The political situation in Iran today is such that a more advanced and more radical people than the intellectuals and political powers have entered the arena and are expressing their issues and desires in various statements. In this edition I’d like to assign the Editor’s note to a statement published by a group of Iran’s students, who in recent years have represented one of Iran’s political groups. Leftist and socialist students who have called people to the streets to protest against the status quo. These students who time and again have in their protests and activities announced that they stand in solidarity with the workers’ and women’s movements and plan to build strong ties between the classes and various movements.
Sincerely, Saeed valadbaygi
Statement from the Socialist students of the universities of IranAgainst execution, suppression and the shameless sentences against student activists and the workers’ movement
The people’s protest movement against dictatorship and the corruption of Islamic socio-political capitalism continues and in various new forms, moment by moment confusing the dictatorship further. At a time when street campaigns are taking place at long intervals, the student movement has entered the battlefield with the start of the new academic year and every day we witness the successive protests and campaigns that from university to university, in the spirit of solidarity with one another and the movement, has gained momentum and mass appeal. Students have rightly realized that they must adopt the people’s street slogans in universities and in the process pursue the issues and desires of the workers, women, teachers and all sections of society for equality and freedom. The workers’ movement in the past few months following the electoral coup d’etat, has become one of the most critical and most sensitive issues in the social and political arena. On the one hand the economic and living conditions of the workers has made them resort to successive strikes in factories and industrial centres large and small. And on the other the presence of workers in recent protests, though not organized, their public campaign against the dictatorship is linked and a new horizon is open to them. Therefore the workers’ protest and struggle has entered a new phase, towards progress and achievement. The coup d’etat government, from the moment of the people’s eruption, has constantly strived to employ its institutional suppressors to stop this surge. Now that the coup d’etat government is at the peak of confusion and international, regional and domestic disturbance, after it riddled large numbers of freedom seeking people with its bullets, after the killing, the imprisoning, the torture and disappearance of large numbers of women and men who were only seeking equality and freedom, it’s now the turn of the social movements, especially the activists and leaders of the worker’s movement and student’s movement who have been subjected to heavy and shameless prison sentences. Heavy sentences of two to five years that have been issued in the last month. Disciplinary sentences that deprive students from study, alongside enforcing an atmosphere of high security in universities, are the coup d’etat government’s measures against the new conitunuous campaigns and protests of the university students throughout the country that has brought it to its knees. Likewise the arrests of labour activists, suppression of strikes and issue of shameless prison sentences at the hands of the Islamic dictatorship in the pursuit of its project to crush the movement, achieves nothing but an end to protest, the right of the people. The sum of these suppressions, of the coup d’etat government’s efforts, that include political suppression and the suppression of social movements and confrontational initiatives and the removal of social institutions such as NGOs - especially those active in the field of children’s rights and the struggle against the exploitation and shameless abuse of children - create an atmosphere of public intimidation where capital punishment and particularly that of children and young people applies. The death penalty, the hideous tool of organized murder at the hands of dictatorship governments, advances with rash process, the most disastrous form of which is the execution of young people and Iran, in helping the oppressive capitalist Islamic government, was the pioneer of this and has the highest per capita rating. And we have seen how inefficient pressure and formal recommendations from international institutions has been in putting a stop to it. All these desperate efforts on the part of the coup d’etat government demonstrate its troubled state. And neither a return to pre electoral coup d’etat times is possible nor advancement and putting a stop to the people’s protest.that is becoming more radical, by the desperate Islamic capitalist creation of an atmosphere of oppression and intimidation. It cannot build a dam against this movement. Social movements, particularly the worker’s movement will gain strength as they take greater shape and unite with other campaigns and will guarantee their power in the struggle. In the same way the worker’s movement, as with the expectations of the masses in the people’s movement, will be the pioneers of this struggle and take a huge step towards the horizon for the struggle of the past 30 years. The socialist students of Iran’s universities in condemning repression and the shameless sentencing against labour activists and student activists, and the rash and abhorrent executions of the coup d’etat government, defend the people’s anti-dictatorship struggle for freedom and equality and democratic rights. We pronounce our solidarity with the struggle and resistance against dictatorship and all our efforts are for the advancement of the public demands of social, freedom seeking movements. And we will engage fully with all actions that look towards this horizon.
Long live the mass campaign against dictatorship! Long live freedom and equality! Long live socialism!
Iranian band Kiosk might be exiles from their country of origin, but that has not stopped them from becoming symbols for a new generation of Persian music fans.
The band started out in a basement in Iran nearly 18 years ago. It is a story that is familiar to many contemporary musicians in Iran. Many bands decide to go literally underground, wary of the government's strict censorship laws, and limited tolerance of criticism, setting up makeshift studios in underground basements of friends and families. The band's lead singer and songwriter Arash Sobhani says that these makeshift studios are called "kiosks" - which is where the band's name comes from. Speaking to the BBC World Service, he says there are thousands of them all around the Iranian capital, Tehran. "Fifteen years ago there was no music stores and even carrying a electric guitar was not something you'd want to do on the streets," he explains. This type of cultural restriction sent many young musicians and bands into hiding.
>Fraught with danger Even releasing albums is fraught with danger, particularly if the lyrics are seen to be critical of the government or the clergy, making it very difficult for musicians playing modern or western to make a living in Iran. "That's why we have the underground music movement in Iran... people are really connecting to these kinds of lyrics and music," Sobhani says. These days he says the situation has improved a little, but there is still a long way to go. "Its got better because the population started to get younger and the government had to allow for some of these things, but still, compared to the number of bands and musicians we have inside Iran the situation is not good," he says. For Kiosk, the strict laws and censorship eventually forced them to move overseas. The band has been based in the US since 2006, they have just released their third studio album Global Zoo and these days their studio and their fan base is very much above ground. Last year they were awarded the Best Blues Band of 2008 by the World Academy of Arts, Literature, and Media. Their music is a distinct blend, mixing the traditions of blues, country and Persian music. Their sound might be a long way from underground, and its folksy style belies its serious, political content.
