Azar Majedi’s Interview with the journal of Organisation of the Communist Alternative in Iraq

Rawat: Many thanks to Comrade Azar for participating in this interview. The Islamic Republic of Iran carried out the repression and killing of protesters at the beginning of this year in an incredibly bloody manner; so much so that even the state-run "Ofoq" television did not hide that hospitals could no longer accommodate the bodies and the bodies were being stored in refrigerated trucks. The American magazine "Time" estimated the number of those killed at 30,000, but apparently the real number is much higher and some estimate it at up to 60,000, hundreds of whom are children under the age of 18. Our question is: What is the reason for all this brutality? And where is the crisis in relations between the Islamic regime and the masses of the Iranian people heading?
 
Azar Majedi: The Islamic Republic is a criminal and brutal dictatorship. Therefore, no amount of violence and crime on the part of this regime is surprising. The people of Iran, especially we communists, have experienced the violence and brutality of this regime firsthand. Our comrades were subjected to the most violent tortures in the regime’s prisons in the 1980s, hanged or even buried alive. Many of them lie in mass graves. So, no amount of violence from this regime is strange to us.
However, political awareness and human responsibility dictate that we scrutinise the events. State terrorism, the US and Israel, Mossad and the CIA helped to escalate the bloodshed in the recent protests in Iran. The sinister role they played led to a much greater increase in number of deaths, destruction and chaos. This is not a so-called “conspiracy theory”. They themselves began to reveal their plans on Twitter and in the mainstream media, especially the Israeli media, from the very beginning. The Mossad encouraged people to take to the streets and promised to be with them. Israeli Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu declared: "When we attacked Iran during “Rising Lion” we were on its (ground)... I can assure you that we have some of our people operating there right now.” Former CIA Director and former US Secretary of State Mark Pompeo wished the Mossad agents "a happy New Year" who "walk alongside the Iranian people." Numerous statements were made by Israeli politicians, Israeli television and media outlets spoke of Israel's involvement in the protests, and finally, a recent interview by the US Treasury Secretary in Davos provided ample evidence of Mossad and CIA involvement in escalating the chaos and tension in Iran.
This was apparently intended to escalate tensions to the point of preparing the conditions for a "regime change" (by the US and the West) in the form of colour revolutions in Iran. Reza Pahlavi was thrust to the front of the stage like a hero to announce his immediate plan to seize power, a plan for an absolute dictatorial monarchy. He claimed that the people had shouted his name in the streets and chosen him as their leader.*
However, it seems, for now, that this plan in their scenario for regime change failed. Of course, it is also possible that this failure was intentional with the aim of preparing the chaos and anger that can facilitate the war. In any case, this plan demonstrated their callousness, unscrupulousness, and corruption of the West and Israel. The recent killings of the people in Iran and the bitter and painful event exposed two dirty criminal monsters: the Islamic Republic, and US/Israel. It showed that none of the monsters care about the lives, will and hopes of the people. They do not spare any crime in pursuing their goals. People are nothing to them except tools and "collateral damage".
None of the official sources of information are reliable, neither the Islamic Republic nor the mainstream media in the West and the "charitable" organisations that are run in the West with funds from Western governments. It is very difficult to get to the truth.
These figures are not reliable at all. It is claimed that about 60,000 people were killed in the two days of January 7 and 8. These figures were published by the mainstream media and are said to be from an Iranian doctor living in the US and a close associate of Reza Pahlavi. Some have put the figure at over 30,000; the Guardian reported on January 28 that the number was over 36,000. Mike Flynn, former national security adviser to Donald Trump, has stated that the number of deaths by the end of January had exceeded 90,000. It seems that these "sources" are competing with each other to increase the number of deaths. How should we deal with these figures? Even one human life is precious. Even one death is a crime. Therefore, even the figure announced by the Islamic Republic, over three thousand people is a strong reason for the condemnation of the regime. Why do we need to exaggerate the figures? This method is to our detriment. We are supposedly defending humanity, but with these unrealistic exaggerations, we are trivialising the lives of the people who have been killed.
Recently, even Iran International TV, funded by Saudi Arabia and run by Israel, which initially announced a figure of over thirty thousand, was forced to significantly reduce this figure. We must question all news and sources so that our vision is not blurred by illusions and we do not fall into a pit of lies and traps. We must not lose our sense of proportion. A little reflection shows that the killings in street protests over two days cannot reach this figure with any amount of bullets and guns. Secondly, the same people who announced the victims of the two days of street protests in Iran as over 60 thousand, until a few days ago estimated the victims of the Gaza genocide at fewer than 60 thousand. Note that the number of deaths in two days of street protests against bullets and two and a half years of genocide with bombs, drones, tanks, hunger and frost is the same.
 
