Life for women in Iran is "hell" Human rights activist, Maryam Namazie, told Kingston University students last week in a controversial talk.

Ms Namazie, who had been invited to talk as part of human rights week, blamed the Islamic politics of Iran for serious ongoing abuse against women in the country. But her talk displeased many in the audience.

“Be afraid, be very afraid! Sharia law is scary” Ms Namazie told students.

She added: “Anyone who says they want Sharia law is saying they want fascism and Nazism. They want their husbands to marry four wives, they want to be forced to wear the veil and forced to marry. They are saying they want acid thrown in their faces.”

Ms Namazie, who is an atheist, said rights for women were “crushed and smashed” by the Islamic revolution that conquered Iran in 1979. She was born in Tehran, but left Iran with her family in 1980 after the establishment of the Islamic Republic.

“You have a warning message on cigarette packets, ‘smoking kills,’ I think there should be a warning message on religion that religion kills” said Ms Namazie.

However, most of the students present were dismayed by the talk. One member of the audience said: “You [Namazie] seem to want to totally remove religion itself, rather than removing the problems in religion. Religion can be used in a healthy way if people choose to use it in the right way.”

A second-year Politics student, Hamid, said: “Her talk was very radical and biased because she was only advocating for the existing regime in Iran.”

Another student who wished to remain anonymous said:  “Most of the things Maryam Namazie said did not seem rational to me. I agree that the situation in Iran might be quite extreme and that is what has shaped her views.

“The issues she raised, such as forced marriage and seizing a baby from its mother are not Islamic. They are a cultural problem rather than a religious problem. She is wrong in using religion or Islam as the basis of her arguments,” he added.

 21-year old Aerospace Engineering student, Setareh Hoseini, however reached consensus with the campaigner.

“Her viewing was very logical. I agree with her views.” Referring to Iran, she said: “Everyone wishes to get out of that hell.”

Setareh, who is originally from Iran said: “It is a very serious issue. You are nothing if you are a woman in Iran. One female is equal to two men. They are given half the right that is given to men.”

Ms Namazie argued that a free society would lead to stability in Iran, which would be the result of a 30-year battle against the Islamic regime.

“When it comes to religious laws, women are the first ones to be attacked. But they are also the first to come forward to battle it.

“We need to give credit to the people of Iran, who do not accept the current regime,” said Ms Namazie.

Astonished by the fact that there could still exist a positive image of an Islamic regime, the activist said: “I do not see the Islamic government in Iran representing me, just like some of you may think the British government does not represent you.”

Iran marked the 31st anniversary of the 1979 revolution yesterday (11 February). Sporadic clashes between protestors and police saw cars of two opposition leaders attacked by supporters of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

However, Ms Namazie and those standing in solidarity with her vowed to "come out in their millions to reclaim history” this year, to push forward the present-day movement in Iran and drag it to the 21^st Century.