>Global zoo The band's guitarist and manager Babak Khiavchi says the band does not want to be tied to any particular genre, they prefer to simply play the music they like and is fun for them. "We are trying to go our own alternative direction which is different from the mainstream Persian pop music scene which is mostly cheesy lyrics and recycled ideas and dance music," he says. But he also is quick to point out that despite the fun they are having, their lyrics are a social commentary on the issues that affect the daily lives of Iranians all over the world. "We feel that there is a lot more potential in music for talking about social and cultural problems," he says. "It doesn't matter which country we are living in right now, we do feel like we are modern day gypsies, but we still have the same problems that we used to have as a culture whether in Iran or outside Iran." The band says the album's title Global Zoo is a reflection of not just Iran but the world. "When you look at the world it's more really a zoo, it's not even a jungle - you're captured you're in a cage and monkeys are running the world and so it's more like a zoo than a village," explains Sobhani. With the benefit of distance, does the band ever feel like they would like to return to Iran? There are after all presidential elections scheduled for June, and Iran's former president, and pro-reformist, Mohammad Khatami has said that he is planning to run in them. BBC correspondents say he has a good chance of unseating the current President, conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "Its very unpredictable, there's no really easy way of doing long term planning when it comes to Iran and its regulations," Sobhani says. And to make matters worse, Iran still remains in the eyes of many in the West, a global pariah, part of former US President George W Bush's axis of evil. "[The Iranian government] keep changing their statements every day. Its more like mind games than talking about facts and statics," says an exasperated Sobhani. "The whole world is really confused about Iran. Do we have a bomb or we don't have a bomb? We don't know either!"
Kiosk is a Persian Blues/Rock/Jazz band established by some friends , some years ago in a basement somewhere in Tehran.
Kiosk has never been limited by music style or location. It continues to evolve and experiment by using music and lyrics to express itself and connect to its worldwide audience.
To the outside world, street protests in Iran appear to have 'died down' since summer ended. Yet the opposition movement, driven underground, has strategically slated mass turnouts for calendar dates such as September's Qods Day, which turned the government's annual tradition of anti-Israel rallies on its head. By targeting dates of historic significance to the regime, opposition supporters aim to 'subvert' ideological symbols touted for 30 years by the Islamic Republic and thereby re-brand that date as an ideology-free 'green' day, the trademark color of the country's burgeoning pro-democracy movement. Far from being "spontaneous" as some in the Western media described the last instance when, by many estimates, hundreds of thousands of protesters poured into the streets, anti-government demonstrations are laboriously planned and promoted a month beforehand, originating online, as ever, and transmitted on the ground by word-of-mouth, leaflets, and other creative ways. The next major rally date is November 4, known as "13 Aban" on the Iranian calendar, which marks the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran. The designated route for the march is Talaghani Avenue in downtown Tehran and other streets near the former American embassy complex. Outside of the capital, protesters are set to march from the (public) State University to (private) Azad University campus in their city. Initiatives to invite the public to attend 13 Aban rallies began well over a month ago. Web-based promotion included bulletins on Reformist news sites and posters circulated in social media, especially Facebook. One poster urges protestors to drive their cars to the demonstration route and block the roads, if they fear coming to the streets on foot. Another poster calls on Iranians to chant Allah-o-Akbar from their rooftops at 10 pm on the night before the rally, almost like a collective war cry, except that the opposition is committed to nonviolent struggle. Aware that Iran's internet penetration rate hovers around 30 percent, efforts to spread the word in the physical world have included the distribution of flyers and writing Green 13 Aban! on billboards, walls, and money bills. "Money passes from hand to hand," an activist in Tehran involved in promotional efforts told Tehran Bureau. "The message gets out to everyone [that way]." A post-election phrase popularized by the Facebook page of opposition figure Mir Hossein Mousavi to counter the state's stranglehold on broadcasting, tight censorship of newspapers, and filtering of websites has been: You are the Media. Iran's youth have taken this call to heart, and Wednesday's turnout will be a measure of their success to mobilize the public for symbolic, date-based street protests in sustained a campaign for change.
>>Brave student defies the “Supreme Leader” of Iran
A brave Iranian student has openly criticised the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a formal annual meeting held between the leader and various intellectuals and academic figures on Wednesday.
In this meeting which is usually a place for students from across Iran to praise the leader and to show him their devotion, a mathematics student from Sharif University of Technology and a winner of the International Mathematics Olympiad courageously rose from amongst those present and requested to speak to the leader.
The student then directly addressed the leader criticising him and the Islamic Republic for twenty minutes. His comments were followed by occasional applause and cheers from those present. Iranian state-run TV which was broadcasting live images of the meeting was forced to stop airing the programme for some time.
During the meeting this daring student managed to grill Khamenei on a number of issues including the state-run TV’s one-sided performance during and after the elections. State-run Television is under the supervision of the leader. He also touched on the issue of the freedom of speech and the banning of newspapers and the atmosphere of fear that was dominant in the country, while calling on the need for open criticism of the leader himself.
“I have been following newspapers and magazines more seriously for four or five years now. During this time, I do not recall having read any piece that was critical of the leader.”
The student also expressed contempt towards what he described as a campaign to idolise the leader while questioning the “cycle of power” in the Islamic Republic and the structure of the Guardians Council and the Council of the Elite which many believe have compromised the people’s votes and their say in their own affairs.
The comments made by this student were actually the main reason for which Ayatollah Khamenei brought up the issue of the elections and its aftermath on Wednesday.
According to unconfirmed reports, this Sharif University student was faced with security forces after the meeting was over.
>>Iran's Economic Daily Sarmayeh Banned
Another Iranian newspaper was shut down by the order of Iran’s ministry of culture. ILNA reports that Sarmayeh (Capital) daily has lost its publishing privileges after “repeated violations” of specific media regulations. Ministry officials claim that Sarmayeh was working outside its approved category as a specialized publication in the human sciences field with a research and educational approach.
Last month, Culture Minister Mohammad Hoseini described that the banning of newspapers in Iran “nothing out of the ordinary.”
In the post-election events at least six publications have been shut down.
Iran has been given some of the lowest grades in terms of freedom of press by Reporters without Borders and “Freedom House” media research organization.
>>Russian Embassy Tightens Security for 4 November
The Russian Embassy has demanded extreme security measures for its embassy in Tehran. It is expected that people will gather outside the Embassy on Wednesday 4 November, Student Day (“fight against arrogance”), and protest against the country’s policies towards Iran. Officially the day’s events are due to take place Taleghani Street, in front of former U.S Embassy. 4 November marks the 30th anniversary of the US Embassy siege by Iranian students.
