Workers Left Unity Iran
The anti war
movement, Hezbollah and the issue of political freedoms
Israel’s savage aggression
against the peoples of Lebanon and Palestine, with the excuse of
limiting
Lebanese Hezbollah’s power in the region, backed by the governments of
US and
UK has shaken world public opinion and the anti war movement has
rightly
mobilised once more to express its opposition to imperialist policies
in the
Middle East and elsewhere. In the wake of the existing debacle
regarding Iran’s nuclear
capability, the Iranian people are facing the threat of another war.
Most
Iranians, victims of a brutal 8 year war between Iran and Iraq, are against war
and war mongers. They want an end to imperialist aggression and peace
in the
region, yet they are well aware that there will be no lasting peace
without the
establishment of political freedoms and rights for the peoples of the
region.
They know that Iran’s Islamic regime
has armed and supported some of the most reactionary forces of the
region
including the militias of the two factions of the pro US occupation
government in Iraq ( Shia SCIRI and
Daava) as well as Lebanese Hezbollah. They
know that the Islamic regime in Iran has in the past used such forces not only to increase its political and
economic influence in the region but also as means of interference ,
proxy
battles as well as negotiations and secret dealings with US
administration ( as
it did during the Irangate scandal or since the US occupation of Iraq).
That is
why as an integral part of the Iranian antiwar movement we have always
maintained that anti imperialism, unreserved condemnation of Israel’s militarist
aggression in the region and against Palestinians must be accompanied
by
opposition to Iran’s Islamic regime
and reactionary groups associated with it. It is this stance that has
raised
the hatred and anger of supporters of these Islamic groups against
Iranian
leftwing activists in the anti war protests.
In the last few days, in
demonstrations against Israel ‘s aggression in Lebanon in many European
cities, we have witnessed repeated attacks against Iranian activists
who were
raising the slogan :”No to imperialist wars No to Iran’s Islamic regime’.
Unfortunately some political organisations who for tactical or other
reasons
confuse the anti US slogans of Islamists with anti imperialism have
taken an
opportunist position, turning a blind eye to such events and allowing
small Hezbollah
supporters to dominate the demonstration with slogans such as ‘Allah
Akbar’
(God is Great) accompanied by raising pictures of various Iranian
Ayatollahs ,
an insult to Iranian communists and socialists who are victims of the repression imposed by these Ayatollahs.
Worse than that when Hezbollahis
attacked Iranian left wingers in a number of demonstrations in Europe, some political
groups remained silent.
We warn those who attack our
political freedom to express an opinion in anti war protests that they
will not
be able to silence us, we will expose imperialism and reaction and
defend the
anti capitalist struggles of Iranian workers, women , students“ against
Iran’s reactionary
Islamic regime while opposing US imperialism.
We will name and shame those
organisations that collude with Hezbollah to attack our political
rights , we
will continue expressing our demands and
our slogans in anti war protests . Of course we extend our greetings to
the
many socialist/communist groups and individuals who backed us in these
demonstrations and defended us against brutal physical attacks by
Hezbollah
supporters.
In the first
leaflet on this issue we mention 3
examples of Hezbollah attacks against Iranian antiwar socialists.
Copenhagen( Denmark)
On Friday 21st of
July supporters of Lebanese Hezbollah (around 15individuals) backed by
a so
called Danish left group (the Trotskyite International Socialists) entered a protest organised by the group
“Initiative against Israeli aggression”. The organisers had already
stressed on
Thursday 20th of July at a press conference they did not
want the
participation of religious- reactionary groups. Hezbollah supporters
were asked
to leave the demonstration, especially as they started attacking
Iranian
leftwing activists and disrupting the protest. As soon as Danish police
arrived, Hezbollah supporters started pointing out Iranians in the
demonstration
to the police, calling on the police to arrest them!! At the end of
this
protest Hezbollah supporters threatened Iranian comrades with death.
Hamburg
On Saturday the 22nd of July ,
a protest was called by German progressive forces against Israeli
aggression. A
large number of Hezbollah supporters took part in this demonstration
and
insulted one of the speakers, an Iranian leftist activist as she
started to
speak. As soon as she spoke against Iran’s Islamic regime,
they started hissing and booing, while swearing and threatening her.
When she
left the platform in protest , they followed her with a camera
continuing to
insult and attack her, however with the intervention of Arab comrades
she was
lead to safety.
Gutenberg
( Sweden)
On Saturday the 22nd
of July , following a call by the antiwar network in Gutenberg, a
demonstration
took place in the city centre and our comrades attended this protest
with a
banner : “No to war, No to Bush and US, Down with the Islamic Republic
regime
in Iran” . A large number
of Hezbollah supporters (all Lebanese) had taken part in this protest and when they saw the banner, they warned our
comrades that unless they lowers the
banner they will be beaten up. A struggle took place and police
intervened and
confiscated our banner, claiming that it is causing too much
disruption. The
organisers of the protest did not condemn this undemocratic act and
allowed
Hezbollah to raise slogans such as Allah Akbar, as well pictures of
Nasrallah,
mainly because of their populist opportunism.
Stockholm
On Saturday 22nd of
July similar events took place in the Swedish capital Stockholm.
None of these protests were
called by Hezbollah, in fact Hezbollah supporters have been absent in
ALL
previous anti war demonstrations in Europe and America, because like
their pay
master in Iran they supported the
occupation of Iraq and the coming to power of Shia militias, backed by
Imperialist
military forces in that country.
No to imperialist wars, No to Iran’s Islamic Regime,
No Israel’s war against Lebanese and Palestinian people.
Long live peace and eth right
of nations to self determination, free of imperialist military
financial and
political interventions.
Workers
Left Unity Iran
29th
July 2007
http://www.etehadchap.org
email : etehadchap@yahoo.co.uk