This March 8th, in memory of Neda, symbol of people of Iran’s struggle against the Islamic Republic of Iran
Manifesto of Liberation of Women in Iran
The very existence of the Islamic regime of Iran is incompatible with freedom of women. The Islamic Republic of Iran is a misogynist state, architect of gender apartheid and perpetrator of three decades of the most odious forms of abuse, discrimination and violence against women in Iran. A society cannot be free if women are not free. Without the overthrow of the misogynist Islamic regime, women in Iran will not achieve their rights. The Islamic Republic must go! This is the message of Neda Agha Soltan, the symbol of the ongoing revolution in Iran; it is the decree of the brave women who at the front lines of people’s protest have been challenging the entire Islamic state for the past seven months.
Thirty years ago on March 8th, 1979 in Iran, we freedom-loving women and men stood up to the reactionaries who had just come to power, with shouts of No to compulsory veil! Today, with the painful and bloody experience of three decades of gender apartheid, gender slavery and nonstop suppression of women behind us, we state even more clearly and forcefully, along with the young and progressive generation of today, that the Islamic Republic, as a misogynist state, as a regime of gender apartheid must be overthrown. We say that the leaders of the Islamic Republic must be arrested and put on trial for systematic crimes against millions of women, for crimes against humanity. This is the decree of the revolution in Iran. With the overthrow of the Islamic Republic we will lend a helping hand to millions of women in Islam-stricken countries who are prisoners of terrorist Islamic states and gangs and honour-worshiping, male-chauvinistic Islamic traditions.
Today, support for the ongoing revolution in Iran can and should become a vast international movement. March 8th is International Women’s Day, which this year bears the mark of solidarity with women and people in Iran in the struggle to topple the Islamic regime. We call on women’s rights activists and organisations to express their solidarity with the women’s movement in Iran, while remembering Neda Agha Soltan as the symbol of the revolutionary movement against the Islamic Republic. March 8th this year is the day of solidarity with the movement of the people of Iran for freedom!
We issue the following Manifesto of the Liberation of Women in Iran, and call on all women’s rights’ activists and secular and progressive forces to support this Manifesto and join up in solidarity with the people of Iran in the struggle to overthrow the Islamic regime of gender apartheid:
1- Prosecution of the leaders and officials of the Islamic Republic for crimes against humanity, including for thirty years of the vilest abuse, discrimination and violence against women in Iran
2- Abolition of all misogynist Islamic laws and all laws that discriminate against women; complete equality of women and men in all economic, political, cultural, social and family spheres
3- Complete separation of religion from the state, the educational system and all laws
4- Abolition of segregation of the sexes and gender apartheid
5- Prohibition of sighe (Islamic ‘rent-a-wife’) and polygamy; unconditional right of separation (divorce) for women and men; abolition of all laws which make women’s civil rights (such as the right to travel, social intercourse, participation in social activities, etc.) conditional on obtaining the permission of the husband, father or other male members of the family; complete equality of women’s and men’s rights and duties in the custody and care of children following separation
6- Abolition of compulsory veil (hejab) for women; prohibition of hejab for children; full freedom of dress
7- Abolition of all the barbaric laws of stoning, execution, retribution (qesas) and other Islamic punishments
8- Unconditional freedom of expression, protest, strike, assembly, organisation and forming parties
9- Immediate release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience
10- Freedom of religion and atheism and freedom to criticise religion.
Mina Ahadi
Mahin Alipour
Shahla Daneshfar
Maryam Namazie
22 January 2010
To sign up to the manifesto, please email manifestzanan@gmail.com or iransolidaritynow@gmail.com; call 0049-1775692413 or 0044-7719166731 or visit websites of Equal Rights Now or Iran Solidarity.
Sunday, 24 January 2010
Friday, 22 January 2010
New Channel TV is back on air!
You can watch New Channel TV (NCTV) live on the internet here or on satellite:
Satellite: AB4A/NILESAT103 @ 7 Degrees West
Freq: 10873
Polarity: Vertical
Symbol Rate: 27,500
Fec: 3/4
New Channel TV is the Voice of the revolution in Iran!
NCTV is the first 24/7 TV station that is run independently by the Worker-communist Party of Iran. It is accessible in the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa. It is also accessible live via the internet at:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/kanal-jadid1.
NCTV broadcasts programmes in Farsi, Arabic and Kurdish. Its English programmes currently comprise of WPI Press Centre Briefings and TV International.
Despite the enormous costs of operation, NCTV is run entirely by the public, and through sponsorships. Furthermore, its staff consists entirely of volunteers, whether technical staff or producers.
NCTV however is always challenged by financial pressure. Become a fan and/or support NCTV via sponsorship! Whatever you can afford to give, your help counts! And it shortens the life of the anti-humane Islamic Republic of Iran.
For details check the NCTV website http://www.newchannel.tv
or call us on: 001 505 333 4147 or 001 310 856 9897
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
The Kahrizak case shall not be closed until the fall of the Islamic Republic
It is seven months since the Islamic Republic has been floundering under the pressure of its own villainy in the infamous hellhole of Kahrizak. It is seven months since they have been trying to rid themselves of the pressure of this case. They have bustled a lot to conceal their crimes. They have scrabbled a lot to put the blame of their savagery, torture, murder and rape on a few scrubs and peons, and have declared that the case was closed. Khamenei said some had been subject to cruelty in Kahrizak, but that the “arbitrary acts” in Kahrizak were nothing compared to “the cruelty inflicted on the system”. They awarded the “Kahrizak” torturers and promoted them. They proclaimed that exposing the villainy constitutes animosity towards the regime and is thus punishable.
But our revolution has forced them into a step-by-step and humiliating retreat. The "Special Commission to Investigate the Kahrizak Detainees” has acknowledged the murder of three detainees under torture, i.e. Mohsen Ruholamini, Mohammad Kamrani, and Javidifar. It has named Saeed Mortazavi, Tehran’s loathed prosecutor and a darling of the Supreme Leader, as the main accused. It has also admitted to cruelty and savagery by 12 security officers and several torturers of the Judiciary.
Emergence of this report by itself is a retreat; it is repentance by Khamenei and the regime of 30 years’ execution, torture and savagery, under the pressure of us, the people’s protests and revolution. But we the people are not satisfied with these retreats. They have confessed to the torture, murder and savagery, yet on November 13 a member of the executive board of the Islamic regime’s parliament claimed that “12 members of the security forces were charged and their charges were quickly dealt with by the prosecutor’s office of the armed forces’ judiciary organization.” This is the Islamic Republic’s futile efforts to bring an end to this case. But we the people say:
First of all, so far as you have confessed to your crimes, tortures and savagery, Saeed Mortazavi and other murderers, torturers and those who have issued the orders from top to bottom should be prosecuted in open public courts in the presence of international commissions and media. Declaring this case closed through the farcical, dirty games of closed sessions of the "prosecutor’s office of the judiciary organisation” is unacceptable.
Secondly, we know that this regime’s barbaric crimes and savagery in Kahrizak were much more brutal than what is reflected in that report. The number of our loved ones who were killed in this house of torture and those others in the past few months was a lot more than those tens who are known by their name and personal identity. We will not allow the Islamic Republic to escape its responsibility for these crimes. We the people know that Kahrizak is only one of Islamic republic’s numerous dungeons of torture. We the people know that there are thousands of our children accused of the crime of demonstrating and demanding freedom in Evin, Gohardasht, Eshratabad and other numerous prisons and hellholes of the Ministry of Information and security forces and other abominable establishments, under brutal pressure. Kahrizak symbolises all of the Islamic Republics’ prisons, and this regime’s entire inhumane system of judiciary and law enforcement. We will ruin the Kahrizak on top of this regime. We will celebrate the glorious memory of each and every one of this regime’s victims. We will prosecute the butchers and, before all others, their supreme leader himself. All the political prisoners, all of those arrested in the protests should be released immediately. Case files of the crimes in all prisons should be opened. All of those who directly or indirectly were involved in torture, rape, arrests and murders should be made known to the public and prosecuted. This is one of our, the people’s, immediate demands. Freedom of opposition, unconditional freedom of speech, freedom of protest and demonstrations constitute the base and foundation of our struggle and revolution. A cardinal basis of this revolution is that there should be no more political prisoners and political prisons in this country.
