A Better World - Part Two - 5
Modern and Progressive Social and Cultural Norms
The political and administrative norms and practices in society should be modern, secular and progressive. This requires the complete purging of the state and administration from religion, ethnicity, nationalism, racialism and any ideology and institution that contradicts the absolute equality of all in civil rights and before the law, or stifles freedom of thought, criticism and scientific enquiry. Religion and nationalism by nature are discriminatory and reactionary trends and incompatible with human freedom and progress. Religion specifically, even if it remains a private affair of the individual, is a barrier to human emancipation and development.
The establishment of a modern secular state and political system is merely the first step towards complete emancipation from religious, national, ethnic, racial and sexual bigotry and prejudice.
The Worker-communist Party calls for the immediate implementation of the following:
Religion, nationality and ethnicity
1 - Freedom of religion and atheism. Complete separation of religion from the state. Omission of all religious and religiously-inspired notions and references from all laws. Religion to be declared private affair of the individual. Removing any reference in laws and in identity cards and official papers to the person's religion. Prohibition of ascribing people, individually or collectively, to any ethnic group or religion in official documents, in the media, and so on.
2 - Complete separation of religion from education. Prohibition of teaching religious subjects and dogmas or religious interpretation of subjects in schools and educational establishments. Any law and regulation that breaches the principle of secular non-religious education must be immediately abolished.
3 - Prohibition of any kind of financial, material or moral support by the state or state institutions to religion and religious activities, institutions and sects. The state to have the duty to eradicate religion from the various spheres of social life by informational means and by raising the public's level of education and scientific knowledge. Omission of any kind of reference in the official calendar to religious occasions and dates.
4 - Prohibition of violent and inhuman religious ceremonies. Prohibition of any form of religious activity, ceremony or ritual that is incompatible with people's civil rights and liberties and the principle of the equality of all. Prohibition of any form of religious manifestation that disturbs people's peace and security. Prohibition of any form of religious ceremony or conduct that is incompatible with the laws and regulations regarding health, hygiene, environment and prevention of cruelty to animals.
5 - Protection of children and persons under 16 from all forms of material and spiritual manipulation by religions and religious institutions. Prohibition of attracting persons under 16 to religious sects or religious ceremonies and locations.
6 - All religious denominations and sects to be officially registered as private enterprises. Subjection of religious establishments to enterprise laws and regulations. Auditing, by legal authorities, of the books and accounts and transactions of religious bodies. Subjection of these institutions to the tax laws which apply to other business enterprises.
7 - Prohibition of any physical or psychological coercion for acceptance of religion.
8 - Prohibition of religious, ethnic, traditional, local, etc. customs that infringe on people's rights, equality and freedom, their enjoyment of the civil, cultural, political and economic rights recognised under the law, and their free participation in social life.
9 - Confiscation and repossession of all property, wealth and buildings that the religious establishments have acquired by force or through the state and various foundations under the Islamic regime. These to be placed in the hands of popularly- elected bodies for the benefit of the public.
10 - Prohibition of ascribing individuals or groups to a particular nationality, in public, in the media, in offices, etc. without their express permission.
11 - Omission of any reference to the person's nationality in identity cards, official documents, and official business.
12 - Prohibition of incitement of religious, national, ethnic, racial, or sexual hatred. Prohibition of forming political organisations which openly and officially proclaim superiority of one group of people over others on the basis of their nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, or sex.
Cohabitation, family, marriage and divorce
1 - The right of every couple over 16 to live together by their own choice. Any form of coercion of individuals by any person or authority in choice of their partner, in cohabitation (or marriage) or in separation (or divorce) is prohibited.
2 - Simple registration is sufficient for cohabitation to be recognised officially and be covered by family laws, if the parties so wish. Secularization of marriage. Prohibition of religious rituals and recitals at state ceremonies for registration of marriage. Holding or not holding special ceremonies, religious or secular, for marriage has no bearing on its validity or status before the law.
3 - Prohibition of any form of financial transaction in marriage, such as fixing a Mehriyye, Shirbaha, Jahizieh (various cash and kind payments by the two parties), and so on, as terms and preconditions of marriage.
4 - Prohibition of Ta'addod Zowjat (Islamic right of multiple marriages for men) and Seegheh (Islamic rent-a-wife).
