, we are living through very dangerous times and we are ‘progressing,’ on eradicating democracy and the right to religious freedom similar to those of totalitarianism.

“Like the Baha’i community Aontú call for the full participation of women in all spheres of life in society, including decision-making processes but yet we are seeing more and more women suffering from inequality due to the decision making and laws being forced upon us from politicians.”

Mrs McEldowney added: “following the execution of the 10 women and for the four decades that have followed, hundreds more Baha’i women have been severely persecuted, facing discrimination both as women and as Baha’is. After the Revolution, Baha’i women serving in prominent social positions in the country were dismissed from their jobs, arrested and imprisoned, tortured, or executed. Those left to live were barred from universities, public employment and virtually all aspects of social life. I fear that if women and people do not continue to stand together and fight for our basic human rights, we too will suffer. For through their so called ‘progressive politics’ all that is happening is further destruction and discrimination of women.”