We have forced the Islamic regime to repentance, and we will declare and realize all these aims, not as requests from the detestable regime of Islamic republic, but as the commands of the revolution. We will bring down the regime of oppressors, torturers and murderers, and will prosecute all its leaders and officials in open and fair trials for crimes against humanity.
Down with the Islamic Republic of Iran
Long live freedom, equality, human rule
For a socialist republic
Worker-communist Party of Iran
13 January 2010
But our revolution has forced them into a step-by-step and humiliating retreat. The "Special Commission to Investigate the Kahrizak Detainees” has acknowledged the murder of three detainees under torture, i.e. Mohsen Ruholamini, Mohammad Kamrani, and Javidifar. It has named Saeed Mortazavi, Tehran’s loathed prosecutor and a darling of the Supreme Leader, as the main accused. It has also admitted to cruelty and savagery by 12 security officers and several torturers of the Judiciary.
Emergence of this report by itself is a retreat; it is repentance by Khamenei and the regime of 30 years’ execution, torture and savagery, under the pressure of us, the people’s protests and revolution. But we the people are not satisfied with these retreats. They have confessed to the torture, murder and savagery, yet on November 13 a member of the executive board of the Islamic regime’s parliament claimed that “12 members of the security forces were charged and their charges were quickly dealt with by the prosecutor’s office of the armed forces’ judiciary organization.” This is the Islamic Republic’s futile efforts to bring an end to this case. But we the people say:
First of all, so far as you have confessed to your crimes, tortures and savagery, Saeed Mortazavi and other murderers, torturers and those who have issued the orders from top to bottom should be prosecuted in open public courts in the presence of international commissions and media. Declaring this case closed through the farcical, dirty games of closed sessions of the "prosecutor’s office of the judiciary organisation” is unacceptable.
Secondly, we know that this regime’s barbaric crimes and savagery in Kahrizak were much more brutal than what is reflected in that report. The number of our loved ones who were killed in this house of torture and those others in the past few months was a lot more than those tens who are known by their name and personal identity. We will not allow the Islamic Republic to escape its responsibility for these crimes. We the people know that Kahrizak is only one of Islamic republic’s numerous dungeons of torture. We the people know that there are thousands of our children accused of the crime of demonstrating and demanding freedom in Evin, Gohardasht, Eshratabad and other numerous prisons and hellholes of the Ministry of Information and security forces and other abominable establishments, under brutal pressure. Kahrizak symbolises all of the Islamic Republics’ prisons, and this regime’s entire inhumane system of judiciary and law enforcement. We will ruin the Kahrizak on top of this regime. We will celebrate the glorious memory of each and every one of this regime’s victims. We will prosecute the butchers and, before all others, their supreme leader himself. All the political prisoners, all of those arrested in the protests should be released immediately. Case files of the crimes in all prisons should be opened. All of those who directly or indirectly were involved in torture, rape, arrests and murders should be made known to the public and prosecuted. This is one of our, the people’s, immediate demands. Freedom of opposition, unconditional freedom of speech, freedom of protest and demonstrations constitute the base and foundation of our struggle and revolution. A cardinal basis of this revolution is that there should be no more political prisoners and political prisons in this country.
We have forced the Islamic regime to repentance, and we will declare and realize all these aims, not as requests from the detestable regime of Islamic republic, but as the commands of the revolution. We will bring down the regime of oppressors, torturers and murderers, and will prosecute all its leaders and officials in open and fair trials for crimes against humanity.
Down with the Islamic Republic of Iran
Long live freedom, equality, human rule
For a socialist republic
Worker-communist Party of Iran
13 January 2010
International solidarity with the “women’s revolution” in Iran!
To women’s rights and human rights organisations and progressive people around the world!
At the forefront of the revolution of the people of Iran for liberation from despotism and religious reaction are women who are fighting to break the chains of gender slavery. This revolution and the role of women in it are political events of utmost importance, which have stirred great enthusiasm around the world. They deserve your wholehearted support!
A total gender apartheid rules in Iran. The atrocities committed against women by the Islamic regime are beyond description. Under the laws of the Islamic Republic, sex with underage girls is perfectly legal, while sex outside marriage is punishable by death by means of stoning; in Iranian prisons women are raped and executed… No wonder women are bravely fighting at the forefront of the revolution to put an end to this regime.
The revolution of the people of Iran deserves your enthusiastic support. We call on you to turn 8 March 2010 into a day of solidarity with the revolution in Iran; into a day of remembering Neda and all those who have lost their lives in the struggle for freedom, for getting rid of one of the most murderous regimes of contemporary history. We call on you to take part, wherever you are, in actions in support of the revolution in Iran, be the initiators of such actions yourselves, and in symbolic gestures burn the Islamic veil, this symbol of gender apartheid and women’s slavery. Shout out that the Islamic Republic as the most murderous and misogynist regime in the world must go!
Long live 8 March!
Long live international solidarity with women in Iran!
Worker-communist Party of Iran – Organisation Abroad
January 2010
At the forefront of the revolution of the people of Iran for liberation from despotism and religious reaction are women who are fighting to break the chains of gender slavery. This revolution and the role of women in it are political events of utmost importance, which have stirred great enthusiasm around the world. They deserve your wholehearted support!
A total gender apartheid rules in Iran. The atrocities committed against women by the Islamic regime are beyond description. Under the laws of the Islamic Republic, sex with underage girls is perfectly legal, while sex outside marriage is punishable by death by means of stoning; in Iranian prisons women are raped and executed… No wonder women are bravely fighting at the forefront of the revolution to put an end to this regime.
The revolution of the people of Iran deserves your enthusiastic support. We call on you to turn 8 March 2010 into a day of solidarity with the revolution in Iran; into a day of remembering Neda and all those who have lost their lives in the struggle for freedom, for getting rid of one of the most murderous regimes of contemporary history. We call on you to take part, wherever you are, in actions in support of the revolution in Iran, be the initiators of such actions yourselves, and in symbolic gestures burn the Islamic veil, this symbol of gender apartheid and women’s slavery. Shout out that the Islamic Republic as the most murderous and misogynist regime in the world must go!
Long live 8 March!
Long live international solidarity with women in Iran!
Worker-communist Party of Iran – Organisation Abroad
January 2010
Friday, 15 January 2010
On the resignation of the Islamic Republic of Iran's diplomats
Following the resignation of the Islamic regime of Iran’s ambassador in Norway, a former high ranking diplomat added that several other diplomats had also quit their posts. He confessed in an interview that in the past two weeks alone, five diplomats including at consuls or embassies of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Norway, Germany, the UK and France have quit their posts and sought asylum in these countries.
The internal disintegration of the Islamic regime’s forces in Iran and abroad is a result of the overwhelming pressure of the people’s revolution. The Islamic Republic’s ranks are muddled and the regime has no way out. The resignation of its diplomats is a clear sign of the collapsing of the Islamic regime.
The Worker-communist Party of Iran calls upon all Iranians abroad to join protests at the Islamic regime’s embassies in different cities of the world every Saturday and to expand the protests and demand their closure.