>>Official Complaint Filed Against Moussavi
The general prosecutor has reported some 100 House of Representatives complaints against Mir Hossein Moussavi. In a meeting with journalists Hojjat al-Islam Gholam Hossein Mohseni Azhei stated: “Last Wednesday 21 October two members of the House of Representatives presented me with the motion involving a significant number of representatives. We have also have received documents from other organizations asking us to investigate this matter. However, the general prosecutor will not act directly, but we will prepare the case and send it to judicial authorities for further investigation.” Azhei added: “Some of the charges raised against Mir Hossein Moussavi in the statement from the representatives are: collaboration and command of security disturbance and propaganda against the Islamic regime based on article 610 and 618 of Islamic criminal law.”
>>Murder Statistics for Women Not Revealed
In a meeting for "the reduction of gender based violence” held by the Organization for Defending Victims of Violence, Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, stressed that there are no official, accurate statistics of murders. He announced that in general the number of murder cases in Tehran in the first six months of 1388 (2009) is around 103 and that 27 percent were women. Thisnumber is an increase on last year. The speakers at the conference refused to provide the figures, and Jafari Dolatabadi commented that “providing figures and statistics may cause confrontation with the government”. He divided women's murder into four categories : Honour killings, spouse murders, serial murders and ordinary murders. He added that the greatest number of honour killings are happening in Khouzestan province. Regarding the punishment of murderers, Tehran's prosecutor said that lots of defendants use amnesty laws or the victim’s family give a letter of consent.
>>Nuclear Inspectors Meet Fleeing Scientist Before Tehran Visit
International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors had a meeting with Shahram Amini, a nuclear scientist who has recently fled Iran, in Frankfurt before leaving for Tehran. Atomic Energy Agency inspectors arrived in Tehran on Sunday morning to visit the enrichment facilities in Qom city and it was declared yesterday that their mission was over. Amini worked at this site and had previously given information about these facilities to western countries. Earlier United Press International (UPI) had reported that exposing the nuclear facilities at Qom has increased doubts regarding the scope and purpose of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program and that the US and European officials are convinced that the facilities are for making atomic weapons. These officials said that in terms of structure, the Qom facilities are suited to a military aim., expressing that there is no possible role for this facility for civilians.
>>Dismissal of Baha'i Students from Semnan University
Mojdeh Nourai, Farahnaz Felfeli and Ardalan Tanyanian who passed this year’s university entrance exam for Semnan University were dismissed by university guards after only one week of attendance and deprived of their right to education. Heranaagency reports that the students’ pursuit of this injustice with the university president and authorities has achieved nothing and their only response has been that the action was and “order from higher authorities". However no documentation of this is available to the students. Human Rights Activists in Iran
>>Iran Ranks a low 128 among 134 countries in Gender Discrimination
As in previous years Scandinavian countries have ranked in the top 14 countries regarding upholding gender rights. USA and Great Britain have declined in their ratings. According to the latest annual gender discrimination table, Iran has ranked 128 with an index of. This index varies between 0 and 1. This means that if an index is close to 0, gender discrimination is very low and the closer the index falls below 1, gender discrimination is higher. According to these figures presented by the World Economic Committee (organizer) 67% of the countries have apparently improved in gender discrimination issues while 33% of countries have deteriorated. Economic opportunity, women’s participation, level of education and mediation are four areas used to measure the index.Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-large of Global Women’s Issues said: “We will not be able to solve the main challenges of our time without the presence of women. Women are key to economic growth while they do not have a place in decision making positions”. According to a 2009 report observing the direct relationship between economic development and women’s presence in political fields, 43 countries have progressed in this field while most countries have progressed 83% in education and women’s participation in economic fields. This year Iceland gained first place, which belonged to Norway last year. The interesting point is that the US ranking of 31compared to last year’s 27 is a downtrend for this country. USA ranked 23rd in 2006. In 2006 Iran ranked 108 among 115 countries with an index of .580, 118 among 128 with an index of .590 in 2007 and 116 among 130 with an index of .602 in 2008.
>>University students protest visit of government official
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's former Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance was unable to deliver a speech at Khajeh Nasir Tousi University after student's started chanting slogans in support of the opposition. Upon arrival in the amphitheater where the speech was to take place, Mohammad Hossein Saffar Harandi was overwhelmed with cries of "culture killer," "our culture minister, our shame," and "death to the dictator." Saffar-Harandi who was struggling to maintain his calm, responded by saying that Mohammad Khatami's culture minister, "Ataollah Mohajerani was better deserving of such honorary titles," and asked students to allow him to begin his speech.
Students then began shouting "Liar, Liar where is your 63 percent." Harandi replied by saying that this slogan better suited those who had released a list of post-election casualties. "Where are your 73 victims?" he asked Students then began to chant slogans requesting the release of political prisoners as they help up photos of Mohsen Mirdamadi, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, Abdollah Momeni and Ahmad Zeydabadi. At this point, campus security began filming the session and the students shouting in protest. Harandi attempted to continue his speech about the importance of the U.S. Embassy takeover 30 years ago. However, students had turned their backs to the podium and were chanting "turn off your cameras." Harandi began calling students "uneducated" and "dictators," at which point students held up their shoes in a symbolic gesture. Harandi called the students "ill-mannered" and said, "They had told me [beforehand] that you had brought in a sack of shoes [to throw at me] but none of you has the courage of Montazer al-Zaydi to even throw your shoes at me."
Students responded by saying, "My shoes are too much for a liar." After students began chanting "Oh Hossein, Mir Hossein" and "Iran will see Judgment Day if Karroubi is arrested." Harandi was forced to quickly wrap-up his speech and was escorted out of the venue by his bodyguards. When students tried to follow Saffar-Harandi, his bodyguards reportedly began attacking them. The move infuriated students causing them to gather outside the amphitheater and chant, "Get lost, mercenary," and "Saffar, what scared you off?" Students then moved outside and gathered in front of the university where they continued shouting slogans such as, "Iran has become Palestine, people why are you still sitting," "Neither West, Nor East, Only a Green Iran," and "Dictator, Dictator, this is our final message, Iran's Green Movement is ready for uprising."
