Showing posts with label worker-communism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worker-communism. Show all posts
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Marx Society this Sunday in London
There is going to be a Marx Society meeting with a talk by WPI leader Hamid Taqvaee this Sunday, 13 May in London. The talk is in Farsi. For details contact fariborz_pooya:@yahoo.co.uk or call 07861740999.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Toward Socialism’s interview with Hamid Taqvaee
Leader of the Worker-Communist Party of Iran Regarding the Current Revolution in Tunisia *
Toward Socialism:
The events in Tunis started with a man burning himself to protest against his unemployment, humiliation, and his inability to make a living. How do you describe the unfolding huge demonstration that led to the escape of Ben Ali?
Hamid Taqvaee:
The man who protested by setting himself on fire was representing the majority of Tunisian people. The majority of people are facing unemployment, poverty, low wages and high prices, and the current uprising shows that people can not stand the status quo anymore. On the other hand, the people of Tunisia have been oppressed by a brutal and corrupt regime for 23 years. When a couple of weeks ago people found out about the multi billion wealth of the Ben Ali Family on WikiLeaks, it was the last straw. The majority of Tunisians like people of Iran, or any other country under a brutal dictatorship, have been hating their government and the existing regime for a long time but a revolution erupts under certain political conditions. In the case of Tunisia, unbearable poverty in contrast to the unimaginable wealth of the dictator and his gang provided those conditions. The revolution already succeeded in overthrowing Ben Ali, but it is only the beginning. The dictator has escaped but the dictatorship is still present. The revolution should, and it seems that it does, go forward to overthrow the whole regime.
Toward Socialism:
The revolution in Iran that occurred about 1.5 yeas ago and still expresses itself in different occasions has a similar nature: an eruption of a revolt of millions of people, young, women, intellectuals, workers, unemployed ... and so on, after the results of the "elections" were announced. Do you see a similarity between the events in Iran and the current one in Tunisia?
Hamid Taqvaee:
The people of Iran have been confronting a brutal dictatorship for more than three decades. In Iran like Tunisia people are facing poverty, unemployment, corruption of the government and all the authorities, lack of political freedom and civil liberties, persecution, arrest, torture and execution of opposition parties’ members, political activists, and even individuals who do not totally agree with the Supreme Leader, etc. The uprising of 2009 was a mass protest against these conditions. I think the present revolution in Tunisia as far as the immediate goals and demands of people are concerned, is very similar to the 2009 uprising in Iran. In both countries people are protesting against a corrupt and brutal regime and fighting for freedom, equality, prosperity and a decent life.
I think the present events in Tunisia will have a crucial impact on the political situation in Iran. You already can see slogans like "after Ben Ali, is Seid Ali's turn” on many Iranian internet sites and groups- referring to Seid Ali Khamenhei, the supreme leader of Islamic Republic in Iran.
Toward Socialism:
Now Ben Ali has escaped but the regime is still there. What do you say to the people of Tunisia? Is it over? If not then how they proceed?
Hamid Taqvaee:
Of course it is not over and people on the streets know that. That's the reason nobody accepted the interim government and Ghanochi, who himself is a left over of Ben Ali's gang, is facing the resignation of his ministers every other day. As I already mentioned the dictatorship, the regime, is still in place. The ruling class and reactionary forces, including Western powers and all governments in the Arab world, are trying to abort the revolution and are trying to save and keep in place as many parts of the state apparatus as they can. It is a classic case of reaction of anti revolutionary forces. The revolution can and should go on until the whole system is overthrown.
Toward Socialism:
What in your opinion are the basic demands of the people to any government that might replace the old one? Why are particular demands important for the people to defend at this juncture?
Hamid Taqvaee:
The very first and urgent goal of any revolution is to get rid of the old state and political system. All the authorities and individuals who took part in Ben Ali's dictatorship should be prosecuted and put on trial. They are criminals and have no legitimacy to be a part of a new government or take part in elections and so on. The revolution is against them and only by arresting these criminals and putting them on trial, can it go forward. Also all the reactionary laws and institutions should be abolished. All the political prisoners should be released. Other urgent demands of people are civil and political freedom, freedom of speech, press, assembly, strike and demonstration, abolition of capital punishment, abolition of discriminatory laws especially against women. As I mentioned before one of the main causes of the revolution is poverty and unemployment. So providing decent jobs and unemployment insurance for everybody who is ready to work is the immediate task of any government that wants the support of people. These are the minimum and basic demands of people and should be accepted by any government and also any political party in the opposition. These are the criteria people should use to differentiate between revolutionary and reactionary forces in today's political situation in Tunisia.