Down with the Islamic Republic of Iran!
Long Live a Human Revolution for a Human Rule!
Long Live a Socialist Republic!
Worker-communist Party of Iran-Organisation Abroad
January 10, 2009
The internal disintegration of the Islamic regime’s forces in Iran and abroad is a result of the overwhelming pressure of the people’s revolution. The Islamic Republic’s ranks are muddled and the regime has no way out. The resignation of its diplomats is a clear sign of the collapsing of the Islamic regime.
The Worker-communist Party of Iran calls upon all Iranians abroad to join protests at the Islamic regime’s embassies in different cities of the world every Saturday and to expand the protests and demand their closure.
Down with the Islamic Republic of Iran!
Long Live a Human Revolution for a Human Rule!
Long Live a Socialist Republic!
Worker-communist Party of Iran-Organisation Abroad
January 10, 2009
Islamic Republic’s Embassies should be shut down!
Islamic Republic’s embassies should be shut down. This is the command of the people’s revolution in Iran. This is the command of the people that in the past seven months have shown the world that they do not want the Islamic regime and want to topple it. Islamic Republic’s embassies pretend to act in the name of the Iranian people; but in fact not only they do not represent the people in Iran, but also they are against the people. These are the centers of the enemies of the people abroad.
A regime that is in power with the use of bullying, force, oppression, torture, rape, and execution cannot and should not have the right to claim representing the people abroad. Islamic Republic embassies are the extension of the oppressive machinery of the Islamic republic; they are centers of conspiracy against and assassination of opposition abroad.
In the name of freedom and in defense of the heroic struggle of the people in Iran we demand immediate closure of Islamic Republic’s embassies all around the world. Every second that these centers of conspiracy and assassination of the Islamic regime abroad continue to be means approving the Islamic regime’s oppressive measures and violation of the right of the people in Iran. Standing masses in Iran will not forgive such an act.
In the name of victims of thirty years of crimes of the Islamic regime, in the name of those who in the recent months lost their lives in front of the world’s eyes, in the name of Neda, Sohrab, Ashkan, Taraneh, and many others we demand shutting down of the embassies of this criminal regime all around the world. Embassies of the Islamic regime, the centers of conspiracy and assassination should be shut down. Political and diplomatic relations with the criminal Islamic regime should be cut.
We call upon all the people around the world to pressure governments for ending their political, diplomatic, and cultural relations with the Islamic regime in Iran. We call upon all Iranians abroad to use their united power for shutting down the Islamic Republic’s embassies all around the world. We should attack on the regime in concert and do away with the regime abroad.
Worker-communist Party of Iran-Organization Abroad
January 8, 2010
A regime that is in power with the use of bullying, force, oppression, torture, rape, and execution cannot and should not have the right to claim representing the people abroad. Islamic Republic embassies are the extension of the oppressive machinery of the Islamic republic; they are centers of conspiracy against and assassination of opposition abroad.
In the name of freedom and in defense of the heroic struggle of the people in Iran we demand immediate closure of Islamic Republic’s embassies all around the world. Every second that these centers of conspiracy and assassination of the Islamic regime abroad continue to be means approving the Islamic regime’s oppressive measures and violation of the right of the people in Iran. Standing masses in Iran will not forgive such an act.
In the name of victims of thirty years of crimes of the Islamic regime, in the name of those who in the recent months lost their lives in front of the world’s eyes, in the name of Neda, Sohrab, Ashkan, Taraneh, and many others we demand shutting down of the embassies of this criminal regime all around the world. Embassies of the Islamic regime, the centers of conspiracy and assassination should be shut down. Political and diplomatic relations with the criminal Islamic regime should be cut.
We call upon all the people around the world to pressure governments for ending their political, diplomatic, and cultural relations with the Islamic regime in Iran. We call upon all Iranians abroad to use their united power for shutting down the Islamic Republic’s embassies all around the world. We should attack on the regime in concert and do away with the regime abroad.
Worker-communist Party of Iran-Organization Abroad
January 8, 2010
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Berlin: Stop executions in Iran
Mina Ahadi from the International Committee against Executions spoke at a protest against executions in Iran at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany.
The protest was called by Sharam Roghani from B90/Die Grünen. They had errected gallows on the square and spoke about the recent executions in Iran, 15 in the last two weeks alone. Mina Ahadi spoke about her contact with the mother of teacher and political activist Farzad Kamangar who is now awaiting his execution in Iran. He appealed to ordinary people in the world for help. Mina Ahadi spoke about the apparent indifference and lack of time of countless European and German politicians that she had spoken to, to stop executions in Iran; especially in the light of the strong business relations that Germany enjoys with Iran. Mina Ahadi asks: 'Frau Merkel, do you have two minutes? Two minutes to save some people in Iran from being executed?'
See Mina Ahadi's speech in German/ Mina Ahadis Rede auf Deutsch:
Ein Artikel über die Veranstaltung auf hpd: http://hpd.de/node/8582
Saturday, 9 January 2010
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
Iran: A Turning Point
Extract from interview with Hamid Taqvaie, Leader of WPI about the Dec. 27, 2009 events in Iran
It is obvious that the revolution in Iran has entered a turning point. It seems that it has become more determined and energetic than ever before, what do you say about the events of December 27th., when hundreds of thousands of people, probably millions, got to the streets. How do you think this is evolving?
Hamid Taqvaie: First of all I think that what happened on Dec. 27 is a turning point. I think it is a start of a new phase. We witness the aggressive and radical actions of people against all police, Basiji, and different armed forces that have been attacking people for 6 months now. I think what happened that day shows that people have decided not only to continue their struggles in a defensive mode, but to be offensive and attack those forces in the streets. Many video clips that came from inside Iran show that people arrested some of the Basiji or attacked their vehicles and set fire to them. They also freed many of the people who were previously arrested during the day. Also we see that the members of those armed forces are crying and begging people for mercy. People have grabbed the batons from the Basijis’ hands and used them against them and other similar acts. So, the demonstrations were not only as massive and broad as they were back in the early days, but the fact that make those demonstrations unique and thus form a turning point in the path of the revolution is that people have started to attack the armed forces. In any revolution this marks a very important change. The people who are marching the streets have gone into the mode of barricading the streets and setting fire to the armed forces’ vehicles, disarming them, using their weapons against them and so on; all of this shows that we are entering in a completely new phase of the revolution.
The WPI says this is a revolution and has been since its inception and probably earlier and that it is heading toward toppling the Islamic Republic. The West is talking timidly about “some change” underway. The Islamic regime itself started to attack the opposition, i.e. Moosavi and Karruby and the news talks about threats of executing them. What is your take on those different positions?
Hamid Taqvaie: We have said from the very start that this revolution is targeting the whole system. It was obvious from the very start of the movement. Anybody who followed the political situation in Iran in the last 5-6 years knows the result of 30 years of suppression; killing, arrests, torture, and all sorts of atrocities the regime has committed against the people of Iran. We knew that the elections and the conflict between Moosavi and Ahmadinedjad was a pretext to take advantage of in order for the people to forward their own demands, their own slogans, their own political goals against the whole system. In the beginning it was not as clear, but now, everyone knows this fact, even among some of the supporters of Moosavi. They say that they have no control on people anymore and that people have other agendas. They have said it many times. The Western media and governments, especially after the events of Dec. 27, talk about a movement going beyond reform, and that people now demand radical changes, and that Moosavi is not controlling that movement, thus, the movement has no leader. Many columnists say that the Islamic regime is dead and we must think of the era after its burial. Some of them have started to criticize the Obama administration for not looking ahead and seeing a post-Islamic Republic era. Those are the main positions towards what is happening in Iran. The 27 of December showed everyone that the revolution cannot be stopped anymore. A BBC reporter in Iran described the revolution as “a fast, unstoppable train without brakes, and no driver!” To a certain extent I think he is right. The revolution looks unstoppable and it is like a train with no driver, i.e. no leader. This shows that this movement will go on until the Islamic Republic is overthrown. It seems that everyone has come to this conclusion now. The Islamic Republic is going to be overthrown.
