Iran: “We condemn foreign intervention and internal despotism”.

international | anti-war / imperialism | other press Tuesday December 04, 2007 13:55 by Yassamine Mather

Yassamine Mather writes about the US threats against Iran and about the developing resistance in Iran which opposes both the US and the Theoocracy.

Over the last week, the threat of an air attack on Iran has continued to be highlighted, while the US increased pressure on European and Asian banks and companies to follow its lead in imposing further sanctions. Of course, ordinary people in Iran are already paying the price for the policies of the warmongers in the US and EU. There are reports of new shortages every day and many workers fear that sanctions imposed on two major national banks - Bank Melli and Bank Saderat - will disrupt payment of their salaries (most major firms in Iran use these two banks to pay wages).

The economic sanctions and threat of military action coming from the warmongering, US coalition pose an additional deadly threat to the people of Iran. These threats have been used by the regime to further suppress the workers’ movement and all social struggles. The theocracy claims that the imperialists lie behind all protests inside Iran, and depict the protesters as US agents and accusations of “acting against national security” can be made against every opponent of the regime, leading to the detention of hundreds of activists.

Throughout Iran protests are planned for Student Day on December 4. The organisers have made it clear they will use the occasion to express their opposition both to “foreign intervention” and “internal despotism”. Their slogans will be: “Hands Off the People of Iran”, “No to war - the university is not an army garrison” and “We condemn foreign intervention and internal despotism”.

Students in Iran are not “confused” by slogans which oppose both imperialist war and the theocratic regime, as pro-Tehran apologists allege would be the case with workers and students in Britain. Unlike the SWP, they do not think that raising the issue of the regime’s dictatorship, or exposing the government’s neoliberal economic policies, will aid the US in its plans to attack Iran. Many workers have sent messages of solidarity to these leftwing students. They are refusing to be silenced despite the fact that many militants are currently facing jail sentences for organising workers against privatisation and the regime’s capitalist policies.

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