Toward Socialism:
Do you expect Islamists to come to power as an alternative? What are your ideas in this regard? What do you say to people who see the Islamists mobilizing in this vacuum and call for mass prayers in the streets of Tunisia? Is it enough to be an opposition party or oppressed party by the old regime to be elected as "democratic”? Why?
Hamid Taqvaee:
I don't think Islamists have much chance to come to power by their own merits. Tunisia is not Lebanon or Gaza and Islamists don't have much social influence there. Tunisia is a secular and modern society and people and their revolution up to now showed no intention to move toward Islamism. I think the only way for Islamic groups to emerge as an alternative for political power in Tunisia is by getting the support of Western states and it is not very likely unless of course Western powers find no other alternative. Nevertheless, considering the general statues of Political Islam in the region and presence of a banned Islamic opposition party in Tunisia one should take the threat of Islamism very seriously.
In answer to the second part of your question I should point out that if a party is in opposition to a dictatorship that does not necessarily make it a democratic and progressive party. Khomeini in Iran was opposing the Shah's regime and was a very reactionary figure. If Iranian people found out the true nature of political Islam in a hard way, Tunisians do not have to. The experience of the Islamic Republic in Iran, Taliban in Afghanistan and Islamist groups in Iraq shows that Political Islam everywhere and in position or opposition is a reactionary force and a major barrier in front of people, especially women, to achieve freedom and equality. People of Tunisia should be aware of the danger of Islamic groups and don't accept any interference of religion and Sharia laws and code in the government, in the educational system, in the law and judiciary system.
Toward Socialism:
The Left worker-communist Party of Iraq is supporting the revolution in Tunisia. What role do you think this party can play in this revolution even though it’s thousands of miles away? How can worker-communism be active and affective?
Hamid Taqvaee:
I think your party can play a very important role. One of the benefits of dictators like Ben Ali for the ruling class is suppression of Communists and revolutionary parties and activists who can, when revolution emerges, lead people toward freedom. Therefore it is the duty of all communists and revolutionary activists all over the world to contribute in any way they can to support, show the way, formulate and articulate the goals and demands of the uprising of people against existing governments in any part of the world. And in the case of the current revolution in Tunisia especially your party can be very effective. You speak the same language, you have a rich experience confronting all kinds of reactionary forces in Iraq, and above all you are representing worker-communism, a radical and active force in Iran and Iraq and all over the world, criticizing and fighting new world order - i.e. post cold war capitalism- and political Islam at the same time. All those factors give your party a unique place in helping the people and revolutionary and radical groups and activists in Tunisia.
· Toward Socialism is the political newspaper of the Left Worker-communist Party of Iraq LWPI, published in Arabic. The interview will show in its special issue dedicated to the revolution of Tunisia and published in Baghdad.
Thursday, 20 January 2011
About the Revolutionary Developments in Tunisia!
a communique from the Left Worker-communist Party of Iraq
After the evolvement of struggles of the unemployed, working class, and all oppressed in Tunisia, into mass protests and rallies attended by teachers, lawyers, and youth, and after the expansion of demonstrations to nearby cities and townships especially the capital Tunis, and the joining of trade unions, the government, represented by its oppressive forces, began to shoot live bullets at the demonstrators. It was announced that the death toll reached 60 and many were killed in prisons as well. The mass demonstrations and confrontations had lead to the escape of the dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who was replaced by Mohamed Ghannouchi as president and the imposition of martial law. The army is now protecting the airport and major centers of government, but the streets are still filled with people who are still unconvinced of what is happening and who have formed several councils to manage the situation and protect public property from looting and vandalism of the gangs and looters who took advantage of the current situation.