After Dec 27th uprising, the party issued a declaration in which the slogan “Human Republic” is used among other slogans. Can you elaborate what this slogan means?
Hamid Taqvaie : From the start, we have raised “Human Revolution for a Human Rule”. That was one of our earliest slogans. In the 7th Congress of our party about a month ago, we passed a resolution in which human republic became an official slogan of the party. The reason for that is that we want to show that our socialist republic means human society, not only a civil society, but goes beyond that, as Marx indicated in his own writings that we must go beyond civil society toward human society or as he coined it “Social Humanity”. We have just interpreted that principle of Marxism as a political slogan. We fight for a socialist republic. The name of our state is the Socialist Republic but the point we wanted to make in those slogans is that our socialism is humanism, and that our humanism is socialism. In other words, the true practical humanism can only be socialism and through nothing else. Socialism and humanism are one and the same. We want everybody to identify the defence of human being and humanism with socialism not with human rights as the bourgeoisie claims. The latter is an empty slogan, and has no practical or political meaning. For the bourgeoisie it (human rights) is a phoney slogan. But for us it makes sense, it is true, it is real. There is a real and strong connection between humanism and socialism. It has been a long time since we declared that humanism is the base of our socialism. Today we go forward and extend that principle to a political or street slogan. That was what our last congress had approved.
In the light of the heightening of the revolution, what is your message to the people the Middle East and the world at large?
Hamid Taqvaie : As far as the people of the Middle East and the world are concerned, we ask for total support. This means an active support of the revolution, which means fighting against the Islamic Republic in other countries, especially the West and to pressure every government to isolate the Islamic Republic and not recognize it as a legitimate government because it is not. We also demand for those figures of the Islamic regime in Iran to be prosecuted for their crimes against humanity and against the people of Iran. So we would like the people whether in the Middle East or all over the world firstly to support the people of Iran actively, and secondly to aggressively be against the Islamic republic, put all sorts of pressure on western governments or international organizations to politically boycott the Islamic Republic and cut all relations with it and demand the prosecution of the authorities and figures of the Islamic Republic for their crimes against humanity. Those are our demands from the people around the world.
Extracts from Toward Socialism the Arabic fortnightly paper of the Left Worker-communist Party of Iraq - LWPI.
It is obvious that the revolution in Iran has entered a turning point. It seems that it has become more determined and energetic than ever before, what do you say about the events of December 27th., when hundreds of thousands of people, probably millions, got to the streets. How do you think this is evolving?
Hamid Taqvaie: First of all I think that what happened on Dec. 27 is a turning point. I think it is a start of a new phase. We witness the aggressive and radical actions of people against all police, Basiji, and different armed forces that have been attacking people for 6 months now. I think what happened that day shows that people have decided not only to continue their struggles in a defensive mode, but to be offensive and attack those forces in the streets. Many video clips that came from inside Iran show that people arrested some of the Basiji or attacked their vehicles and set fire to them. They also freed many of the people who were previously arrested during the day. Also we see that the members of those armed forces are crying and begging people for mercy. People have grabbed the batons from the Basijis’ hands and used them against them and other similar acts. So, the demonstrations were not only as massive and broad as they were back in the early days, but the fact that make those demonstrations unique and thus form a turning point in the path of the revolution is that people have started to attack the armed forces. In any revolution this marks a very important change. The people who are marching the streets have gone into the mode of barricading the streets and setting fire to the armed forces’ vehicles, disarming them, using their weapons against them and so on; all of this shows that we are entering in a completely new phase of the revolution.
The WPI says this is a revolution and has been since its inception and probably earlier and that it is heading toward toppling the Islamic Republic. The West is talking timidly about “some change” underway. The Islamic regime itself started to attack the opposition, i.e. Moosavi and Karruby and the news talks about threats of executing them. What is your take on those different positions?
Hamid Taqvaie: We have said from the very start that this revolution is targeting the whole system. It was obvious from the very start of the movement. Anybody who followed the political situation in Iran in the last 5-6 years knows the result of 30 years of suppression; killing, arrests, torture, and all sorts of atrocities the regime has committed against the people of Iran. We knew that the elections and the conflict between Moosavi and Ahmadinedjad was a pretext to take advantage of in order for the people to forward their own demands, their own slogans, their own political goals against the whole system. In the beginning it was not as clear, but now, everyone knows this fact, even among some of the supporters of Moosavi. They say that they have no control on people anymore and that people have other agendas. They have said it many times. The Western media and governments, especially after the events of Dec. 27, talk about a movement going beyond reform, and that people now demand radical changes, and that Moosavi is not controlling that movement, thus, the movement has no leader. Many columnists say that the Islamic regime is dead and we must think of the era after its burial. Some of them have started to criticize the Obama administration for not looking ahead and seeing a post-Islamic Republic era. Those are the main positions towards what is happening in Iran. The 27 of December showed everyone that the revolution cannot be stopped anymore. A BBC reporter in Iran described the revolution as “a fast, unstoppable train without brakes, and no driver!” To a certain extent I think he is right. The revolution looks unstoppable and it is like a train with no driver, i.e. no leader. This shows that this movement will go on until the Islamic Republic is overthrown. It seems that everyone has come to this conclusion now. The Islamic Republic is going to be overthrown.
After Dec 27th uprising, the party issued a declaration in which the slogan “Human Republic” is used among other slogans. Can you elaborate what this slogan means?
Hamid Taqvaie : From the start, we have raised “Human Revolution for a Human Rule”. That was one of our earliest slogans. In the 7th Congress of our party about a month ago, we passed a resolution in which human republic became an official slogan of the party. The reason for that is that we want to show that our socialist republic means human society, not only a civil society, but goes beyond that, as Marx indicated in his own writings that we must go beyond civil society toward human society or as he coined it “Social Humanity”. We have just interpreted that principle of Marxism as a political slogan. We fight for a socialist republic. The name of our state is the Socialist Republic but the point we wanted to make in those slogans is that our socialism is humanism, and that our humanism is socialism. In other words, the true practical humanism can only be socialism and through nothing else. Socialism and humanism are one and the same. We want everybody to identify the defence of human being and humanism with socialism not with human rights as the bourgeoisie claims. The latter is an empty slogan, and has no practical or political meaning. For the bourgeoisie it (human rights) is a phoney slogan. But for us it makes sense, it is true, it is real. There is a real and strong connection between humanism and socialism. It has been a long time since we declared that humanism is the base of our socialism. Today we go forward and extend that principle to a political or street slogan. That was what our last congress had approved.
In the light of the heightening of the revolution, what is your message to the people the Middle East and the world at large?
Hamid Taqvaie : As far as the people of the Middle East and the world are concerned, we ask for total support. This means an active support of the revolution, which means fighting against the Islamic Republic in other countries, especially the West and to pressure every government to isolate the Islamic Republic and not recognize it as a legitimate government because it is not. We also demand for those figures of the Islamic regime in Iran to be prosecuted for their crimes against humanity and against the people of Iran. So we would like the people whether in the Middle East or all over the world firstly to support the people of Iran actively, and secondly to aggressively be against the Islamic republic, put all sorts of pressure on western governments or international organizations to politically boycott the Islamic Republic and cut all relations with it and demand the prosecution of the authorities and figures of the Islamic Republic for their crimes against humanity. Those are our demands from the people around the world.