>>Film Makers’ Statement Warning of the Elimination of Independent Cinema
Fans of Iran cinema,
Cinema auditoriums are not showing some of our films and the ones that are screened are subject to numerous limitations yet there is no law to protect us. Something stands between you and us. This drive wants the sovereignty of money and capitalism and whoever doesn't make films that support this sovereignty in public screening will be punished by capitalism. At present the criteria for the public screening of a film is not a prominent and talented filmmaker or the calibre of the film. They want to do away with independent cinema and do us the maximum favor and keep it in patio. Fans of Iranian cinema, we make these films for you and with your motivation. Direct communication with people is the absolute right of any professional filmmaker and it's the people's right to watch different films, but monopolization has closed the way. If the system for making films and showing them in cinemas does not change and if cultural and economical justice doesn't apply in the world of films, we will witness theend of Iranian cinema.
Signed: Saeed Ebrahimfar, Mohammad Ahmadi , Saeed Asadi, Sirous Alvand, Mohsen Amiryousefi, Alireza Amini, Mohammad Bozorgnia, Rakhshan Banietemad, Ferial Behzad, Habibollah Bahmani, Bahram Beizai, Kambozia Partovi, Kiomars Pourahmad, Nase Taqvai , Qasem Jafari, Mohammad Hossein Haqiqi, Manijeh Hekmat, Azizollah Hamidnejad, Akbar Khajoui, Alireza Davoud, Nejad,Abolhasan Davoudi, Ahmad Reza Darvish, AmirshahabRezvanian, Abbas Rafei, Ali Jekan , Mohammad Ali Sajjadi,Siamak Shaeqi, Parviz Shahbazi, Yadollah Samadi,Kianoush Ayari, Naser Qolamrezai , Mehdi Fakhimzadeh , Ebrahim Forouzesh , Mehrdad Farid, Majid Qarizadeh, Rahbar Qanbari, Iraj Karimi , Abbas Kiarostami, Abdoreza Kahani, Manouchehr Masiri, Khosro Masoumi, Nader Moqadas, Mohammad Motevaselani, Asqar Hashemi, Mohammad Reza Honarmand
>>Rafsanjani's son on the defensive
In an undated video that has surfaced from a conference organized by the Tehran Municipality on the capital's planned 7th subway line, Mohsen Hashemi, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's oldest son, and CEO and president of the Tehran Urban and Suburban Railway Co., delivers an unexpected emotional speech in support of his family. He denied allegations made by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during the presidential campaign accusing his family of financial corruption. In response to a widely held belief that Ahmadinejad picked up a significant amount of votes as a result of attacks on his father, he said, "If they allow [people to] talk about bigger people than Rafsanjani, they would get even more votes. Actually, if you put the whole revolution under question, you'd attract 70 million votes." The 70-million reference is to the population of Iran. More notable than what he says, is the tone of the outburst, which appears to be the product of great frustration and anger at the pressures on his family and a lack of access to state media to respond. Rafsanjani, once considered a pillar of the Islamic Republic, is now under such pressure that his son appears to need to use the rare chance of an official gathering to speak in defense of his father.
>>Iran to seek fuel supply guarantees in next round of talks
After holding three days of nuclear discussions with Western powers, Iran says it is ready for the next round of talks in order to ensure that its technical concerns regarding the issue of a guarantee for the supply of nuclear fuel are addressed. Speaking to Press TV on Monday, Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency Ali-Asghar Soltaniyeh expressed the Islamic Republic's readiness to buy its needed nuclear fuel from global suppliers. "We are ready to buy [the fuel] from any supplier under the full surveillance of the IAEA ... as we bought from Argentina about 20 years ago with the cooperation of the IAEA. The core issue is assurance and guarantee for [the] supply of the fuel," Soltaniyeh said.
>>Iran police warn opposition over new demonstration
Iranian police warned the opposition Monday not to hold protests this week that would coincide with annual state-sponsored demonstrations against the United States. The warning comes days after two opposition leaders suggested they will call their supporters to the streets Wednesday, in what was seen as an attempt to reinvigorate their movement after a harsh crackdown killed dozens of protesters in postelection turmoil over the summer. Wednesday marks the 30th anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by militant students following the Islamic Revolution — a day that typically draws thousands to the streets of Tehran. Tehran's acting police chief, Gen. Ahmad Reza Radan, warned Monday against any "illegal gatherings." "Those who deceitfully invite and encourage people and youngsters to an illegal gathering should be held accountable for their actions," Radan was quoted as saying on Iran's official news agency, IRNA. Hard-liners already have called on security forces to take tough action against any opposition rally that day.
Calls to the opposition were not immediately returned Monday. Thousands of people were arrested in a heavy crackdown this summer that crushed mass protests in support of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who claims the June 12 disputed presidential election was stolen through massive vote fraud. Dozens were killed in the crackdown. It was the country's worst unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. On Monday, authorities also closed down a business newspaper known for criticizing the government. The Culture Ministry ordered the newspaper closed because its content strayed from the business field, reported IRNA. The Sarmayeh newspaper was known for carrying articles critical of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's economic policies, which they say have impoverished the country. Since 2000 more than 100 newspapers and periodicals were banned in Iran, mostly on security charges. Also Monday, state television reported that the Iranian intelligence service arrested five "terrorist" suspects who allegedly planned to assassinate an official and confiscated weapons belonging to the group. The report did not provide details, but it cited the intelligence service as saying the group had also planned an attack in early September to instigate more post-election turmoil.
>>Britain, Russia, others urge Iran to respond to uranium proposal
Britain, Russia and their international partners want a "prompt response" from Iran on a uranium enrichment proposal, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Monday. "We both want to see a prompt response from the Iranian regime in respect of the Tehran research reactor proposal," Miliband said at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. "We both want to see a positive response to the offer that was agreed by the E3 +3 ... in May 2008."
The E3 + 3 refers to the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany. Mohamed ElBaradei, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency -- the United Nations' nuclear watchdog -- has given Iran another 48 hours "to come up with a serious response," Miliband said "That's what we all want to see," he added. Last week, Iran said it tentatively agreed to the IAEA's proposal, but then proposed its own conditions.