Rawat: US military forces have been deployed extensively to the Persian Gulf region and advanced radars have been deployed in Jordan to counter Iranian drones. A high level of war readiness is in place in the region. Donald Trump told the Iranian people: “Aid is on the way.” Countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar are sceptical of the war and European governments say the Islamic Republic is in its final days. What is your view on this?
 
Azar Majedi: In my opinion, the risk of war is serious. Over the past three years, I have constantly warned about the risk of an imperialist regime change, war, and the Balkanisation or Iraqisation of Iran. My analysis has sometimes been met with disbelief. Some have called it a “conspiracy theory.” But now, unfortunately, this risk seems so real and imminent that many speak of it with disbelief and fear. To assess the extent of the risk, one must look at the longer-term plans and goals of US imperialism, Israel, and the West. For more than ten years now, top CIA and NATO officials have been revealing the US plan to bomb the region completely and destroy it. Rumsfeld's plan to bomb seven countries was announced after September 11, 2001: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan and Iran. Six of the countries on this list are now in ruins, with Iran being the only remaining target that has been bombed once.
The question we must ask ourselves is what separates Iran from the other six countries that we now optimistically think will get off the hook? Netanyahu has officially declared that Iran must be divided, vowing to launch a dark ethnic scenario in Iran and arm mercenary terrorist movements under the name of national rights. A senior Israeli military official declared on Israeli television during recent protests that Iran must be divided. They are talking openly about the Syria-isation of Iran. With these confessions and open threats, can we still bury our heads in the sand? Netanyahu announced Israel’s goal at the UN: with the help of the US and the West they are building a new Middle East and a Greater Israel. To reach this goal Iran must be bombed. In their view Islamic Republic has no place in the new Middle East.
I believe that we are witnessing the last days of the Islamic Republic. But this possibility is not only exciting, it is also extremely worrying; because this destruction could be accompanied by the destruction of the entire society, all its structures and infra structure and the killing of millions. The Gulf countries are completely in the hands of the US and Israel. The UAE is now committing genocide in Sudan. Saudi Arabia has played a vital role in the regime change project in Syria and the killings in Yemen. Qatar has been financially supporting Hamas for more than twenty years now, under the direction of the US and Israel. These are obvious facts. The names of the sheikhdom emirs have been published on Epstein’s list. The projects to modernise Islam in the sheikhdoms are also moving forward with determination and publicity. But now that the threat of war and destruction has become serious and renewed, it seems that Saudi Arabia is wavering. Egyptian President El Sisy, who is a stooge, has started to complain about the role of Israel. It seems that they are beginning to worry about their own situation. Turkey, whose Islamic fascist government has benefited from all the US regime change projects in the region and played a decisive role in the destruction of Syria, is now panicking. It seems that Turkey has realised the danger of this scenario. Pakistan, a silent servant of America and a staunch supporter of Islamic terrorism, has also made its voice heard. They have felt the danger at their doorstep.
It is said that these hesitations and mediations have delayed the attack despite Israel's insistence. It remains to be seen. For now, the last negotiations on February 6th have reached a deadlock.
 
Rawat: Various bourgeois movements and a part of the people have tied their hopes and goals to American bombs; even some leftist parties and movements have such an approach. How do you evaluate the stance and policy of these movements?
 