Extracts from Toward Socialism the Arabic fortnightly paper of the Left Worker-communist Party of Iraq - LWPI.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Scenes from the heroic battle against the Islamic regime of Iran on December 27
A Report by Siyavash Shahabi from Tehran
27 December 2009, Tehran
Around 11.20am furious crowds opened their way toward College Bridge through southern alleys of Enqelab Street. People had already been involved in fighting against the Special Force motor-bikers; in response to continuous use of tear gas by Special Forces people burned the trash bins and blocked the roads. Consequently, people took over the control of the alleys. These were the people that had been barbarically attacked by Special Forces and paramilitary groups (Basij) around Vali-e Asr Junction. Basij forces attacked people using batons, wooden sticks, blades, metal chains, and stones and would fiercely beat anybody they would capture. However, in the alleys around Daneshjou Park motor-bikers and Basij forces could not advance because people attacked them using stones. Young protestors gathered the trash bins from cross streets and brought them to the entrance of the bridge.
People started banging on bins like drums; the drum-like sound had filled the air. A short while later people took the bins to the middle of the street and put them on fire. A Jeep of the police forces was attacked by the people; protestors smashed the windows of the Jeep. From 11.10am on the district was practically under people’s control.
The crowds were chanting “Down with Dictator,” “Down with Khamanei,” “Down with Tyrant, Be it a Monarch or a Supreme Leader,” “Down with Islamic Republic,” “All these Crowds are on the Streets Against the Supreme Leader”…
The first attack of Special Force motor-bikers from the bridge was responded massively by people throwing stones on the forces; Special Forces were pushed to retreat. The crowd under the bridge was in perfect control of the situation and could prevent the forces from advancing. The crowd under the bridge was way larger than the crowd close to the entrance of the bridge toward Vali-e Asr (west) Junction. People tried to block the way using cement blocks, metal side-railings of the bridge, and the railings of the BRT (transit way) line; they led the automobiles toward Enqelab Square (westbound) to prevent Special Force motor-bikers from advancing toward Vali-e Asr Junction. Special Forces and fascist Basij could not advance beyond Vali-e Asr. They were also under people’s widespread attacks from the west side. Special Forces tried to attack the crowds a number of times but they were retreated each time. After we learned that Special Forces were being attacked from west side we realized they were not attacking us (on the east side) but they were escaping the people’s attacks from the west.
During one of the attacks a young man were shot by a Basij militia who was trapped on the bridge; unfortunately, he lost his life. Some women took off their scarves to bandage the wounded but it was too late. They raised their bloody scarves and chanted “Down with Khamanei” while weeping. I do not have the precise number of those who lost their lives but I saw three instances of Basij shooting people: two caused death and one wounded a person. Angry people attacked the Basij Forces and beat them fiercely. I think a person was thrown off the bridge in this clash. I am not sure about this incident, but I know Basij Forces on the bridge were attacked severely by the people.
In the meantime, some Basij and Intelligence members were identified within the crowd; some of them were busy photographing and filming people’s faces. They were also fiercely beaten by people; their apparatuses such as professional photography and filming cameras and walkie-talkies were confiscated by people and thrown into the fire. A photographer was shouting “I am green” but then he was asked why he took pictures of people’s faces. He tried to escape but he was fiercely beaten by the people. Another person who was carrying a radio transmitter and who tried to protect the photographer claimed to be “green” too but he was also beaten by the crowds; his transmitted was also confiscated and thrown into the fire. The two could escape later after severely beaten. As soon as a Basij or Intelligence member was identified, he would be attacked by people, beaten and then released. I tried to save one of these guys from the people but I was beaten myself. People would not accept the idea that someone would protect these guys. A middle-aged woman who wiped my face and head told “these dishonored guys are not human beings; you should not protect them!”
Angry crowds outraged by the death of the young man started to throw stones toward the Special Forces under the bridge. People’s attack was so fierce that the Special Forces could not react to it. They retreated toward our side but they were encircled and attacked from our side too. One Special Forces member was captured by people; the attack was so quick that other members of the force could not save him. People beat him fiercely and set his motor-bike on fire. He was later let go while he was bleeding and wounded on his head. People were chanting “Down with Khamanei,” “Down with Islamic Republic,” “Independent, Freedom, Iranian Republic,” “Freedom, Freedom.” Some thirty members of the Special Forces retreated toward Saderat Bank, Hafez Branch with their motor-bikes and were encircled there. A few meters away people smashed bank windows and were chanting against the regime. People were throwing stones toward Special Forces from both sides and from the top of the bridge. The air was filled with sounds of “Down with Khamanaie,” “Down with Islamic Republic,” “All these Crowds are on the Streets against the Supreme Leader,” “Down with Islamic Bandits,” the cries of the youths, the smoke of burning plastic and tear gas. Together with some of the frontmost young people we ordered the guards to disarm. We warned the guards that if they would not give up their arms they would be killed; we took their batons, bullet-proof vests, helmets, backpacks and other apparatuses they were carrying and threw them among the crowd. Some of the guards begged us not to take their helmets as people would smash their heads; we responded those who kick the young people with their boots, hitting them by their motor-bikes, and breaking their arms and shoulders with their batons and sticks do not deserve anything better.
Link of one of the films about this moment.
We found 20 “on-scene arrest forms” in one of the backpacks and passed some of them to the people. These forms were labelled as “Forms of on-scene arrest of agents responsible for social unrest.” The forms contain identity of the detainee, detainee’s situation when arrested (this is the type of conviction such as throwing stone, chanting, clapping and whistling, blocking the road, etc.), personal belongings such as mobile phone, camera, explanation about the officer in charge of arrest, and his signature. On the lower left corner of the form, in a fainter color, it reads “Vice-presidency of the Intelligence of the Operations of the Second Unit.”
On the back page, there is another form that contains details about “Western Tehran Guide.” It has the title “Order publishing advertisement in Western Tehran Guidebook (Summer Special Issue)” and it contains this address on the top right corner: Shahid Chamran Highway, Modiriyat Bridge, Blvd. Farhang, No. 11, Tel. 20 61 056. The serial number of the particular form that I have is 1621. No doubt that this company is one of the many belonging to Revolutionary Guards (Pasdaran).
While people were throwing stones toward Special Forces they set their motor-bikes on fire. Within a few seconds all the bikes and buildings close by were on fire. People would buzz the doors and would ask the residents of the nearby buildings to come out due to fire. But thanks to the shape and material of the buildings no building was burned. The guards broke the door of a building where they had taken refuge and escaped inside from the fire. If they had not done this and could not escape they would burn in fire.
I personally do not either approve or support such an act (killing people) under any circumstances. However, it is important to maintain a point: some time ago, Asqar Karimi, in New Channel TV, during a live program called upon police and militia forces of the Islamic regime to side with the people and told that there would come a time when they would beg the Worker-communist Party to stop people from killing them since the WPI is opposed to executions. Such a thing happened on December 27. When I was in the frontmost and confiscating the armament of the police forces, they were begging us to stop people from killing them. But who could stop the deep hatred and anger of the people? Some of those in the frontmost line asked the people to stop throwing stones; they suggested capturing guards, taking their photographs and recording their identities. The fear the Special Forces were experiencing was beautiful in the eye of the people. Nobody was happy for use of violence against them. People were happy because they could see that a number of those who are fully armed with the most advanced oppressive apparatuses who would attack anybody regardless of their age were now begging them to spare their lives. People were swearing at these guys and chanting “Seyyed Ali where are your soldiers?” and “This is the fate of those who kill the youth!” This is the message that people relayed to the entirety of oppressive machinery of the Islamic regime.