The initial draft was supported by the United States, France and Russia. It calls for Iran to ship low-enriched uranium outside the country for refinement, possibly to Russia. The material would be shipped back to Iran in a form usable for civilian purposes. However, Tehran proposes that its uranium be enriched on Iranian soil by a third country, under IAEA supervision, ElBaradei said last week. Iran said another possibility would be sending out the uranium in several shipments, not in one bulk stockpile, he said. Iran says the IAEA is responsible for sending it 20 percent-enriched uranium, which Iran says is needed for the reactor at Tehran University. That concentration is insufficient for making weapons.
The United States and other nations are trying to eliminate Iran's weapon-making capabilities, although Iran says it wants uranium solely for civilian purposes. Speaking on Monday, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner also called on Iran to respond quickly to the offer or, he warned, France would not accept Tehran's response. In his final speech to the U.N. General Assembly, ElBaradei on Monday said Iran needs "to be as forthcoming as possible in responding soon to my recent proposal, based on the initiative of the U.S., Russia and France, which aimed to engage Iran in a series of measures that could build confidence and trust and open the way for comprehensive and substantive dialogue between Iran and the international community. "This is a unique and fleeting opportunity to reverse course from confrontation to cooperation and should, therefore, not be missed," he said.
>>Many who stormed US embassy now oppose Iran regime
Many of the Iranians who led the storming of the US embassy in Tehran 30 years ago, inspired by the newly-created Islamic Republic, have become severe critics of the regime they helped to establish. The students who captured the city centre compound of "The Great Satan" and who took more than 50 US diplomats hostage said they acted in response to Washington's refusal to hand over deposed shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. They feared a repetition of US interference such as the CIA-organised coup in 1953 that overthrew nationalist prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh. Chants of "Death to America" reverberated through the streets of Tehran as Iranian masses sang the praises of the daring move against the embassy. Related article: Decades of bad blood Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic regime, dubbed the building's capture a "second revolution." But many leading participants such as Massoumeh Ebtekar, Abbas Abdi and Mohsen Mirdamadi have since developed into reformists highly critical of the conservative government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mirdamadi, who played a key role in the embassy capture on November 4 1979, went on to head the influential national security and foreign policy committee of Iran's majlis (parliament). He is now in prison accused of trying to topple the government. Abdi too has served time in an Iranian jail for his work on opinion polls saying that Iranians want diplomatic relations with the United States. Many attribute the failure of Jimmy Carter, US Democratic president from 1977 to 1981, to win a second term in office to his mismanagement of the hostage crisis when a failed rescue operation led to the crash of two aircraft and the deaths of eight American servicemen. The 52 staff were released only in January 1981 following 444 days in captivity, just moments after Republican Ronald Reagan replaced Carter in the White House. Washington broke off official relations during the crisis, a rupture that has yet to be healed. Iran still lauds the seizure as a revolutionary act while Washington condemns it as an abuse of human rights. Nowadays the annual event opposite the former US embassy, known locally as the "Den of Spies," continues to draw a massive crowd, composed mainly of schoolchildren, since the day is also known as "student day." They listen dutifully to a keynote speaker designated by the government, often someone who was not involved in the hostage-taking. Iranian state-run television still broadcasts footage of the radical students parading the US diplomats blindfolded around the compound and burning the American flag. The embassy building, now under the control of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, is used as an educational centre where occasional exhibitions highlight the "crimes" of the United States. This year the annual anti-US day could also be marked by street protests against Ahmadinejad, whose disputed re-election on June 12 triggered the worst political crisis in the Islamic Republic's history. Ahmadinejad's main rivals have rejected what they say is his "fraudulent victory" and their supporters have demonstrated in vast numbers against the hardliner.
>>Iran needs additional $3.8 billion for gasoline through March 2010
A senior Iranian official said the Islamic Republic needs to pay an additional $3.8 billion for gasoline imports through March 2010, and domestic gasoline rations may be reduced this winter, the Jam-e-Jam daily newspaper reported Tuesday. "Iran needs $3.8 billion to import gasoline by the end of the current (Iranian) year," said Mohammad Royanian,who heads Iran's Fuel Transport and Management Organization, according to the Jam-e-Jam newspaper . The Iranian year ends March 20. Royanian said the government Fuel Transport and Management Organization had received expert recommendations to cut gasoline rations for the winter season, reports the newspaper. "Some experts have recommended to the Fuel Transport and Management Organization headquarters that gasoline rations for cars be cut in the winter," Jam-e-Jam cites Royanian as saying. Under Iran's current gasoline rationing scheme, which was launched in June 2007 to curb consumption and redirect money to shore up the nation's oil infrastructure, the monthly quotas for government-subsidized gasoline is 100 liters a month for individual drivers at a subsidized price of 1,000 rials a liter. Drivers can buy gasoline beyond the monthly quota for 4,000 rials a liter. According to government officials, Iran pays between $35 billion to $45 billion a year on fuel subsidies. Subsidized fuels primarily include gasoline, gasoil, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, and fuel oil. Reuters on Tuesday quoted gasoline traders as saying that Iran is struggling to finance its international gasoline purchases. "They are struggling to raise money for their international oil purchases, and are trying to keep costs down...it doesn't help that oil prices are on the rise as well," said a a Middle East based gasoline trader, according to Reuters. "Their initial bid price was pretty low, about 25, 30 percent off the market but there was no way anyone was going to deal at those levels," the trader added.
>>Reformist journalist released on bail, hospitalized
After 124 days in detention, reformist journalist Hengameh Shahidi was released on a bail of 90,000 dollars, then transferred to a hospital.
Branch 26 of the Revolution Court issued the order for Shahidi's release on bail.
Shahidi requested more time to prepare her defense during her first court appearance, which was held in the same branch on Sunday. The judge granted a stay.
[Source: Norooz] Shahidi, who had been detained on June 30, suffers from severe heart problems requiring her to take 28 pills a day. Before her release, she was on her eighth day of a hunger and a medication strike to protest stagnation in her case. The Shahidi family said she was in poor health and seeking medical attention.