5 - Equal rights for woman and man in the family, in the choice of residence, in care and education of children, in decisions concerning the family's property and finances, and in all matters concerning cohabitation. Abolition of man's special status as the head of the household in all laws and regulations, and equal rights for woman and man in supervision of the family's affairs.
6 - Unconditional right of separation (divorce) for woman and man. Equal rights and obligations for woman and man in the custody and care of children after separation.
7 - Equal right of partners during separation with respect to property and resources that have been acquired or used by the family, during cohabitation.
8 - Abolition of the automatic transfer of father's family name to children. The decision on the child's surname to be left to the mutual agreement of the parents. If no agreement is reached, the child takes the mother's surname. References to parents' names to be omitted from identity cards and other official identity documents, such as passport, driving license, etc.
9 - Material and moral support by the state to single parents. Special support to mothers who have separated or born their children outside marriage, in the face of economic difficulties or reactionary cultural and ethical pressures.
10 - Abolition of all anachronistic and reactionary laws and regulations that treat the sexual relationship of men or women with persons other than their espouses as a crime.
1 - Every child's right to a happy, secure and creative life.
2 - Society is responsible for ensuring the well-being of every child irrespective of her family's means and circumstances. The state is obliged to ensure a uniform, and the highest possible, standard of welfare and development opportunities for children.
3 - Allowances and free medical, educational and cultural services to ensure a high standard of living for children and youngsters regardless of family circumstances.
4 - Placing all children without a family or familial care under the guardianship of the state, and providing for their life and education in modern, caring, progressive and well-equipped centres.
5 - Creation of well-equipped, modern nurseries to ensure that all children are provided with a creative educational and social environment regardless of family circumstances.
6 - Equal rights for all children, whether born in or outside marriage.
7 - Prohibition of professional employment for children and youngsters under 16.
8 - Prohibition of abuse of children at home, in school and the society at large. Strict prohibition of corporal punishment. Prohibition of subjecting children to psychological pressure and intimidation.
9 - Decisive legal action against sexual abuse of children. Sexual abuse of children is deemed a grave crime.
10 - Prosecution and punishment of anyone who in any way and under any pretext impedes children, whether boys or girls, from enjoying their civil and social rights, such as education, recreation, and participation in children's social activities
1 - Free and consensual sexual relationship is the undeniable right of anyone who has reached the age of consent. The legal age of consent for both women and men is 15. Sexual relationship of adults (persons over the age of consent) with under-age persons, even if it consensual is illegal and the adult party is prosecuted under the law.
2 - All adults, women or men, are completely free in deciding over their sexual relationship with other adults. Voluntary relationship of adults with each other is their private affair and no person or authority has the right to scrutinise it, interfere with it or make it public.
3 - Everyone, especially the youth and adolescents, should receive sexual education, and instruction on contraceptive methods and safe sex. Sexual education should be a compulsory part of high school curricula. The state is responsible to rapidly raise the population's scientific awareness of sexual matters and the rights of the individual in sexual relationship, by putting out information, setting up clinics and advisory services accessible to all concerned, special radio and TV programmes, and all other effective methods.
4 - Contraceptives and VD prevention devices should be freely and easily available to all adults.
Few phenomena like abortion, i.e. the deliberate elimination of the human embryo because of cultural and economic pressures, display the inherent contempt for human life in the present system and the incompatibility of existing class society and exploitative relations with human life and well- being. Abortion is a testimony to the self-alienation of people and their vulnerability in the face of the deprivations and hardships that the existing class society imposes on them.
The worker-communist party is against the act of abortion. The party fights for the creation of a society where no pressures or circumstances would drive people to performing or accepting this act.
At the same time, as long as the adverse social circumstances do drive a large number of women to resorting to backstreet abortions, the worker-communist party in order to prevent abuse by profiteers and ensure protection of women's health calls for the introduction of the following measures:
1 - Legalization of abortion up to the twelfth week of pregnancy.
To reduce the number of abortions, the worker-communist party also calls for the introduction of the following urgent measures to prevent unwanted pregnancies and to free women from economic, cultural and moral pressures:
2 - Abortion after the twelfth week to be legally permitted if there is danger to the health of the mother (until that time when Caesarean section and the saving of the foetus is possible given the latest medical expertise). Such cases to be ascertained by the competent medical authorities.