Three to four Basij militias attacked the people from under the bridge and started shooting with their handguns. Two more people were injured. People started throwing stones on them; the Basij militia could escape since they continued shooting. The Basij militia shot randomly; one of the bullets hit a young man’s back. Most probably the bullet hit his spine because he said he couldn’t feel his feet. I could clearly see that the bullet had entered his back toward his spine and the backbones. Three people immediately took him away from the clash scene with a motor-bike.
As the Special Forces and Basij militia attacked again people retreated toward under the bridge and cross streets. This gave the Special Forces that had been trapped in a bank the opportunity to escape. As the trapped forces escaped and the Special Forces started a new attack on people, protestors retaliated by throwing stones; the forces started shooting on people in response. People were clapping and laughing and joking that “our prisoners fled.” The streets were under people’s control once again. However, as the guards and militia kept shooting fiercely people had to retreat and the forces took the control of the bridge. Firefighters immediately opened the way and extinguish the burning motor-bikes.
At 12.30, I and several others went toward Vali-e Asr Street using the cross streets and joined the people there. We were very tired and did not have the power to advance further. The guards and militia attacked people and were shooting at them. A young man named Morteza was hit in his chest; we helped him out of the clash scene into a building. After a while Morteza got better; it was calmer outside; we proceeded toward Vali-e Asr Square and from there toward Felestin Square. From there we started going back toward Hafez Bridge. Special Forces had taken complete control of the neighborhood; no anti-regime slogans, fire and smoke was in the air.
We returned toward Enqelab Square; lots of people were on the streets. Basij hooligans were on the streets and chanted “Hezbollah, Mashallah!” People were laughing at what they called the defeat march of Basij. There were fierce debates among people. Everybody spoke their view and analysis. A number of times I heard people talked about the presence and role of communists in today’s protests and that communists should assume a more central role. Fierce political debates took place on the sidewalks.
We kept advancing toward Azadi Square. Basij militia and Special Forces were present at all junctions and swore at people. We saw lots of forces close by the main building of traffic police of Greater Tehran headquarters. We were surprised seeing so many guards there but as we got closer we saw the trace of people’s attacks on the building and then we realized the extent of the events today. People had attacked the headquarters from two sides. The windows of a bank by the headquarters and the entrance of the building were smashed by stones. On the streets, two automobiles, one of them belonging to police forces, had been set on fire. People had got into more intense clashes with police forces here. The yard of the headquarters was full of Special Forces members. A little further down members of the Leader’s Special Guard’s were all over the place on their motor-bike wearing chemical war masks. They were maneuvering and intimidating people and swearing at them; they were asking people to leave the streets.
As we got closer to Azadi Underpass cars started honking continuously. One officer kicked a car and took the plate off; passengers started fighting with him fiercely; the Basij militia intervened, prevented further clashes and started beating everybody. A female passenger of the car fought hard and got the plate back. The officer tried all he could to push back the woman by punching her, kicking her, swearing at her but the woman eventually got the plate back. The people who surrounded them started clapping and applauding the woman; this made the officer even angrier; he started swearing at people and chanting against them but even the Basij militia didn’t support him. As he started chanting “Down with Monafeq” people started laughing at him; he got angrier but there was nothing he could do. The sidewalks on the two sides of Azadi Street were full of people who tried to cover the demonstration passage from Emam Hossein Square to Azadi Square in their own manner. People cheerfully and openly talked about the role they had taken that day in the clashes right in front of the angry and bewildered Basij militia and Special Forces and would recite the events they had witnessed or heard about. The sound of laughter and cheer of young boys and girls had filled the air of Ashura!
Translated by Siyaves Azeri
27 December 2009, Tehran
Around 11.20am furious crowds opened their way toward College Bridge through southern alleys of Enqelab Street. People had already been involved in fighting against the Special Force motor-bikers; in response to continuous use of tear gas by Special Forces people burned the trash bins and blocked the roads. Consequently, people took over the control of the alleys. These were the people that had been barbarically attacked by Special Forces and paramilitary groups (Basij) around Vali-e Asr Junction. Basij forces attacked people using batons, wooden sticks, blades, metal chains, and stones and would fiercely beat anybody they would capture. However, in the alleys around Daneshjou Park motor-bikers and Basij forces could not advance because people attacked them using stones. Young protestors gathered the trash bins from cross streets and brought them to the entrance of the bridge.
People started banging on bins like drums; the drum-like sound had filled the air. A short while later people took the bins to the middle of the street and put them on fire. A Jeep of the police forces was attacked by the people; protestors smashed the windows of the Jeep. From 11.10am on the district was practically under people’s control.
The crowds were chanting “Down with Dictator,” “Down with Khamanei,” “Down with Tyrant, Be it a Monarch or a Supreme Leader,” “Down with Islamic Republic,” “All these Crowds are on the Streets Against the Supreme Leader”…
The first attack of Special Force motor-bikers from the bridge was responded massively by people throwing stones on the forces; Special Forces were pushed to retreat. The crowd under the bridge was in perfect control of the situation and could prevent the forces from advancing. The crowd under the bridge was way larger than the crowd close to the entrance of the bridge toward Vali-e Asr (west) Junction. People tried to block the way using cement blocks, metal side-railings of the bridge, and the railings of the BRT (transit way) line; they led the automobiles toward Enqelab Square (westbound) to prevent Special Force motor-bikers from advancing toward Vali-e Asr Junction. Special Forces and fascist Basij could not advance beyond Vali-e Asr. They were also under people’s widespread attacks from the west side. Special Forces tried to attack the crowds a number of times but they were retreated each time. After we learned that Special Forces were being attacked from west side we realized they were not attacking us (on the east side) but they were escaping the people’s attacks from the west.
During one of the attacks a young man were shot by a Basij militia who was trapped on the bridge; unfortunately, he lost his life. Some women took off their scarves to bandage the wounded but it was too late. They raised their bloody scarves and chanted “Down with Khamanei” while weeping. I do not have the precise number of those who lost their lives but I saw three instances of Basij shooting people: two caused death and one wounded a person. Angry people attacked the Basij Forces and beat them fiercely. I think a person was thrown off the bridge in this clash. I am not sure about this incident, but I know Basij Forces on the bridge were attacked severely by the people.
In the meantime, some Basij and Intelligence members were identified within the crowd; some of them were busy photographing and filming people’s faces. They were also fiercely beaten by people; their apparatuses such as professional photography and filming cameras and walkie-talkies were confiscated by people and thrown into the fire. A photographer was shouting “I am green” but then he was asked why he took pictures of people’s faces. He tried to escape but he was fiercely beaten by the people. Another person who was carrying a radio transmitter and who tried to protect the photographer claimed to be “green” too but he was also beaten by the crowds; his transmitted was also confiscated and thrown into the fire. The two could escape later after severely beaten. As soon as a Basij or Intelligence member was identified, he would be attacked by people, beaten and then released. I tried to save one of these guys from the people but I was beaten myself. People would not accept the idea that someone would protect these guys. A middle-aged woman who wiped my face and head told “these dishonored guys are not human beings; you should not protect them!”