The current protest in Tunisia is a mass revolution sparked by a toiler who burned himself in a show of protest against the police assault on his means of livelihood. This incident had escalated into flames of protests of thousands of unemployed workers in all of Tunisia and evolved into a demand to topple the regime, release of political prisoners, and wider political freedoms. The masses rose up courageously and led an uprising to topple the despotic tyrant who had fled in panic. But the current ruling regime, which claims to save the country, is but an extension of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. It is incapable of serving the interests and objectives of the egalitarian revolution of the Tunisian masses. The people did not rise up to form a national-unity nor a constitution based government, or to get some sedative solutions by which the ruling class aim to defuse the revolution and bring Islamists and nationalist reactionaries to power. The Islamic and nationalist forces which, along with the global propaganda media, promote a so-called national-unity rule and consolidation of democracy, want, in fact, to abort the uprising, and to domesticate it into another velvet democratic revolution (jasmine revolution!) and allude the masses into believing that the present government is capable of solving their troubles and problems, especially deprivation, unemployment, discrimination, oppression, inequality, and lack of rights and freedoms.
Our Party asserts that the bourgeois class, which came out after the defection of Ben Ali, will try to make promises to end the situation to peoples favor, but in fact, they aim to kill the revolution and distract the masses with trivial reforms in order to perpetuate their rule. Our Party asserts that the current reactionary Arab nationalists and Islamists, guards of the regime, and army officers, are all incapable to represent the revolution or to lead it towards its goals, and that the solution lies in the hands of the Tunisian working class and millions of toilers and their socialist, leftist, and secularist forces. Our party, while seeing in this revolution a new era of liberty and emancipation to the people in the Arab region, points out that the ultimate emancipation of the masses off their deprivation, abuse, poverty, lack of political freedoms and equality to women, will only be recognized through the victory of socialism. This requires sustaining the struggles to accomplish it by the working class of Tunisia itself.
There lie difficult tasks in front of the revolution, but the most important task at the moment is to block the way on the Tunisian bourgeoisie to deceive the masses by talking about democracy, human rights, coalition governments, and so on, so it could catch its breath and regain its grip with new faces. We emphasize the need to develop means of class struggle for the workers of Tunisia, and to escalate the struggle and reach the level of determining working class political alternatives towards socialism. The formation of councils in some cities and turning them into nuclei for people's councils, is a first step to take control of the situation, but leading the revolution requires a worker-communist party competent of leading the revolution to the victory of the Socialist Republic, is the only alternative for the direct and wide intervention of people and to restore their robbed humanity.
Victory of the Revolution of the masses of Tunisia!
Long live freedom and equality!
Long live the Socialist Republic!
The Left Worker-communist Party of Iraq - LWPI
17 January, 2011
After the evolvement of struggles of the unemployed, working class, and all oppressed in Tunisia, into mass protests and rallies attended by teachers, lawyers, and youth, and after the expansion of demonstrations to nearby cities and townships especially the capital Tunis, and the joining of trade unions, the government, represented by its oppressive forces, began to shoot live bullets at the demonstrators. It was announced that the death toll reached 60 and many were killed in prisons as well. The mass demonstrations and confrontations had lead to the escape of the dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who was replaced by Mohamed Ghannouchi as president and the imposition of martial law. The army is now protecting the airport and major centers of government, but the streets are still filled with people who are still unconvinced of what is happening and who have formed several councils to manage the situation and protect public property from looting and vandalism of the gangs and looters who took advantage of the current situation.
The current protest in Tunisia is a mass revolution sparked by a toiler who burned himself in a show of protest against the police assault on his means of livelihood. This incident had escalated into flames of protests of thousands of unemployed workers in all of Tunisia and evolved into a demand to topple the regime, release of political prisoners, and wider political freedoms. The masses rose up courageously and led an uprising to topple the despotic tyrant who had fled in panic. But the current ruling regime, which claims to save the country, is but an extension of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. It is incapable of serving the interests and objectives of the egalitarian revolution of the Tunisian masses. The people did not rise up to form a national-unity nor a constitution based government, or to get some sedative solutions by which the ruling class aim to defuse the revolution and bring Islamists and nationalist reactionaries to power. The Islamic and nationalist forces which, along with the global propaganda media, promote a so-called national-unity rule and consolidation of democracy, want, in fact, to abort the uprising, and to domesticate it into another velvet democratic revolution (jasmine revolution!) and allude the masses into believing that the present government is capable of solving their troubles and problems, especially deprivation, unemployment, discrimination, oppression, inequality, and lack of rights and freedoms.
