Socialist Worker and IRI “Antiwar” Lobby Network
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Saturday August 25, 2007 18:49
by Borhan Azemi and Reza J.
Here a group of Iranian antiwar activists make clear their feelings about Iran and the support it gets from some on the left. They say: Iran is part of the world imperialist-capitalist system And its contradictions with U.S. imperialism will not change the nature of this regime.
Recently we read an article “Standing up to Islamophobia” published in Socialist Worker Online (US). As a group of Iranian antiwar activists, we respond to this article concerning the direction of the antiwar movement. We think that the position of SW(US) is not in the interest of international proletarian revolution and must be opposed based. The position that the ISO is theorizing asserts that the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) regime is a progressive and anti-imperialist in nature. We do not believe so, and intend to show that IRI regime is dependent and part of the world imperialist-capitalist system. Its contradictions with U.S. imperialism will not change the nature of this regime.
U.S. Imperialism is trying to prevent the Middle Eastern people from making revolution and overthrowing the reactionary states in the region, by imposing a selection between two poles of “U.S. progress or religious fundamentalism.” We have seen the outcome of those two poles in Iraq. The objective reality in Iraq is that, since the oppressed Iraqi people couldn’t organize their independent force and action-independent from both Imperialists and reactionaries, and couldn’t achieve their struggle for freedom and liberty around a clear revolutionary political vision, they are being destroyed in the press between imperialists and Islamic fundamentalists. We, the Iranian revolutionaries and progressive forces, are determined to prevent that from happening, and people being squeezed between these two reactionary poles. The people must struggle for liberty independent of both imperialist and reactionary lines.
We, the revolutionary and freedom loving communists and leftists of Iran are the spokespeople of such a people’s line and are struggling to shape and broaden that task amongst the Iranian people. We are getting united among ourselves to carry out this historic task, and we implore international forces in the antiwar, anti occupation and anti globalization movements to reinforce and support this policy, and just this policy.
Comments (2 of 2)
Jump To Comment: 1 2The link to the ISO article, Standing up to Islamophobia , should be:
http://www.socialistworker.org/2007-1/628/628_04_Islamo...shtml
I’ve just read through that article . At no point does it assert that “the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) regime is progressive and anti-imperialist in nature”
The ISO article is pointing out and warning the left that reactionary forces in the USA are using Islamophobia to justify its so-called war on terror whose next target will be Iran .
The first duty of socialists in the west must be to defend Iranian national rights against imperialism and oppose US plans to launch war on Iran - war that could turn nuclear within a matter of months .
It shouldn’t be forgotten that the second world war was launched in the name of anti-fascism
By daubing the Iranian regime fascist and comparing the rulers of that country - an oppressed nation - to Hitler , Borhan Azemi and Reza J. give justification for imperialist war .
Whereas you make some points I would agree with Tom unfortunately there is a glaring omission from your argument and from the propaganda of the SWP.
It is not enough to simply condemn US Imperialism's attempt to demonise Iran and soften up peoples attitudes towards economic or military action against Iran. You must also condemn unequivocally the Iranian theocracy and call for its overthrow - not at the hands of imperialism, but by the Iranian working class.
The SWPs position is a de facto defence of Ahmadinejad and the reactionary ayatollahs, the capitalist theocracy that rule that society through massive repression.
Also the SWPs position on what it calls Islamophobia has led them to a position of defending Islam, which is in essence reactionary and oppressive. You can be a critic of Islam and not be in the same camp as imperialism. In fact it is the duty of Marxists to oppose Islam and all other religions, and struggle to free the "muslim world" from the oppressive grip of the Imams.
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