Angry crowds outraged by the death of the young man started to throw stones toward the Special Forces under the bridge. People’s attack was so fierce that the Special Forces could not react to it. They retreated toward our side but they were encircled and attacked from our side too. One Special Forces member was captured by people; the attack was so quick that other members of the force could not save him. People beat him fiercely and set his motor-bike on fire. He was later let go while he was bleeding and wounded on his head. People were chanting “Down with Khamanei,” “Down with Islamic Republic,” “Independent, Freedom, Iranian Republic,” “Freedom, Freedom.” Some thirty members of the Special Forces retreated toward Saderat Bank, Hafez Branch with their motor-bikes and were encircled there. A few meters away people smashed bank windows and were chanting against the regime. People were throwing stones toward Special Forces from both sides and from the top of the bridge. The air was filled with sounds of “Down with Khamanaie,” “Down with Islamic Republic,” “All these Crowds are on the Streets against the Supreme Leader,” “Down with Islamic Bandits,” the cries of the youths, the smoke of burning plastic and tear gas. Together with some of the frontmost young people we ordered the guards to disarm. We warned the guards that if they would not give up their arms they would be killed; we took their batons, bullet-proof vests, helmets, backpacks and other apparatuses they were carrying and threw them among the crowd. Some of the guards begged us not to take their helmets as people would smash their heads; we responded those who kick the young people with their boots, hitting them by their motor-bikes, and breaking their arms and shoulders with their batons and sticks do not deserve anything better.
Link of one of the films about this moment.
We found 20 “on-scene arrest forms” in one of the backpacks and passed some of them to the people. These forms were labelled as “Forms of on-scene arrest of agents responsible for social unrest.” The forms contain identity of the detainee, detainee’s situation when arrested (this is the type of conviction such as throwing stone, chanting, clapping and whistling, blocking the road, etc.), personal belongings such as mobile phone, camera, explanation about the officer in charge of arrest, and his signature. On the lower left corner of the form, in a fainter color, it reads “Vice-presidency of the Intelligence of the Operations of the Second Unit.”
On the back page, there is another form that contains details about “Western Tehran Guide.” It has the title “Order publishing advertisement in Western Tehran Guidebook (Summer Special Issue)” and it contains this address on the top right corner: Shahid Chamran Highway, Modiriyat Bridge, Blvd. Farhang, No. 11, Tel. 20 61 056. The serial number of the particular form that I have is 1621. No doubt that this company is one of the many belonging to Revolutionary Guards (Pasdaran).
While people were throwing stones toward Special Forces they set their motor-bikes on fire. Within a few seconds all the bikes and buildings close by were on fire. People would buzz the doors and would ask the residents of the nearby buildings to come out due to fire. But thanks to the shape and material of the buildings no building was burned. The guards broke the door of a building where they had taken refuge and escaped inside from the fire. If they had not done this and could not escape they would burn in fire.
I personally do not either approve or support such an act (killing people) under any circumstances. However, it is important to maintain a point: some time ago, Asqar Karimi, in New Channel TV, during a live program called upon police and militia forces of the Islamic regime to side with the people and told that there would come a time when they would beg the Worker-communist Party to stop people from killing them since the WPI is opposed to executions. Such a thing happened on December 27. When I was in the frontmost and confiscating the armament of the police forces, they were begging us to stop people from killing them. But who could stop the deep hatred and anger of the people? Some of those in the frontmost line asked the people to stop throwing stones; they suggested capturing guards, taking their photographs and recording their identities. The fear the Special Forces were experiencing was beautiful in the eye of the people. Nobody was happy for use of violence against them. People were happy because they could see that a number of those who are fully armed with the most advanced oppressive apparatuses who would attack anybody regardless of their age were now begging them to spare their lives. People were swearing at these guys and chanting “Seyyed Ali where are your soldiers?” and “This is the fate of those who kill the youth!” This is the message that people relayed to the entirety of oppressive machinery of the Islamic regime.
Three to four Basij militias attacked the people from under the bridge and started shooting with their handguns. Two more people were injured. People started throwing stones on them; the Basij militia could escape since they continued shooting. The Basij militia shot randomly; one of the bullets hit a young man’s back. Most probably the bullet hit his spine because he said he couldn’t feel his feet. I could clearly see that the bullet had entered his back toward his spine and the backbones. Three people immediately took him away from the clash scene with a motor-bike.
As the Special Forces and Basij militia attacked again people retreated toward under the bridge and cross streets. This gave the Special Forces that had been trapped in a bank the opportunity to escape. As the trapped forces escaped and the Special Forces started a new attack on people, protestors retaliated by throwing stones; the forces started shooting on people in response. People were clapping and laughing and joking that “our prisoners fled.” The streets were under people’s control once again. However, as the guards and militia kept shooting fiercely people had to retreat and the forces took the control of the bridge. Firefighters immediately opened the way and extinguish the burning motor-bikes.
At 12.30, I and several others went toward Vali-e Asr Street using the cross streets and joined the people there. We were very tired and did not have the power to advance further. The guards and militia attacked people and were shooting at them. A young man named Morteza was hit in his chest; we helped him out of the clash scene into a building. After a while Morteza got better; it was calmer outside; we proceeded toward Vali-e Asr Square and from there toward Felestin Square. From there we started going back toward Hafez Bridge. Special Forces had taken complete control of the neighborhood; no anti-regime slogans, fire and smoke was in the air.
We returned toward Enqelab Square; lots of people were on the streets. Basij hooligans were on the streets and chanted “Hezbollah, Mashallah!” People were laughing at what they called the defeat march of Basij. There were fierce debates among people. Everybody spoke their view and analysis. A number of times I heard people talked about the presence and role of communists in today’s protests and that communists should assume a more central role. Fierce political debates took place on the sidewalks.
We kept advancing toward Azadi Square. Basij militia and Special Forces were present at all junctions and swore at people. We saw lots of forces close by the main building of traffic police of Greater Tehran headquarters. We were surprised seeing so many guards there but as we got closer we saw the trace of people’s attacks on the building and then we realized the extent of the events today. People had attacked the headquarters from two sides. The windows of a bank by the headquarters and the entrance of the building were smashed by stones. On the streets, two automobiles, one of them belonging to police forces, had been set on fire. People had got into more intense clashes with police forces here. The yard of the headquarters was full of Special Forces members. A little further down members of the Leader’s Special Guard’s were all over the place on their motor-bike wearing chemical war masks. They were maneuvering and intimidating people and swearing at them; they were asking people to leave the streets.
As we got closer to Azadi Underpass cars started honking continuously. One officer kicked a car and took the plate off; passengers started fighting with him fiercely; the Basij militia intervened, prevented further clashes and started beating everybody. A female passenger of the car fought hard and got the plate back. The officer tried all he could to push back the woman by punching her, kicking her, swearing at her but the woman eventually got the plate back. The people who surrounded them started clapping and applauding the woman; this made the officer even angrier; he started swearing at people and chanting against them but even the Basij militia didn’t support him. As he started chanting “Down with Monafeq” people started laughing at him; he got angrier but there was nothing he could do. The sidewalks on the two sides of Azadi Street were full of people who tried to cover the demonstration passage from Emam Hossein Square to Azadi Square in their own manner. People cheerfully and openly talked about the role they had taken that day in the clashes right in front of the angry and bewildered Basij militia and Special Forces and would recite the events they had witnessed or heard about. The sound of laughter and cheer of young boys and girls had filled the air of Ashura!
Translated by Siyaves Azeri
Saturday, 2 January 2010
People of Iran have moved beyond the pro- system opposition
Hamid Taghvaie
30 December 2009
The 27 December 2009 protest in Iran was a powerful blow to the totality of the Islamic regime. This was a blow not only to Khamanie’s faction and his cronies, but also a blow to Mosavi’s faction in opposition; it was a powerful response to the faction that advocates protecting of the system from opposition.