Our Party asserts that the bourgeois class, which came out after the defection of Ben Ali, will try to make promises to end the situation to peoples favor, but in fact, they aim to kill the revolution and distract the masses with trivial reforms in order to perpetuate their rule. Our Party asserts that the current reactionary Arab nationalists and Islamists, guards of the regime, and army officers, are all incapable to represent the revolution or to lead it towards its goals, and that the solution lies in the hands of the Tunisian working class and millions of toilers and their socialist, leftist, and secularist forces. Our party, while seeing in this revolution a new era of liberty and emancipation to the people in the Arab region, points out that the ultimate emancipation of the masses off their deprivation, abuse, poverty, lack of political freedoms and equality to women, will only be recognized through the victory of socialism. This requires sustaining the struggles to accomplish it by the working class of Tunisia itself.
There lie difficult tasks in front of the revolution, but the most important task at the moment is to block the way on the Tunisian bourgeoisie to deceive the masses by talking about democracy, human rights, coalition governments, and so on, so it could catch its breath and regain its grip with new faces. We emphasize the need to develop means of class struggle for the workers of Tunisia, and to escalate the struggle and reach the level of determining working class political alternatives towards socialism. The formation of councils in some cities and turning them into nuclei for people's councils, is a first step to take control of the situation, but leading the revolution requires a worker-communist party competent of leading the revolution to the victory of the Socialist Republic, is the only alternative for the direct and wide intervention of people and to restore their robbed humanity.
Victory of the Revolution of the masses of Tunisia!
Long live freedom and equality!
Long live the Socialist Republic!
The Left Worker-communist Party of Iraq - LWPI
17 January, 2011
Monday, 8 February 2010
WPI 22 Bahman rallies across the world
Rallies against the Islamic Republic of Iran on the occasion of the anniversary of February 11 (22 Bahman) in Germany, Canada, United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, Norway, USA, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Holland, Austria, Turkey, and Finland
We are approaching the anniversary of 1979 Iranian Revolution. Both in Iran and abroad, people are getting ready for massive protests on this day. This is another opportunity to come down to the streets unified in order to organize massive rallies and protests all around the world to topple the Islamic criminals that rule Iran.
In whatever city you live, get ready to join the rallies in front of Iranian embassies and central squares. Every city should be made a scene of the struggle to overthrow the Islamic regime. The larger our rallies abroad the less will be the cost for Iranian people in their struggle to overthrow the Islamic Republic. Here is the list of the rallies and demonstrations around the world:
France - Paris :
Place : Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time, 11 February, 15.00 / 17.00
France - Lyon :
Place : Bellecourt Square
Time, 11 February, 18.00 / 20.00
Germany-Frankfurt
Place: Consulate of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 11.00-17.00
Contact number: +49 157 816 887 32
Germany-Cologne
Place: Dom Cathedral
Time: Friday, February 12, 2010, 15.00
Contact Number: 01 77 3600 963
Germany-Berlin
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Tuesday, February 10, 2010, 12.00
Contact Number: 01 72 403 70 35, 01 76 248 663 17
Germany-Hamburg
Protesting “Iran Conference” (Iranian ambassador will be present)
Place: Atlantic Hotel, 72-79 An der Alster
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 17.00
Contact Number: 01 72 404 43 23
Canada-Toronto
Place: Mel Lastman Square
Time: Thursday February 11, 2010, 17.00-19.00
Canada-Ottawa
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 12.00-14.00
Canada-Vancouver
Place: Art Gallery (Robson and Howe intersection)
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 17.30
Contact Number: +1 604 727 89 86
Canada-Montreal
Place: Philips Square
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 17.00
Norway-Oslo
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 13.00-14.00
And
Place: Norway Parliament
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 14.30-15.30
Contact Number: +47 98 69 40 01
Sweden-Stockholm
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time; Thursday, February 11, 2010, 12.00
Sweden-Gotenborg
Place: Bronz Parken, by the side of Johannes’ Statue
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 16.00-18.00
Contact Number: 46 73 71 78 819
Australia-Canberra
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Time; Friday, February 12, 2010, 11.00-13.00
UK-London
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Time; Thursday, February 11, 2010, 14.00-17.00
Contact Number: 44 79 50 92 44 34
USA-Washington DC
Place: Interest Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Embassy of Pakistan)
Time: Time; Thursday, February 11, 2010, 12.00
Belgium-Brussels
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 17.00-19.00
Denmark-Copenhagen
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 16.00
Contact Number: 45 40 54 39 92
Switzerland-Bern
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 13.00-15.00
Contact Number: 41 76 30 60 723
Holland-Den Hague
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 13.00-15.00
Contact Number: 65 12 73 261
Austria-Vienna
Place: Iran Air Office-Kartner Strasse
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 17.00
Turkey-Ankara
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 14.00-19.00
Finland-Helsinki
Place: Parliament
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 13.00
We call upon all to participate in these protests.
