U.K. Stop the War coalition bans critical voices

The Stop the War Coalition is a bourgeois front

it is pointless protesting to them about their suppression of dissent.

What was it precisely that led to these groups being excluded?

Do you consider the excluded groups to be "principled internationalists"?

That would be a valid question if you, like every other left sect, did not believe your own group alone were the principled ones.

OUR DEMANDS

We recognise that there is an urgent need to establish a principled solidarity campaign with the people of Iran. The contradictions between the interests of the neo-conservatives in power in the USA and the defenders of the rule of capital in the Islamic Republic has entered a dangerous new phase.

US imperialism and its allies are intent on regime change from above and are seriously considering options to impose this - sanctions, diplomatic pressure, limited strikes or perhaps bombing the country back to the stone age.

In Iran, the theocracy is using the international outcry against its nuclear weapons programme to divert attention away from the country's endemic crisis, deflect popular anger onto foreign enemies and thus prolong its reactionary rule.

The pretext of external threats has been cynically used to justify increased internal repression. The regime's security apparatus has been unleashed on its political opponents, workers, women and youth. The rising tide of daily working class anti-capitalist struggles has been met with arrests, the ratification of new anti-labour laws and sweeping privatisations. Under the new Iranian government, military-fascist organisations are gaining political and military strength, posing an ominous threat to the working class and democratic opposition.

Paradoxically, the US/UK invasion of Iraq has actually increased the regional influence of Iran's rulers - it led to the election of the pro-Iranian Shia government currently in power in Baghdad.

This means that any support from the anti-war movement for the reactionaries who currently govern Iran and repress its people is in effect indirect support for the occupation government in Iraq.

We recognise that effective resistance to this war can only mean the militant defence of the struggles of the working class in Iran and of the rising social movements in that country. We want regime change - both in Iran and in the imperialist countries. But we know that change must come from below - from the struggles of the working class and social movements - if it is to lead to genuine liberation.

We call on all anti-capitalist forces, progressive political groups and social organisations to join activists of the Iranian left to both oppose imperialism's plans and to organise practical solidarity with the growing movement against war and repression in Iran headed by the working class, women, students and youth.

* Our campaign demands are: No to imperialist war!
* No to the theocratic regime!
* The immediate and unconditional withdrawal of US/UK troops from the Gulf region!
* Opposition to Israeli expansionism and aggression!
* Support to all working class and progressive struggles in Iran against poverty and repression!
* Support for socialism, democracy and workers' control in Iran!
* For a nuclear-free Middle East in a nuclear-free world!

At least they have picked something up.
Devrim

Interesting that the OP should post exclusively on this subject...

Tacks wrote:

Alf wrote:

Do you consider the excluded groups to be "principled internationalists"?

That would be a valid question if you, like every other left sect, did not believe your own group alone were the principled ones.

some left communists do seem to have major differences with alf and his comrades.

Too right. WSM signed the HOPI statement, but we're obviously leftists.

Devrim wrote:

The ICC say that various groups including anarchists are principled internationalists.

Not really though, as world wide there only seem to be two anarchist groups the ICC consider internationalilsts.

Two organisations – both Hands Off the People Of Iran and Communist Students have had their affiliation revoked by the U.K. anti-war organisation 'Stop the War Coalition' (STWC) leadership on account of their collective opposition to both an imperialist attack on Iran and the theocratic regime in Teheran. This policy has been characterized by StWC chair, Andrew Murray, as “entirely hostile to the Coalition”. A comment that speaks greatly of the approach currently supported by the Coalition on the issue of Iran.

In the face of criticisms made by both Communist Students and Hands Off the People of Iran the leadership of the coalition has resorted to ham-fisted exclusion – both from the upcoming Stop the War coalition conference, and wider affiliation to the organisation. This should be condemned by any principled internationalists – quite regardless of whether they support the campaign aims of either organisation banned.

The full press-release can be read on the Hands Off the People of Iran site.

I’d ask that you all take a few seconds out of your day to email the STWC leadership to complain about this blatant censoring of critical voices. You may do so here

So It's not safe to leave the house

Actually, I just checked their list, and apparently you are not.

Devrim

guydebordisdead wrote:

I was even at one of their meetings the other day. So would you agree with the HOPI statement as quoted above?

I could find points where I disagree, but that is not the point. The point is that we don't see that signing these sort of statements has anything to do with class struggle.

Devrim

Do you think signing the statement is the endpoint? We're starting to organise in solidarity with the people of Iran.