STATEMENT
به زبان فارسی
PICTORY
LATEST MUSIC
SEARCH
Workers Unite! Against War!
15-Dec-2011
Message from the Network of Iranian Labor Associations (NILA) to Amnesty International’s Human Rights Day Event in Chicago on Human Rights in Iran.
Dear friends,
We, trade unionists in Tehran and other cities, extend our warm greetings to you from half way across the world. Please forgive us for not sending you a video message. Unfortunately trade unionism is considered a dangerous offense by the Iranian government and labor activists here are persecuted like dangerous criminals. Hence the need for extra caution even in a simple message of greeting such as this.
Certainly, your event is special in more ways than one. While in the past there have been human rights conferences focused exclusively on persecution of political or civil society activists, or to repression against religious minorities, or on rare occasions, to the hounding of labor activists in Iran, to our knowledge an event devoted to all of these at once is rare, and quite welcome.
What activists in Iran from all these diverse movements have learned is that one can only separate these struggles at one’s own peril. It is simply a matter of survival for democracy activists, labor rights activists and religious and ethnic minorities to be working together. In facing a powerful and ruthless dictatorship like the Islamic Republic, it would be shear madness to highlight our differences rather than our common ground.
It is therefore deeply satisfying to know that experts from various fields are discussing repression against political activists, followers of the Baha’i faith and labor activists in one panel as it is being done in Chicago today. One can hope that this model is taken up by other American and international human rights groups.
Finally let us share with you a major concern of ours today — one that demands maximum vigilance in the months to come. As you know, the Iranian regime is in the throes of its worst ever crisis. In fact we are dealing not with one but multiple crises: economic, political and ideological ones. This is beginning to hit the very heart of the regime: i.e. its social and political support base. This year, for example, the Ashura mourning ceremonies, devoted to the martyrdom of Shi’ism’s Third Imam, was the most lackluster ever. While this may be greeted by outsiders as welcome news, in reality it makes the regime far more dangerous than in the past.
The recent attack on the British embassy in Tehran should be seen as a warm-up for what is planned. They are preparing themselves for war. The bloodier, the better, from their perspective. It would be their savior, a lifeline to the regime. Under the circumstances, it would be sheer folly for either Israel or the United States to go to war with Iran. Why give the Islamic Republic’s leaders a fresh lease on life when every visible sign points to a terminal state of being? Unfortunately there are indications that this doomsday scenario is not so far-fetched. Despite denials in the last few days, Israel’s right-wing government is actively preparing itself for that very option. It may do so for both domestic and strategic considerations, dragging the Obama Administration with it into the abyss. What would an attack on Iran achieve? It certainly can not destroy the country’s nuclear program. It would only set it back for a very short time while giving every pretext for that regime to resume it feverishly afterward. It would consolidate the regime for many years to come and it would radicalize the Arab Spring into a radical Islamic fundamentalist nightmare.
It is incumbent on us, in the weeks and months to come, when war drums are rolling, to alert our public to the dangers of the war option. There would be no room for campaigning for human rights when cities are bombed and civilians slaughtered.
Therefore let us not forget to publicize this dreadful threat as we highlight the many cases of human rights abuses in Iran.
We wish you a very successful event ...
December 9, 2011
The Network of Iranian Labor Associations
Iran
First published in iranlaborreport.com
RECENT COMMENTS
IRANIANS OF THE DAY
| Person | About | Day |
|---|---|---|
| نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
| Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
| Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
| احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
| گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
| Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
| محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
| Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |
IRI and their War "Excuse"
by cvaughan59 on Fri Dec 16, 2011 02:15 PM PSTJ. C. Vaughan
A few thoughts. I do fear the Mullahs and their IRG forces would use any war situation to increase their unspeakable persecution of the Iranian people, with horrible results (every man Makwan, every woman Neda, every Awazi Iranian Mahmoud or Ayaz). Also, every time foreign powers have interfered in Iran, the results have been total eventual disaster. And do not forget that both Europe and USA are very near complete bankruptcy, so their ability to quickly start and finish any war with minimal damage to Iran are much in doubt. And it would be the poor youth of Iran and their families who would have to suffer and die. From what I have read, the IRG seem to be complete cowards in any real war situation, just like all tyrants and dictators.
Mehrdad Jaan
by Faramarz on Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:50 AM PSTThis blog correctly argues that the Regime wants to start a war and the bloodier it is, the better it will be. OK, I agree with that. The war drums have been coming from the Regime for the past 32 years and are continuing now and they will use anything in their arsenal to do so.
Now, what are we supposed to do if the Regime starts a confrontation in the Persian Gulf or do something stupid in the Region? Be vigilant and inform the public of the dangers of war and turn the other cheek. Or drop our pants and bend over!
Let's not fool ourselves. That's not going to happen. The entire nation will demand a significant retaliation from Obama or whoever that is in the White House.