They – the pro-system oppositions.*- have tried to project the movement of the people of Iran as a movement for reform within the framework of the Islamic system. Of course people have time and again shown that they do not want to go back to the Khomanie’s era. This was clear for everyone to see earlier in October and November protests, however the 27th was a landmark in this regard which openly and clearly showed that the people in Iran do not believe in any of the factions of the Islamic regime.
This was clear by choice of methods and forms of struggle and slogans that aimed at both factions and whole lot of the Islamic regime.
Khamanie’s faction in power had been preparing the military forces and bajisi groups for months and had rounded up thousands of people before last Sunday. The Mosavie faction in opposition before the 27th had tried to confine the protest within the framework of the religious ceremonies, tried their luck, once more, to limit the people’s protest to defending of the Islam, Khomeini’s era and advocated peaceful protest, religious slogan etc; One other event that was used was death of Montazerie seven days earlier. The Mosavi Faction – the pro-system opposition– had called Montazeri, “the father of human rights in Iran” and were to use 27th as day of commemorating Montazeri.
What actually happened was to upset of these strategy. Men and Women, side by side, took to the streets with a clear political agenda of anti-government slogans and with confronting the military forces such as Pasdaran and Basiji’s and on many occasions arrested these thugs and burnt their vehicles. The protesters also attacked the government thugs who were organised in religious groups for the ceremonies. There were no evidence that people were using the religious ceremonies and religious pretext to say what they wanted. They talked in their own clear language of anti-Khamanie, against the dictatorship and against they totality of the system of Velayat faghih.
This was a revolt with a clear political slogan without any reliance on the slogans and methods of “the pro-system opposition.”
This was a defeat for the Mosavie as they had always advocated peaceful protests; people not only responded to the oppressive forces of the regime by chasing them and made them on occasions to give up and run away; the people also in reality faced off “the pro-system opposition” faction.
When we examine the last Sunday’s events, we see a classic urban revolt against a dictatorship. The video clips of the day show how every street have been barricaded as in classic street battle formation with a more confident masses confronting the oppressive forces.
This situation forced the figure heads of “the pro-system opposition” both n Iran and abroad on many occasions to condemn violence and asked people to keep the protests peaceful. They actually coached their policy in stating that the government forces attacked the dignity of the religious ceremonies of the people by their violence. The same is of course is said by the other faction in power that it was the people who undermined the dignity of Ashura ceremonies.
As far as the people were concerned the question was not about upholding the dignity of religious ceremonies. The issue for people was to confront a brutal Islamic dictatorship and bring it down with all of its military and religious machinery. The Islamic government in Iran realises this; of course the faction in power wants to save the system by naked suppression and brute force, and the other faction wants to lead the movement in the dark alleys of working within the framework of the Islamic system.
The 27th December replied to both of these policies. People know what they want; they know their enemy well and are determined to overthrow this regime completely. This movement can only end with the victory of the people’s revolution against Islamic republic and that day is now not too far away.
----------------------
This is a translation by Fariborz Pooya of the transcript of daily “10 minutes with Hamid Taghvaie” which is a TV program broadcast daily on New Channel satellite TV to Iran and Europe. This episode was broadcast on 30 December 2009.
*Mosavie and Kahroubi and their supporters call themselves protectors of the ststem of the Islamic regime and advocate return to the time of ayatollah Khomeini and early days of the Islamic government – when Mosavi himself was in power.
**Montazeri was one of the main architects of the Islamic system of Velayat fagheh which was the foundation for the government established by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 which was the basis of the relationship between Islam and the state as codified in his work Velayat-e Faqih of the government of the Islamic Jurists,"
Friday, 1 January 2010
UNDER THE VEIL OF REPRESSION
By: Mansoor Hekmat
Tyranny and repression unavoidably depict an inverted picture of the political realities of the society. The fall of dictatorial regimes has always resulted in consequences other than what the political observers have expected on the basis of their previous observations. It is quite understandable that in a repressed atmosphere the true character, power and programs of political parties or forces, the balance of power between social forces, the direction and pace of political trends, and, most significantly, the true political and social inclinations of the people, of the various social classes, should not find an accurate reflection.
Iran under the Islamic regime is a living example of a repressed political environment with a flawed political profile and concealed history-making trends. Judging by appearances, the present and future political personages of Iran should be sought among the likes of Khatami[1], Yazdi[2] and Soroosh[3]. Apparently, ‘worker’ and ‘communist’ are not forces present at the center of political stage. Apparently, what determines the fate of Iran is Khatami’s smile and Khamenei’s health condition. Apparently, the discourses determining Iran’s future are the regurgitations, over and over again, of the categories of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution [of 1905-1911, in general,] and Mullahfied versions of [one of its two chief demands, that is,] ‘House of Justice’ [or Judiciary, in particular,] that saturate the pages of the seemingly ‘influential’ press media churned out by the circles of seemingly ‘alternative thinkers’ close to the regime itself.
News reporters and news fabricators, professors of Eastern studies, experts of Western states, nationalist parties, Third-Worldist, smitten-by-the-East groups and groupings that have for a long period been stricken by the self-described-communist syndrome for reasons beyond their own control, they are all eagerly staring at that jumbled scene, that distorted picture, and receive their conceptions, beliefs and inspirations from it. If we believe them, Iran stands at the threshold of yet another Islamic salvation! Domesticated Mullahs, together with an Islam perfumed with the rose-water of ‘modernity’, together with Muslim-enough alternative thinkers and alternative-thinking-enough Muslims, together with laws originating in Islam and a law-respecting Supreme clergy, these are supposed to usher Iran, through a gradual process devoid of any revolution or disturbance, into the era of the second Islamic Republic. This is [supposedly] the ‘civil society’ which, to the minds of the practicing-Muslim Bazaar merchant and his Western-educated sons, the Iranian people have been longing for over the past century and, indeed, deserve. Iran is supposedly moving along this route!
Behind the scene of this extravaganza, however, the real history moves in a different direction. One should look farther, put the ear to the ground and feel the tremors of the foundations of this reactionary system. The current battle in Iran is not between hard Islam and soft Islam, or between the theocracy under the rule of the Supreme Clergy and the theocracy under the rule of law, but between freedom and tyranny, reaction and Islam in all their forms. In the developments lying ahead the personages in the foreground will quickly become irrelevant and disappear. In the camp opposing Islamic reaction we will then not find today’s petty reformists but the ranks of communism, consistent democratism, labor egalitarianism, consistent, that is, anti-religion, secularism, modernism, and thorough liberation for the women. These are the true inclinations of the great majority of the Iranian people which lie hidden under the veil of repression today, and are working to build the political future of the country.
First published in Iskra (organ of Kurdistan Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran), No.3, April 4, 1998
Translated by Jamshid Hadian
[1] The so-called ‘smiling Mullah’, figurehead of the farcical state made ‘reformist movement’ who became president for two terms between 1997 and 2001.
[2] The Secretary General of Freedom Movement of Iran, a non-clerical Islamic-nationalist organization whose former Secretary General, Mehdi Bazargan, was commissioned by Khomeini to form the first government of the Islamic Republic. Ibrahim Yazdi was Foreign Minister in Bazargan’s cabinet. The organization was pushed into opposition against its will, only to remain at the service of the regime, following the fall of its government subsequent to raiding the American Embassy in the Summer of 1979.
[3] Abdolkarim Soroosh, an extreme right-wing Islamic philosophy scholar, a senior architect of the so-called ‘Cultural Revolution’ of the Spring of 1980 aimed at cracking down on the Left at the universities across the country during which dozens were killed and disappeared by the regime’s thugs and scores injured. He, along with many other architects of the nascent regime’s repressive security, military and paramilitary organs, then joined the so-called ‘reformist movement’ of 1997-2001.
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