Hoodfar's Family Rejects Tehran Prosecutor's Allegations Against the University Professor

The family of Homa Hoodfar, a professor at Concordia University in Canada, issued a statement emphasizing that they have had no 'access' to her for the past three weeks and rejected the allegations made by the Tehran prosecutor and some media outlets against her. In the statement released on Monday, July 7, they noted that for the 'first time,' feminism has been presented as a 'crime.' According to the authors of the statement, 'Belief in feminism as a belief in the equality of women and men, in various interpretations and understandings of this term, is not considered a crime anywhere in Iranian law.' Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the Tehran Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor, stated on July 4 that Hoodfar 'has engaged in feminism and security crimes, and her case is under investigation in Tehran's prosecutor's office.' On the same day, the 'Mizan' news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, quoted the 'Mashregh News' website stating that Hoodfar is 'a board member and one of the founders of the subversive VOLUM Institute.' The report described the activities of the 'VOLUM Foundation' as similar to those of the Dutch Hivos Foundation. Hoodfar's family responded to these allegations by stating that she was not a founder of the Women's Solidarity Network in Muslim countries (VOLUM) but was merely a member. The statement emphasized that 'VOLUM' has always conducted its activities 'with adherence to the existing laws of the countries.' According to the authors of the statement, 'VOLUM' is a voluntary organization composed of researchers and academics from several Muslim countries, and 'its goals and activities differ from organizations like Hivos, which was established in Europe to support human rights activists worldwide.' Hoodfar's family also pointed out that her research on the status of women in Egypt, Pakistan, and Indonesia has not led to her being 'prosecuted' by the governments of those countries. Homa Hoodfar, a well-known Iranian-Canadian anthropologist who also holds Irish citizenship, was arrested on June 7 after being summoned to the security prosecutor's office in Tehran. Her family stated in their statement that they have had no 'access' to her in these three weeks, and the charges against her have not been communicated to her lawyer. The statement mentioned that Hoodfar suffers from a 'rare nerve disease,' and it was noted that the 'denial' of her illness might be due to a lack of recognition, but 'even a lack of awareness does not absolve the media of their responsibility to accurately reflect her situation.' Previously, over 170 prominent humanities professors from universities in Europe and America had called for Hoodfar's immediate release and permission for her to return to Canada. Among the signatories of this statement are notable figures such as Leila Ahmed, Noam Chomsky, Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Richard Falk, Nadia Ali, and Talal Asad. The Canadian government has also expressed concern about the situation of this Concordia University professor and stated that it will do 'whatever is necessary' for her release. The Center for Middle Eastern Studies in North America and Amnesty International have also called for her release.