Worker-Communist Party of Iran-Organization Abroad
February 4, 2010
We are approaching the anniversary of 1979 Iranian Revolution. Both in Iran and abroad, people are getting ready for massive protests on this day. This is another opportunity to come down to the streets unified in order to organize massive rallies and protests all around the world to topple the Islamic criminals that rule Iran.
In whatever city you live, get ready to join the rallies in front of Iranian embassies and central squares. Every city should be made a scene of the struggle to overthrow the Islamic regime. The larger our rallies abroad the less will be the cost for Iranian people in their struggle to overthrow the Islamic Republic. Here is the list of the rallies and demonstrations around the world:
France - Paris :
Place : Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time, 11 February, 15.00 / 17.00
France - Lyon :
Place : Bellecourt Square
Time, 11 February, 18.00 / 20.00
Germany-Frankfurt
Place: Consulate of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 11.00-17.00
Contact number: +49 157 816 887 32
Germany-Cologne
Place: Dom Cathedral
Time: Friday, February 12, 2010, 15.00
Contact Number: 01 77 3600 963
Germany-Berlin
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Tuesday, February 10, 2010, 12.00
Contact Number: 01 72 403 70 35, 01 76 248 663 17
Germany-Hamburg
Protesting “Iran Conference” (Iranian ambassador will be present)
Place: Atlantic Hotel, 72-79 An der Alster
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 17.00
Contact Number: 01 72 404 43 23
Canada-Toronto
Place: Mel Lastman Square
Time: Thursday February 11, 2010, 17.00-19.00
Canada-Ottawa
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 12.00-14.00
Canada-Vancouver
Place: Art Gallery (Robson and Howe intersection)
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 17.30
Contact Number: +1 604 727 89 86
Canada-Montreal
Place: Philips Square
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 17.00
Norway-Oslo
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 13.00-14.00
And
Place: Norway Parliament
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 14.30-15.30
Contact Number: +47 98 69 40 01
Sweden-Stockholm
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time; Thursday, February 11, 2010, 12.00
Sweden-Gotenborg
Place: Bronz Parken, by the side of Johannes’ Statue
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 16.00-18.00
Contact Number: 46 73 71 78 819
Australia-Canberra
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Time; Friday, February 12, 2010, 11.00-13.00
UK-London
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Time; Thursday, February 11, 2010, 14.00-17.00
Contact Number: 44 79 50 92 44 34
USA-Washington DC
Place: Interest Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Embassy of Pakistan)
Time: Time; Thursday, February 11, 2010, 12.00
Belgium-Brussels
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 17.00-19.00
Denmark-Copenhagen
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 16.00
Contact Number: 45 40 54 39 92
Switzerland-Bern
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 13.00-15.00
Contact Number: 41 76 30 60 723
Holland-Den Hague
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 13.00-15.00
Contact Number: 65 12 73 261
Austria-Vienna
Place: Iran Air Office-Kartner Strasse
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 17.00
Turkey-Ankara
Place: Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 14.00-19.00
Finland-Helsinki
Place: Parliament
Time: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 13.00
We call upon all to participate in these protests.
Worker-Communist Party of Iran-Organization Abroad
February 4, 2010
Saturday, 10 October 2009
10th October - International Day of Protests
On the International Day of Protests against the Death Penalty, 10th October, members of the WPI staged a protest in Trafalgar Square, London. The WPI highlighted the case of 8 child offenders that are currently on death row in Iranian prisons. People were asked to sign the petition in the form of a red banner to stop executions in Iran and over 1000 signed it.
Monday, 22 June 2009
TV International on the 10th day of protest in Iran
TV International with the latest news from today's ongoing protests in Iran.
Maryam Namazie interviews Bahram Soroush and Fariborz Pooya on the protests and the link to the elections. Also on the issue of Mousavi offering no viable alternative as the 'opposition' leader. Watch it here.
Maryam Namazie interviews Bahram Soroush and Fariborz Pooya on the protests and the link to the elections. Also on the issue of Mousavi offering no viable alternative as the 'opposition' leader. Watch it here.
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