Azar Majedi: I doubt that after the 12-day war in June, after the experience of the Israeli and American bombs that were dropped on the people, the bombing of Evin prison, the hospital, the killing of hundreds of people, including children, and the destruction of people's homes, any sensible person inside Iran would wish for American and Israeli bombs. The propaganda of the fascist right-wing movements, Israel and the US, the mainstream media, and Western governments are trying to instil the impression that the Iranian people want war. The pro-Israel and pro-American fascists are officially begging Trump and Netanyahu for a military attack and praying for a military attack in their demonstrations abroad and are attacking their opponents and communists with knives. They openly threaten their opponents with lynching, torture and death.
People are disgusted with this regime. They have suffered under this brutal regime for more than forty years. From the very beginning, this system was met with opposition, struggle and war. People have made numerous attempts to overthrow it. They have taken to the streets many times and made many sacrifices. It is quite possible that in these conditions of widespread poverty, economic and political pressures and violent repression, they have reached their limit and said that "things can’t get any worse" and therefore, in absolute despair, they surrender to the option of war. But with the experience of the 12 day war in June and the destruction of all the countries in the region, I do not think that this approach is widespread among the people.
Among the opposition forces, the fascist right-wing forces, the monarchists, the Kurdish nationalist movements, including Abdullah Muhtadi and the Democratic Party, are strongly propagandists and advocates of war. In a TV interview, Abdullah Muhtadi indirectly promoted the atomic bomb, citing the example of Japan at the end of World War II, which was bombed by the US and has now become "a united American democracy." Mustafa Hejri, the Secretary General of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, was a war monger in a TV interview with CBS, wishing that Trump would drop the bombs as soon as possible so that the Democratic Party could also launch a military attack. Shirin Ebadi, a former pro-government reformist and Nobel Prize winner who presented her Nobel Prize to Khatami (A previous president) and offered to kiss his hand, has also called for US military intervention with similar arguments. These are mercenaries in the US and Israel's circle. They have no shame. In addition to these openly fascist movements, the party which calls itself "Worker-communist" has also openly joined this war-mongering camp. It advocates a military attack. It has signed a document with all these fascists for the transitional period of the regime change. Their leader has officially defended the US military attack on Venezuela and considered it to be in the interest of the Iranian people.
These trends must be exposed. They are wishing death and destruction for the people and society of Iran. They are the ones paving the way for war and slaughter. These are the Iranian Chalabis. The leftist and communist forces, the workers movement, and the freedom-loving people must rise up against these mercenaries. War has no other result than pain, suffering, death, and destruction. Freedom-loving, humanitarian, leftist, and workers must be mobilised worldwide to confront this dark and bloody project.
 
Rawat: Iran is in the midst of a major political and economic crisis. The workers and communist movements are facing a historic challenge. What are the priorities of this movement and parties in the current situation? And what are the internationalist tasks at this juncture?
 
Azar Majedi: The situation in Iran is very complicated. People are facing two bloody and savage enemies: the Islamic Republic and the imperialist terrorism of the United States and Israel. Confronting these two enemies simultaneously is a very complex and complicated matter. The leftist and communist movements must simultaneously organise themselves to confront the Islamic Republic and focus on exposing the dangers and the dark scenario of the US/Israel. Creating awareness is more important than anything else. People must prepare for possible dangers. Therefore, they must first see all the dangers and obtain a relatively accurate assessment of them. In the current situation, the most important and effective weapon of the people is organisation and solidarity. Dispersed people quickly fall into the trap of despair and surrender to any scenario. But awareness, preparation, and organisation help them to better equip themselves against dangers and, most importantly, not to despair. Conscious and organised resistance is of great importance.
Some are practically waiting for a miracle. In a situation where people are caught between two executioners and devilish enemies; in a situation where both have lurked to drag society into the abyss of war and destruction; in a situation where bombs are ready to fall and missiles are ready to be fired, some organisations or individuals are encouraging people to come to the streets against the Islamic Republic. In such a situation, a sense of responsibility requires encouraging and persuading people to organise and unite. People cannot stand empty-handed against bombs, machine guns and missiles and overthrow this monster and neutralise the bullying threats of America and Israel. People must be vigilantly prepared to confront the dangers and brutal injuries of war and attack from all sides. This is the key issue.
People want to overthrow this bleak and criminal regime and build a free, equal, and prosperous society. Throughout history, many people's efforts have failed. Over the past hundred years, the United States, Britain and the West have organised two coups and a regime change in Iran, and have suppressed the people's wishes and efforts to create a revolution. It seems that this time there is more awareness about the repressive efforts of the United States and the West, led by Israel.
The brutal events of the past few decades have opened the eyes of many. The complete destruction of the Middle East, the killing of millions, and the displacement of millions more, has exposed the nefarious plans of the United States and the West to spread destruction and occupation. Meanwhile, Netanyahu, with the full support of the US government and Western ruling class, has been continuing the Palestinian genocide, bombing and occupying the region for more than two years without interruption, and has openly declared that the plan for a new Middle East and a greater Israel is on their table. They are brazenly and openly talking about attacking Iran. More than a thousand people were killed in the previous attack. The plan to bomb Iran, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Lebanon and Sudan, has been on the table of the US and Israel for more than two decades, and the CIA and Mossad are busy advancing it. Especially now, after the US attack on Venezuela and Nigeria and the threat to Cuba and Colombia, the danger seems greater.
A historic mission lies with the left and communist movements: to correctly analyse these conditions and find a way to prepare the people against both dangers. Organising people at all levels in general assemblies seems to be the best solution in the current critical situation. People united can maintain their hope in solidarity and unity and not despair. And this is the key.
The communist and workers movement must address the international left, workers and freedom-loving movement and ask them to stand with the struggling and courageous people of Iran and condemn the military attack on Iran.
 
 Note: Azar Majedi herself translated the article and provided to me.
Original Interview in Original Language: https://www.albadeel-alsheoi.org/ar/?p=8663