Khamsin: Journal of revolutionary socialists of the Middle-East
Archive of revolutionary socialist journal, Khamsin, which was published from 1978 to 1987. While we might disagree with some of the positions taken, particularly those to do with national liberation, many articles contain interesting information about working class struggle, which we reproduce for reference.
Khamsin was founded in 1975 in Paris, France, and jointly edited by Leila Kadi of Lebanon and the late Eli Lobel, a member of The Israeli Socialist Organization (Matzpen). The first four issues were published in French by Editions Fraçois Maspero (Paris).
World Cup Qatar: festivities built on slavery
Submitted by rooieravotr on Nov 16 2012 19:54
My latest piece I wrote for Freedom magazine, published in the October issue. On migrant workers' conditions in Qatar, where the World Cup of 2022 is supposed to be held. Basically the original version, but with a few small corrections.
One of the Arab countries apparently almost untouched by the Arab Spring is Qatar. The tide of protest and revolt more or less passed this Emirate by. The main news channel spreading attention to these events, Aljazeera, is Qatari-baed and regime-owned, which does not help to raise attention to what happens there.
Talking 'bout a revolution?
Submitted by rooieravotr on Aug 16 2012 18:26
The Syrian events are a challenge for both left wing party people and revolutionaries. Part of the confusion, however, is related to matters of definition, choice of words and what they mean. One such word is 'revolution'. Does it apply? And if so, what does that mean?
The Syrian events are a challenge for both left wing party people and revolutionaries. I addressed some of the arguments in my recent blog series. Part of the confusion is related to how the facts are seen: how much Western interference is going on, and how much influence does it have on the battlefield and ont the likely political outcome?
Islamic fundamentalism: Religious fanaticism to reinforce the state
1990 article by Internationalist Perspective on Islamic fundamentalism not as a mediaeval religious phenomenon but as a modern statist one. We do not agree with elements of this article related to "decadence" but believe it to be interesting nonetheless.
The past decade has been a wave of "Islamic fundamentalism" roll over the Muslim world. The Shia world has seen the consolidation of an "Islamic republic" in Iran, under the charismatic leadership of the Ayotollah Khomeini.
Islamism – Consequence of, heir to and rival of frustrated Arab nationalism
Wine and Cheese on the origins and meaning of Islamism.
1. Islam has a bad press in the free West: followers of Islam still live in the Middle Ages, one hears, and Islamic clerics may conduct procedures their Christian colleagues have only been allowed to dream of for 150 years – to veil women, stone sinners, and burn heretics to death.
Non-Western Anarchisms: Rethinking the global context
Written by Jason Adams as an attempt to reconceptualize the history and theory of first-wave anarchism on the global level, and to reconsider its relevance to the continuing anarchist project.
Egypt, Bahrain, London, Spain?– Tahrir Square as a meme
DSG's piece on resistance tactics as 'meme' and the emergence of public space occupations in North Africa and Europe.
As in the early days and weeks of what have become known as “The Arab Spring”– a series of insurrections against long-established regimes across North Africa– the British mainstream media seem to have missed the boat on the current “May 15th” movement currently filling the streets and squares of cities and towns across Spain.
Class struggle and this thing called the Middle East - Melancholic Trogladytes
A collection of articles on varied aspects of class struggle, history and culture in the region.
Contents:
By way of a Preface
1. Afghanistan: A Potted Social History
2. Reservation Politics: The Palestinian Experience through the Historical Monocle of Native Americans
3. Hydro-Jihad: Water Conflict and the Class Struggle
4. Uncle Louis, his Fruits and Vegetables: A Proletarian Critique of the Nation of Islam
Understanding the period - Class analysis and events in the Arab world
Article by the Turkish section of the ICC outlining the nature of the recent events in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya and across the Middle East and trying to draw an understanding of the current situation internationally.
1. What is going on and why it is important to understand it.
Do Kurdish people lack a state?
This was originally written for a festival on 1st September 1996, which was called "Peace in Kurdistan Festival". It is our task to highlight briefly the situation in Kurdistan and refute the crocodile tears by capitalists and their media over Kurdistan. From Subversion #20 (1996)
Kurdistan is a land where Kurdish people live in an organised feudal and capitalist system, where working people, especially women and children, are suffering from poverty, ill treatment and the oppression of authorities, which are represented by Kurdish parties (Kurdish Democratic Party, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) and PKK of Northern Kurdistan, whom they are for freedom !, of Kurdistan as much
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