This will not be a war of choice like Iraq, it will be a war of necessity like the one against al-Qaeda.
...
by Hooshang Tarreh-Gol on Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:52 AM PSTDM, he was an amazing essayist and a great writer.
Although in his last phase of life, by the pormotion of war he lost many of his old readers, yet in my humble opinion he remains, one of the greatest essayist in the English language. All the way up there with Edmund Wilson, Gore Vidal...
Hallaa...
by Dr. Mohandes on Fri Dec 16, 2011 09:58 AM PSTAlright You Anti and pro war Dude. Come on up and get some fresh air.
GEt a load of this one:
//news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/christopher-hitchens-dies-62-051006229.html
علیه دخالت گری و جنگ ، علیه دیکتاتوری و استثمار
Hooshang Tarreh-GolFri Dec 16, 2011 09:49 AM PST
بیانیه
علیه دخالت گری و جنگ ، علیه دیکتاتوری و استثمار
برای صلح ،آزادی وبرابری
دولت اسرائیل با پشتیبانی دولت امریکا و همراهی سایر قدرت های امپریالیستی طبل های جنگرا به صدا در آورده اند....... . ما خواهان سرنگونی انقلابی جمهوری اسلامی از طریق انقلاب مردم ایران هستیم.......
. ما همراه با کارگران و زحمتکشان ، همراه با همه فعالین آزادی خواه و برابری
طلب و همه نیروهای سوسیالیست ، برای مقابله با تهدیدات دخالت نیروهای خارجی ، وادراکردن
رژیم اسلامی به متوقف کردن
برنامه های هسته ای ، برداشته شدن محاصره اقتصادی و گسترش مبارزات توده ای برای سرنگونی
رژیم جمهوری اسلامی تلاش می کنیم.
محکوم باد هرنوع دخالت گری امپریالیستی در امورایران
سرنگون باد رژیم جمهوری اسلامی
زنده باد انقلاب
زنده باد سوسیالیسم
۲۵ نوامبر ۲۰۱۱ برابر با ۴ آذر ۱۳۹۰
//www.etehadbinalmelali.com/html_11/27_nov.ht...
میشل وارشاوسکی هشدار می دهد
Hooshang Tarreh-GolFri Dec 16, 2011 09:38 AM PST
سرشناس ترین چهره های صلح طلب اسراییل، در تازه ترین مقاله ی خود، خطر حمله
ی نظامی اسراییل به ایران را جدی دانسته است؛ و سازمان «وحدت یهودی فرانسه
برای صلح» نیز که این مقاله ی او را منتشر کرده است، با زیر تیتر «آن ها
را متوقف کنید؛ آن ها دیوانه هستند»، اعلام داشته است که تحلیل میشل
وارشاوسکی در این مورد را همچون تحلیل سازمان خود تلقی می کند. ======================================= ایران را خطر یک «فرار به جلو» ی جنایتکارانه و شبیه به خودکشی اسراییل تهدید می کند
میشل وارشاوسکی
۲۶ نوامبر ۲۰۱۱
سال هاست که رهبران اسراییل، تهدید می کنند که به ایران حمله خواهند کرد، و
یا فراتر از این و افزون تر از این، بر آمریکا فشار می آورند که به ایران
حمله کند. اسراییل، هرگز رهبرانی تا بدین حد ناتوان و در همان حال نیز خطرناک به خود
ندیده است. با چنین رهبرانی، خطر تجاوز نظامی به ایران، آنچنان جدی شده است
که ژنرال های بازنشسته، سیاستمداران، و رییسان سابق سرویس های اطلاعاتی،
ناچار شده اند که بالای سکو بروند و به صورت آشکار و عمومی، پروژه ی جنگی
دولت را به چالش بگیرند، و خطراتی را که در پی خواهد داشت گوشزد کنند.
//www.ghoghnoos.org/ak/kj/wrsh-ir.html
Re "get a life"
by Arj on Fri Dec 16, 2011 09:33 AM PSTIt's ironic that some of us who spend day-in, day-out on this site, shedding corodile tears for endangered species and decaying ancient sites, tell those who are facing the possibility of a catastrophic war and whose only fault is to express concern, to "get a life!"
Farmarz jaan,
by Bavafa on Fri Dec 16, 2011 09:07 AM PSTDuring the same two decades we have been hearing a similar story, only from the Israelis and the hawks in US about Iran’s WMD and in order to save themselves they need to bomb Iran to stone ages, as if they are not there already.
There is one difference though, Hawks in US and Israelis have proven to have the capacity willingness to bomb other nations to stone ages, Iraq and Gaza are good example of that whereas IRI has managed only to bomb its own ammunition/missile depot to pieces.
They are trying to get a life, if the powers both inside and outside Iran let them.
'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory
Mehrdad
ننه من غریبم، علیلم و ذلیلم!