>>Baha'i Citizen Arrested in Yasouj
A Baha’i resident of Yasuj was arrested by security forces. HRA- The Bahai’ rights committee of HRA reports that at 11 am on October 31, 2009 the officers of Yasuj Intelligence Office went to the house of a Baha’i resident called “Ali Bakhsh Bazrafkan” and after showing their warrant, they inspected his house and confiscated all his books and personal belongings. Later, they accompanied him to visit his son “Arman Bazrafkan” where they also inspected his house and confiscated all his religious books. After completing the inspection which lasted for about 2 hours, the officers arrested Ali Bakhsh Bazrafkan and it has been reported that he is still in detention. It should be mentioned that Ali Bakhsh Bazrafkan had been previously a member of the Yasuj Managing Bahais’ Council. This council was shut down last March as ordered by the Revolutionary Court Prosecutor, and Mr Bazrafkan has not had any responsibility of any kind among the Baha’i Community of Yasuj since then.
>>Human Rights Lawyer Indicted for Criticizing Execution of Minor
Lawyer and human rights advocate, Mohammad Oliyaifard was indicted for criticizing actions of the Judiciary and talking publicly about them. HRA- The freedom of expression unit of HRA reports that Mohammad Oliyaifard, defense lawyer and human rights advocate, defended himself against all charges during a hearing held today at 10.30 am before the first branch of Public Servants Tribunal in Tehran. The prosecution has accused Oliyaifard of propagating against the regime, disturbing the public mind, talking publicly about the execution of Behnoud Shojai and criticizing actions of the Judiciary. Oliyafard defended his actions and was released on $50,000 bail pending next court hearing. This is the second court case against the well known jurist who is already in the middle of fighting another case for insulting the agents of the Intelligence Ministry.
>>Revolutionary Guards warn against Nov. 4th "disturbances"
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards, the elite corps largely responsible for the crackdown on the protesters of the June presidential elections, published an announcement today to warn against the proposed protest march being organized by the opposition for November 4.
In their statement, the Guards invite people from every walk of life to join the ceremonies for the day and to limit their slogans to anti-US content. They cautioned that “collaborators of the enemy and deceived people may attempt to create disturbances and riots.”
In Iran, the anniversary of occupation of the US embassy on November 4th, 1979 is held with demonstrations against US policies against the Islamic Republic. Supporters of disputing candidates of the June presidential election, Mir Hosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi have announced their intention to stage their own demonstrations on the day to protest the alleged fraud in the presidential elections that secured Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory.
People have been rallied by individual calls for protest from Mir Hosein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, Ayatollah Yousef Sanei and the Association of Combatant Clerics. Protesters also staged protests on Iran’s annual anti-Israel day of demonstrations on September 18, chanting their own slogans of protests against the June elections and the post-election government. The Revolutionary Guards new statement maintains that Iranian people “will not allow any movement to taint their determined will by creating deviating slogans and false issues.” They also condemned the US of starting a “soft war” against the Islamic Republic regime.
Headquarters of Iran’s armed forces has announced that in the past 30 years, especially in the recent events, they have learned how to “confront the dominating US policies with astuteness.”
Deputy Commander of police forces has also announced that illegal gatherings will not be tolerated on November 4th. Ahmadreza Radan has warned: “Those who intend to join illegal gatherings and those who have deceived people and invited them to join these illegal gatherings will have to answer for their deeds.”
Iran police commander had announced earlier that any gathering will require police permission.
Charles Darwin film 'too controversial for religious America'
A British film about Charles Darwin has failed to find a US distributor because his theory of evolution is too controversial for American audiences, according to its producer. The film was chosen to open the Toronto Film Festival and has its British premiere on Sunday. It has been sold in almost every territory around the world, from Australia to Scandinavia. However, US distributors have resolutely passed on a film which will prove hugely divisive in a country where, according to a Gallup poll conducted in February, only 39 per cent of Americans believe in the theory of evolution.
Movieguide.org, an influential site which reviews films from a Christian perspective, described Darwin as the father of eugenics and denounced him as "a racist, a bigot and an 1800s naturalist whose legacy is mass murder". His "half-baked theory" directly influenced Adolf Hitler and led to "atrocities, crimes against humanity, cloning and genetic engineering", the site stated.
The film has sparked fierce debate on US Christian websites, with a typical comment dismissing evolution as "a silly theory with a serious lack of evidence to support it despite over a century of trying". Jeremy Thomas, the Oscar-winning producer of Creation, said he was astonished that such attitudes exist 150 years after On The Origin of Species was published. "That's what we're up against. In 2009. It's amazing," he said. "The film has no distributor in America. It has got a deal everywhere else in the world but in the US, and it's because of what the film is about. People have been saying this is the best film they've seen all year, yet nobody in the US has picked it up.
"It is unbelievable to us that this is still a really hot potato in America. There's still a great belief that He made the world in six days. It's quite difficult for we in the UK to imagine religion in America. We live in a country which is no longer so religious. But in the US, outside of New York and LA, religion rules. "Charles Darwin is, I suppose, the hero of the film. But we tried to make the film in a very even-handed way. Darwin wasn't saying 'kill all religion', he never said such a thing, but he is a totem for people."
Creation was developed by BBC Films and the UK Film Council, and stars Bettany's real-life wife Jennifer Connelly as Darwin's deeply religious wife, Emma. It is based on the book, Annie's Box, by Darwin's great-great-grandson, Randal Keynes, and portrays the naturalist as a family man tormented by the death in 1851 of Annie, his favourite child. She is played in the film by 10-year-old newcomer Martha West, the daughter of The Wire star Dominic West. Early reviews have raved about the film. The Hollywood Reporter said: "It would be a great shame if those with religious convictions spurned the film out of hand as they will find it even-handed and wise."
Mr Thomas, whose previous films include The Last Emperor and Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, said he hoped the reviews would help to secure a distributor. In the UK, special screenings have been set up for Christian groups.
Comments: "Have just read an article about "Should America Grow Up". The question of religion is perhaps one of the reasons for the article. As a nation that considers itself to be a leader, how on earth could so many people bury there head in the sand. As Richard Dawkins says "Think for your self"."
"The frightening thing here, is not whether the film promotes a debate on whether God exists or not, but the fact that it has been decided that Americans are not allowed to watch a movie.Surely we should be able to make our own choices whether to see a movie or not. I hardly think seeing a film about a grief stricken scientist who lost his daughter and subsequently questioned God's existence would challenge any religious persons mind about their own religious beliefs. I find this a bit frightening that we would be controlled this way. It looks like a well made interesting film to me, and I am shocked that someone else has decided for me that I cannot see it."