3 - Wide and freely available facilities for pregnancy tests. Instruction of people in their use to ensure quick detection of unwanted pregnancies.
4 - Free abortion and free post-abortion care in licensed clinics by gynaecologists.
5 - The decision whether to have or not to have an abortion rests with the woman alone. The state has the duty, however, to inform her before her final decision, of the dissuasive arguments and recommendations of the scientific authorities and social counsellors as well as of the financial, material and moral commitments of the state to her and her child.
1 - Broad sexual education of people on contraceptives and on the importance of the issue. Widely accessible advisory services.
2 - Wide and free access to contraceptives.
3 - Allocation of adequate funding and resources to help the women who are considering having an abortion because of economic constraints. The state should stress its duty and readiness to take care of the child should the mother decide to give birth to the child.
4 - Resolute campaigns against prejudices and moral pressures that drive women to abortion. Active state support to women against such pressures, prejudices and intimidations.
5- Campaign against the ignorant, religious, male- chauvinistic and backward attitudes that hinder the growth of people's sexual awareness and, specifically, impede women's and young people's wide use of contraceptives and safe-sex devices.
The fight against drug addiction and drug trafficking
1 - Strict prohibition of sale and purchase of narcotics and the prosecution and severe sentencing of those responsible for the illicit production, and trafficking of drugs.
2 - Helping the fight against drug addiction by eliminating the social and economic grounds that push people to drugs, and protection of drug addicts from pushers and drug-trafficking networks.
3 - Decriminalization of the life of drug addicts. Helping drug users off drugs, through:
a - Creation of state clinics that meet the needs of drug users on the condition that they agree to take part in rehabilitation programmes.
b - Legalisation of the possession of some drugs in quantities needed for personal use. Free hypodermic needles and syringes to be made available through chemists and clinics to all those who need them to protect drug users from diseases such as Aids and Hepatitis and to contain the spread of such diseases.
c - Prohibition of any form of exile, incarceration or isolation of drug users on the grounds of their addiction. Drug addiction per se is not a crime.
The fight against prostitution
Active fight against prostitution by eliminating its economic, social and cultural grounds, and decisive action against prostitution-organising networks, middlemen and racketeers.
Strict prohibition of organisation of prostitution, dealing, broking, and profiting by the work of prostitutes.
Decriminalization of the life and work of prostitutes. Helping prostitutes to regain their social dignity and self-esteem and freeing their lives from criminal networks and gangs, through:
1 - Legalising sale of sex by the individual as self- employment. Extending the protection of laws and law- enforcement authorities to prostitutes against the mob, racketeers, extortioners, pimps, etc.
2 - Issuing of work permits to those who work as self- employed prostitutes. Upholding their honour and prestige as respectable members of society, and helping them to organise in their own union.
3 - Free special preventive and therapeutic medical services to prostitutes to protect them from diseases and injuries resulting from employment in this profession.
4 - Consistent educational work, encouragement and practical help by responsible state organs to help prostitutes give up prostitution and receive vocational training for work in other areas.
Principles of trials
1 - The accused is innocent until proven guilty.
2 - Trials must take place free of provocation and pre-judgments and under fair conditions. The location of the trial, the judge and the composition of the jury must be so determined as to ensure such conditions.
3 - The accused and their counsels have the right to know and study all the proofs, evidence and witnesses of the prosecution or the plaintiff prior to the trial.
4 - The verdict of the court is appealable, at least once, by the accused, the prosecution or by both parties to the lawsuit.
5 - Prohibition of stirring up public preconceptions about the trial and about the persons involved while the trial is in progress.
6 - Prohibition of trial under circumstances where the pressure of public opinion has denied or compromised the chance of an impartial trial.
7 - The testimony of police carries the same weight as that of other witnesses.
8 - Judges and courts must be totally independent of the process of enquiry and investigation. The legal correctness of the investigation procedure should be supervised and approved by special judges.
9 - In the penal laws, abuse and violation of the person's body and mind, violence against children, so-called crimes of passion committed against women, domestic violence, hate crimes against specific groups of people, and crimes involving violence and intimidation in general, should be treated as much more serious offences than violation of property rights and wealth, both state and private. Vindictive and so-called exemplary punishments should be replaced by punishments meant to be corrective and to shield society from the recurrence of the crime.
