Women in Iran: Update

I blogged about Shirin Ebadi's signature drive in Iran, for advancing the rights of women. In today's Christian Science Monitor, she is mentioned in an article about the arrests made in Iran. In case you haven't been following, 30 protesters for women's rights were arrested and the larger protests planned for International Women's Day have been called off. While 15 of the protesters have been released, "the remainder told family members they were on a hunger strike inside Tehran’s Evin Prison."

The piece by Scott Peterson gives an interesting take on how American "aid" is hurting the cause:

Activists charge that the pretext for the arrests is the government's suspicion that the women were receiving some of the $85 million earmarked by the US to undermine the government by funding antiregime and pro-democracy groups. Activists say they haven't received any of those funds.

...

The cash set aside by the US Congress to fund broadcasting into Iran and groups working against the Islamic Republic has complicated local efforts at political and social change – once the clarion call of Iran's reform movement.

The money "was the worst thing for all of the movements – women, students, and NGOs – they catch everyone, and say they are spies," says Mr. Saharkhiz. "We know that most of that money went to royalist groups and the Mujahideen-e Khalq," Iranian opposition that has several thousand militants under US guard in Iraq.

Stay tuned.