"Charles Darwin undoubtedly is one of the greatest minds that have appeared. Like Galileo he was rediculed for his great discoveries by the religious oracles. Unfortunately, throughout the history of mankind we have seen that monothesitic religions only crop up the seeds of hatred and disrespect notably towards scientific intellectuals. This is why I believe in a secular society as progress is achieved through logical factualities and not mythological and mystical speculations."
"As an American, it brings me great shame to read articles like these. Maybe if more of us read the founding fathers' writings, we would see that America was never meant to be a Christian nation Frankly, I am surprised that they had the balls to show Idiocracy.
The present world crisis of capitalism means we have entered a new period in which the workers will face a situation of permanent austerity, with cuts in welfare and attacks on working conditions. This is already having a radicalising affect on millions of workers and youth, particularly in Latin America and other underdeveloped parts of the world and it is spreading to the advanced countries also.
A whole period of austerity
Over a period of fifty years, thanks to the economic upswing, in the advanced capitalist countries (Europe, the United States, Japan, Australia, etc.), the working class and its organizations were able to conquer at least semi-civilized conditions of existence. They considered these conditions to be normal because they have never known anything else. But the last fifty years were not normal at all. This was an historical exception, not the normal state of affairs under capitalism. Take the question for example of pensions. The first man to introduce pensions was Bismarck. This reactionary Bonapartist kindly introduced pensions for everybody over 70 years of age. At that time in Germany, the average life expectancy was 45. Bismarck was a really smart man! Nowadays workers in many countries consider it a right that when they finish working at 60 or 65 they have the right to some money from the state. They think it is normal, an automatic right. But it is not normal and it’s not an automatic right. Now the bourgeois are saying this publicly: we can’t afford this. We can’t afford to maintain so many old and unproductive people. The problem is that people are living too long. They should do us a favour and die a bit earlier! Let me quote The Economist editorial of the 27th of June. “Whether we like it or not, we are going back to the pre-Bismarckian world where work had no formal stopping point.” In other words you work until you drop dead. Pensions will be under attack, beginning in the United States. President Obama represents the smiling mask of capitalism. The man wears a permanent smile that resembles an advertisement for toothpaste. But this nice smiling reasonable mask is going to slip very quickly, and behind the smiling mask the people will see the real brutal, savage, ugly face of capitalism. It’s not a question of stupidity, or because they’re vicious (although they are vicious) it’s a question of absolute necessity. From a capitalist standpoint, they have no choice except to do this. When they say we can’t afford these reforms, from the standpoint of market economics, they’re telling the truth: they must cut, and cut, and cut again, even when there’s a boom. British Airways recently demanded that workers work for nothing, “we can’t afford to pay your wages,” they say. In January the Teamsters, which is a powerful section of the working class of the USA, accepted a wage cut of ten percent. What conclusions does one draw from this? Do we say that there’s a low level of consciousness, that the workers are not revolutionary, the usual nonsense we hear from the revisionists and the sects? No! We don’t draw any conclusion like that. Things like this are an inevitable consequence of the present phase through which we’re passing – the transition from one period to another, very different, period.
Ferment in society
What we have described is not a simple or uniform process. There are some quite bitter strikes taking place, even now. There have been factory occupations, not just in South America, but even in Britain there have been some factory occupations. One week ago there was a factory occupation in the Isle of Wight. I don’t know if the comrades have ever heard of the Isle of Wight? It’s a little island on the south coast of England where rich people go to play with their yachts, where people go on holidays, where the Conservative Party always wins by big majorities. For the Venezuelan comrades, it’s a bit like the Isle of Margarita, except that it rains all the time. Otherwise it would be very nice. There was a factory occupation a week ago on the Isle of Wight. That’s a fact, and quite a significant fact, but we must be careful about this. If I said that was the general picture of workers in Britain that would be false; it’s not the general picture, at this stage. That will come later. But it is not yet the case. However, one cannot draw an automatic parallel between strikes and radicalization, which can express itself in many ways. Marxists would not expect immediately a lot of strike activity in a deep crisis: this would be completely unreal. There’s a very low level of strikes as a matter of fact: in Britain, in Italy, in France, in the USA. But that does not exhaust the question. There is a tremendous ferment in society, there’s a widespread questioning of the capitalist system which was not there before. This is our terrain; it’s a terrain in which our ideas can make a big impact. This is a change, and it is an important change. It must create favourable conditions for the development of the Marxist tendency. I said in America from 1929 to 1933 there were almost no strikes, but the American Communist Party grew quite rapidly in those days, among the unemployed and blacks in particular.
The “Third World”
What is true for the advanced capitalist countries is ten times truer for the so-called “third world.” I don’t like the expression “third world,” I think it’s an unscientific expression but I can’t think of an alternative. We’re referring to parts of Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.
When Marx said the choice for humanity was socialism or barbarism, that is literally true. Sub-Saharan Africa was an absolute nightmare situation, even during the boom: a terrible genocide in Rwanda, a horrific civil war in the Congo which no one even talked about, in which at least five or six million people were slaughtered. Now there’s a savage war taking place in Somalia. Recently an American strategist said “you’re all worried about Afghanistan, you should be more worried about Pakistan and Somalia where you can have a similar developments taking place.” But even in Africa there are key countries where there is a powerful working class: Nigeria, Egypt, where there have been big strikes. But the key country in black Africa is South Africa. The ANC came to power on the basis of a betrayal, a complete sell-out. The mass of black workers got hardly anything out of that deal. All that happened was that there was a black bourgeoisie and a black middle class that fused with the white exploiters and there was a bourgeois section of the ANC led by Thabo Mbeki. He was a Stalinist and then became a complete bourgeois and as a result there was an open split in the ANC. South Africa is severely affected by the economic crisis, although they had no crisis for 17 years. Now they have a deep recession, the official unemployment rate is 23.5%, the real rate is much higher. Zuma replaced Mbeki and it’s clear that the mass of black workers thought Zuma was going to be on the left, that he was going to defend their interests. But last week there was a massive strike in South Africa. It started with the bus workers, but on Monday and Tuesday of this week there have been big strikes in all the major cities of South Africa, not just the buses but the clinics, the traffic officers, the libraries, the parks, the public sector in general. The municipal workers’ union is demanding a wage increase of 15%. And it looks as if they’re going to get it. But there have been clashes with the police, barricades have been set up and the police are firing rubber bullets against the workers. At least 12 workers were injured in these clashes, and this is continuing. So now the revolutionary movement is spreading to the key country in Africa, which is South Africa.
