De-religionisation of society

A free society is a society free from religion, superstition, and the domination of traditional morality and values on human beings' freethinking. Inherently, religion is socially and intellectually discriminatory, superstitious, and contrary to human freedom and prosperity. Even as a private matter, religion is an obstacle in the path of human liberation and advancement.

Iran is not an Islamic society; the government is Islamic. Islam is a reactionary and imposed phenomenon in Iran that has only remained in power via oppression, killing, torture and stoning. It is over two decades that they seek to forcefully Islamicise the society and have failed. Islam is incompatible with society. The Islamisation of society is part of the inhuman jihad of the political Islamic movement and Islamic government against all sections of society.

Today, the fight against Islamic rule, Islam, reactionary and backward Islamic traditions, morality and relations and the entirety of Islamic reaction is part and parcel of the people's widespread and comprehensive struggle for liberation and cultural freedom. This is a historical fight against God and all its manifestation and to restore the human being's will. This is a movement that represents humanity's values and ethics against religion. Since the enlightenment, this struggle is the most significant historical challenge against the domination of religion in society. The effect of this social development will change the political features of the Middle East. This movement is wholly represented by the Worker-communist Party.

To bring about a complete end to religious influence in society, the Worker-communist Party seeks a clear, lucid, and comprehensive fight against the influence of the religious machinery. While fighting for unconditional political freedom and the undeniable freedom of belief - even the most reactionary and inhuman of beliefs - the Worker-communist Party of Iran simultaneously calls for an intensified struggle against religion, the spread of anti-religion enlightenment and an all encompassing struggle for the de-religionisation of all aspects of society and strives for the realisation of the following:

Secular Society

Secularism is the first step in the emancipation of humanity from religious superstition, ignorance and bigotry. To establish a secular system, the Worker-communist Party is committed to the following:
1- Complete separation of religion from state. Omission of all religious and religiously inspired notions and references from all laws, including education, judicial, employment and the official calendar. Abolition of the concept of an official religion. Abolition of any reference to anyone's religion in the law, identity papers and official documents. Prohibition of ascribing people, individually or collectively, to any religion in official documents, in the media, and so on. Prohibition of any religious manifestation of individuals in public office.
2- Making religion a private affair. Freedom of religion and atheism. Freedom to criticise all aspects of religion including its morality, and cultural and historical aspects. Prohibition of any religious provocation and threat against freedom of expression of individuals. Prohibition of any physical or psychological coercion for acceptance of religion.
3- Abolition of sexual apartheid. Abolition of all laws which support segregation of men and women in all aspects of society, including public institutions, assemblies, space, transport, workplaces, training centres and any public domain.
4- 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. Establishment of mixed education institutions at all levels.
5- 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.
6- Unconditional freedom in choice of clothing. Abolition of any official or implied requirements on the amount or type of clothing that men or women should wear in public. Prohibition of any form of discrimination or restrictions on the basis of people's clothing and appearance.
7- Removing all forms of religious reference to marriage in the official registrations and documentation. Prohibition of religious rituals and recitals at state ceremonies for registration of marriage. Prohibition of Ta'addod Zowjat (Islamic right of multiple marriages for men) and Seegheh (Islamic rent-a-wife).

Equality and Abolition of Discrimination against Women

Religious discrimination against women is a hallmark of the position of women in the society. In Iranian society where the domination and power of religion and old traditions is more prominent in the political, cultural and official system, women's rightlessness, inferiority and oppression is illustrated in the most naked form. The following must be implemented as the first step to pave the way to remove discrimination against women:

1- Declaration of the full and unconditional equality of rights of women and men, the immediate repealing of all laws and regulations, religious manners, backward and reactionary morality, culture and honour that violate the independent women's personality as a free and equal citizen of the society. Abolition of all the slavish obligations of the wife towards the husband under Islamic Sharia laws and ancient traditions.
2- Full equal rights and status for women and men in the family. Abolition of man's privileges as the so-called 'head of the household', and laying down of equal rights and obligations for woman and man regarding the care and upbringing of children, control and running of family's finances, inheritance, choice of residence, housework, professional employment, divorce, and, in case of separation, custody of children and division of, and claims to, the family's property.

Protection of Children

One of the immediate tasks to guarantee children's right to a happy, secure and creative life is to protect children from religion's interference and abuse. To protect children from religion and religious institutions, the Worker-communist Party of Iran would call for the following to be implemented:

1- Prohibition of religious or religious institutions and material or moral interference with children under the age of 16. Prohibition of recruitment of children under 16 to religious sects, ceremonies and religious assemblies. Prohibition of veil for anyone under the age of 16. Prohibition of genital mutilation or circumcision of children.
2- Prohibiting all religious laws which prevent children, whether boys or girls, from enjoying their civil and social rights, such as education, recreation, and participation in children's social activities.

Free Sexual Relations

Religious laws, traditions and morality are one of the main obstacles in establishing an equal, free and consensual sexual relationship for all those who have reached the age of 16 and over. Therefore the Worker-communist Party calls for implementation of the following:

1- Prohibition of anyone, including relatives or any institutions, from interfering in the private lives or emotional or sexual relationship of individuals. Adult sexual relations are their private matter and no-one or no institution or body has any right to interfere or make it public.
2- Abolition of all religious and reactionary laws and regulations which threaten men and women's sexual relations outside marriage as a crime.
3- Confronting any religious or backward bigotry in society which prevents the development of people's sex awareness, particularly sex education in schools or the use of contraceptive methods and safe sex.

Fighting the 'Religion Industry'

The international religion industry - the religious machinery of Islam and other main religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism - are not a society of intellectuals who believe in certain ideas and beliefs. Rather they are immense political and financial institutions, which have never been brought under control nor made accountable for their actions. The Worker-communist Party of Iran would take the following actions:

1- Prohibition of any kind of financial, material or moral support by the state or state institutions to religion and religious activities, institutions and sects. 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.
2- 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 or during the shah's monarchist era. These to be placed in the hands of popularly-elected bodies for the benefit of the public.

Official Calendar and Public Holidays

Society's calendar and official holidays should be free from religion and religiously-inspired notions. To change the official calendar and public holidays, the Worker-communist Party of Iran would seek to implement the following:
1- Omission of any kind of reference in the official calendar to religious occasions and dates. Next to the local calendar, the western calendar is to be recognised and referred to in all official documents.
2- Transferring the weekend from Friday to Saturday and Sunday in conjunction with a majority of the countries of the world.
3- Omission of all religious holidays from the official calendar.

The Worker-communist Party of Iran declares that the pre-condition for the realisation of the above demands is the overthrow of the inhuman and reactionary Islamic Republic of Iran. The Worker-communist Party of Iran fights for the overthrow of the Islamic regime and the establishment of a Socialist Republic. The Socialist Republic would guarantee the immediate implementation and realisation of the above to guarantee the de-religionisation of society. The Worker-communist Party of Iran calls on all to join this historical struggle.

Translator from Farsi into English: Fariborz Pooya. The above is the Charter on the De-religionisation of society resolved at the Worker-communist Party of Iran's 4th Congress, December 2003.