FaramarzFri Dec 16, 2011 08:20 AM PST
For two decades we have been hearing about an "imminent" Israeli attack on Iran and all the pain and sufferings that were about to happen. Well, it never happened, but meanwhile a whole bunch of people died in Iran in the hands of the Regime.
Now there is this one; a war on Iranian cities, kids crying, pregnant women dying, ancient sites destroyed, libraries burned, cats and dogs slaughtered, leopards becoming extinct, pistachio farms uprooted and an old culture utterly annihilated.
Get a life please.
"Job creators" will make this work & Iranian workers will be ok!
by Esfand Aashena on Fri Dec 16, 2011 06:34 AM PSTArj, I can't imagine "job creators" not worrying about the workers, can they?! So Iranian workers are out of line here and should put their faith in the "job creators" who are currently in US and trying to put together a war in Iran to achieve this goal. They just got it all wrong!
I don't think Iranians in Europe are this Gung-ho about asking for a foreign war in Iran.
Everything is sacred
Whilst I agree with the general gist of content of this letter,
by Tiger Lily on Fri Dec 16, 2011 02:12 AM PSTthere is something fishy about its style. It comes out of some 'dastgah', that I can't put my finger on. Yet.
Re We should tell NILA...
by Arj on Thu Dec 15, 2011 07:08 PM PSTDear EA, In an event of any war, it'll be the working class that would have to bear the brunt of the ensuing conditions, for the wealthy and the resourceful will dodge the bullet in any condition -- pun intended! Moreover, in addition to the financial disaster and unravelling of social security, political pressures would unbearably increase on the "usual suspects" of social protests!
Prospects of war could seem alluring to the West-residing expats, yet it heralds nothing but growing misery for those who would have to face the actual realities of war on the ground on a daily basis! Hence, the right to express concern!
We should tell NILA to worry about IRI and not a foreign war!
by Esfand Aashena on Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:39 AM PSTWhy is this Trade Union in Iran bothered by a prospect of a war with foreign armies? How long are they going to wait for something to change in Iran? Isn't IRI, oh IRI the one who is beating the drums of war? At some point there has to be a war to eject IRI from power! NILA must be a flimsy trade union!
Everything is sacred
Well done. There are talks
by vildemose on Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:00 AM PSTWell done. There are talks of cutting the Yaranehah. Has anyone else heard this? There is also talks of cutting off the Internt....
A state of war only serves
as an excuse for domestic tyranny.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Born December 11, 1918
Kudos to these brave bunch....
by Bavafa on Thu Dec 15, 2011 09:59 AM PSTNot only for standing up for their rights against the tyranny in Iran but also speaking up against yet another crime against Iranian people, a war of aggregation by the West.
They deserve our support, not only in their fight against IRI but also in their quest against war.
'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory
Mehrdad
Thank you, Thank you, thank you.
by Roozbeh_Gilani on Thu Dec 15, 2011 09:47 AM PSTFor articulating so well the voice of real anti-war folks in Iran, rather than the hysterical screams of a bunch of London/ LA residing, triple passport holding Lobbyists of the Islamsit regime, petrified of losing their lucrative financial benefits.
"Personal business must yield to collective interest."
HTG: Political domain
by alimostofi on Thu Dec 15, 2011 09:37 AM PSTHTG: Political domain .....
Party politics must be kept distinct from nationalism, otherwise you get Fascism.
Also, as most know, religion mixed in produces theocracy.
But politics mixed with labour manifestos produces Communism.
So democracy is only pure if there is no undermining principle. The Shah defended the very limited democracy because of the threat of Communism. The Hezbollah Party defends its manifesto by idolizing Koran. Socialism uses "right of labour' to keep its form of democracy.
So there is no perfect system. What is needed is a system that prevents politics to interfere too much in culture.
Ali Mostofi
//twitter.com/alimostofi
Great statement, thank you ILR and IC
by Hooshang Tarreh-Gol on Thu Dec 15, 2011 08:54 AM PSTMostofi, nationalism itself is a 'political' word to begin with, so are words like "Iran," homeland, country,..
Please do keep in mind that Labour in its various manifestations has an omnipresence all its own. It is not only present, alive and kicking in culture, it's also present in politics, history, geograpgy, anthropology,...
Some might see that the key to sucha an over arching presence is our need to Labour. John Ruskin had some very interestign ideas on that topic.
Working class of Iran remains the only force capable of overthrowing Islamic Republic and effectively stoping any foreign intervention.
IL: Well written
by alimostofi on Thu Dec 15, 2011 07:59 AM PSTIL: Well written ......
Thank you for your report. It is important that you do refer to the political party that rules Iran properly. Please refer to their political ideologies, as it confronts Iranian culture. The political parties in Iran, need to define their manifestos within the political language only. You are mixing a lot of diverse concepts. Nationalism and words like "Iran", cannot be mixed in with political words. Labour movement can be mixed with politics, but not with cultural descriptions.
Ali Mostofi
//twitter.com/alimostofi