Rights of the accused and offenders
1 - A person may be held only for a maximum of 24 hours without being charged. The place of detention should not be a prison but part of the usual quarters of law-enforcement authorities.
2 - Before the arrest, detainees should be informed of their rights.
3 - Everyone has the right to call in a lawyer or witnesses to their arrest and interrogation. Everyone has the right to make two phone calls to their lawyer or relatives, or anyone else they wish, within the first hour of detention.
4 - The law-enforcement authorities do not have the right, before charging a person, to take fingerprints or photographs of the individual or to perform medical checks or DNA tests on the individual without his/her permission.
5 - Upon arrest, the detainees' next of kin or anyone else they decide should be immediately notified of their detention.
6 - Acts of torture, intimidation, humiliation or psychological pressure against detainees, the accused or the convicted is strictly forbidden and is deemed a serious crime.
7 - Obtaining confession by threat or inducement is prohibited.
8 - Peaceful resistance to arrest, peaceful attempt to escape from prison, or evading arrest are not crimes in themselves.
9 - The law-enforcement authorities do not have the right to question or search people or enter their private premises without their permission or the authorization of competent judicial authorities.
10 - Coroner's office, forensic and technical labs responsible for the examination of physical evidence, should be independent of the law-enforcement organs. These institutions work directly under the judiciary.
11 - The police complaints tribunal should be independent of the police and law-enforcement authorities. The findings of the tribunal should be made public.
12 - Files and information kept by law-enforcement bodies on any individual should be readily accessible to him/her for study.
13 - Prisoners are covered by the labour law and the general social welfare and health care laws
14 - Prisons should be administered by institutions independent of the police and law-enforcement organs and under the direct supervision of the judiciary.
15 - The right of elected inspectors to visit prisons as they see fit and without notice.
Abolition of the death penalty
The death penalty must be immediately abolished. Execution or any form of punishment that involves violation of the body (mutilation, corporal punishment, etc.) is prohibited under all circumstances. Life imprisonment must also be abolished.
Respect for the dignity of people
1 - Prohibition of openly or implicitly grading the dignity and social worth of people on the basis of rank, position, religion, nationality, citizenship, sex, level of income, appearance, physical features, education, and so on.
2 - Prohibition of libel and defamation.
3 - Prohibition of performing medical, pharmaceutical or environmental experiments and tests on individuals without their knowledge and express consent. Prohibition of any violation of the person's physical integrity (such as sterilization, removal or transplantation of organs and limbs, genetic manipulation, abortion, circumcision, and so on) without the knowledge and consent of the individual.
4 - Prohibition of the use of academic, religious, state or military titles and appellations (such as General, Ayatollah, Doctor, Reverend, and so on) outside the appropriate professional environment. In official and state communication every person must be referred to only by his/her first name and surname. Prohibition of the use of derogatory titles and terms in describing various social groups, by any authority or instance, state or private.
5 - Prohibition of designating first and second class, deluxe and standard, etc. sections in public transport, railways, airlines, state hotels, leisure centres, holiday resorts, and so on. Such services must be available to all at a uniform and highest possible standard
The mass media
Public access to popular press and broadcast media. Creation of public radio and TV networks and sharing of broadcast time among the various organisations and associations of people, such as councils, parties, societies, etc. Total abolition of media censorship - political or otherwise
National and local languages
Prohibition of a compulsory official language. The state may designate one of the current languages in the country as the main language of administration and education, providing that the speakers of other languages enjoy the necessary facilities in the political, social and educational life and that everyone's right to use their mother tongue in all social activities and to enjoy all public facilities is protected.
Changing the Farsi alphabet
In order to help bridge the gap that separates Iranian society from the forefronts of scientific, industrial and cultural progress in the world today, and in order to help people benefit from the results of this progress and take a more direct and active part in it, the official Farsi alphabet should be systematically changed to Latin.
The party also calls for:
1 - English language to be taught from early school age with the aim of making it a prevalent language of education and administration.
2 - The Western calendar (the official calendar in use internationally today) to be officially recognised and to be used in official documents alongside the local calendar.