I won’t say much about Latin America because we have discussed that quite a lot. It remains, of course, an absolutely key sector of the world revolution. In Venezuela the revolution has lasted for over ten years, which is an incredible state of affairs, unknown in history that the situation should last as long as that. But here there is a problem of leadership. Chavez is a very courageous and honest man, but he’s proceeding empirically, improvising, making up a programme as he goes along. He is trying to balance between the working class and the bourgeoisie. And that is impossible. It cannot be maintained. He was able to do this for quite a long time because of the economic situation. As Lenin said, politics is concentrated economics. The high price of oil saved them. They were able to make concessions, reforms, the missions, and so on, but that’s finished. The price of oil has fallen. It has recovered a little bit but that’s not enough. According to the figures I’ve seen, inflations is at about 30%. Therefore there has been a fall in real wages. Many of the welfare schemes are being cut and unemployment is increasing. I don’t doubt that the Venezuelan workers still remain loyal to Chavez, but I also have no doubt whatsoever that many workers, even dedicated Chavistas, are saying, and thinking: what sort of a Revolution is this? What sort of Socialism is this? Are we going to solve these problems or not? And that must have a reflection within the Socialist Party, within the PSUV, which is holding its Congress in the autumn. The Party has been heavily bureaucratized and the leadership is dominated by reformists, but the pressure from below will be there. There is a sharp polarization between the left and the right within Venezuela and this polarization must be reflected within the Bolivarian movement itself. And that should be a very favourable condition for the Marxist tendency. You can see how correct we were, when we insisted so persistently on the central role of the mass organizations. In South Africa we said the movement would go through the ANC and the South African Communist Party and of course the trade unions COSATU. It was a little bit delayed, and in general the processes have been delayed because of the economic situation. We have to be patient. But in South Africa our perspectives are taking place before our eyes. And in Venezuela it will be the same, because the comrades have done marvellous work in Venezuela, combining theoretical firmness with the necessary tactical flexibility, always stressing the role of the Bolivarian movement and the PSUV. In the next couple of years I believe the foundation will be laid for a mass left-wing opposition within the PSUV, in which we will participate, of course, fertilizing it with the ideas of Marxism. In Mexico, again, we see the importance of leadership. In 2006, Lopez Obrador would have only had to lift his little finger and he could have had a successful socialist revolution in Mexico, where millions of people were on the streets. But because Lopez Obrador is who he is, I think he was more terrified of the movement than even Calderon, he tried to put the brakes on the movement. And therefore logically people are disappointed. In the recent elections, the PRD suffered a defeat and the old PRI got big support. Does that mean to say the Mexican workers are reactionary, or that they have suddenly become conservatives? We must understand the psychology of the Mexican workers. They supported the PRD, they supported Lopez Obrador, but there’s a very serious economic crisis in Mexico. Whole areas of Mexico depend on the immigrants working in the United States (this is even more true of Central America, as you saw in Honduras, or El Salvador). When these immigrant workers are laid off, they can’t send money back to their families. It is a catastrophe. That explains the convulsions in Honduras. There will be similar convulsions in all the countries of Central America. But workers are very practical people. A Mexican worker looks at the PRD and its leaders, and he says: “these people are hopeless, they’re not doing anything. I need to eat. I need a job. When the PRI were in power, we knew they were corrupt gangsters, but at least they gave me something to eat, I had a job.” So many people voted in the PRI, to see if they would do something for them. They will not, and the PRI will soon discredit itself. The PRD will recover on the basis of a further move to the left.
Threat of Fascism?
In this situation – a transitional situation we will find all kinds of contradictions, not just in South America but in Europe and in general. In the recent European elections, the Social Democrats in particular suffered a heavy defeat and in some countries the ultra-right gained some support. We know that the ultra-left sects have got serious psychological problems. They suffer from a nervous tic, and whenever the ultra-right parties get a little bit of extra votes, they immediately start to sound the tom-toms, and shout: “Fascism, Fascism, Fascism!” This is crazy nonsense. The correlation of class forces in all countries rules out the possibility of fascism at this stage. Before the war, in countries like Italy, and Germany even, and Spain, the working class was a minority. Even in Germany there was a huge peasantry with could be easily recruited by the demagogic arguments of extreme right-wing and fascist parties. Even in France that was the case, before the war. Now all that has finished. The peasantry has almost disappeared in most European countries and the working class is now a decisive majority in society. In the 1930s the students in all countries were the sons (there were very few females in the universities then) of the rich. Most were conservative and a large number were fascists and Nazis. In Britain in 1926 the students were strike-breakers. In Germany, Italy and Austria, most of the students were fascists. Is that the position now? You name me any country in the world where the Fascists control the students. On the contrary, in almost all countries the students are left-wing or even revolutionary. Therefore it’s ridiculous to talk about fascism in the same terms as the 1930s. Insofar as they exist, the fascists are small organizations, in the main. They can be particularly vicious, violent and engage in provocations, but there’s no question of them taking power. In any case, the ruling class would only resort to open reaction after the working class has suffered a series of very heavy defeats. That was the case in Germany, it was the case in Italy also, and Spain also in the period 1919-39. Therefore, long before the question of reaction is posed, the workers of Europe and Latin America will try time and time again to take power. That is the real situation. In Bolivia you could say there’s a fascist movement. At least there are fascists involved in the right-wing opposition movement. The heroic Bolivian working class in the last few years, on at least two occasions, could have taken power easily. If they did not take power, it was not their fault, but the confusion and the inadequacy of the leadership. The Bolivian workers staged two insurrections. They overthrew two governments. I ask of you, what more can you ask of the Bolivian workers? What more are they expected to do? But they failed because of the leadership who had no perspective of taking power. Therefore you ended up with the reformist government of Evo Morales. This has opened up a period of sharp class struggle in Bolivia, which is not yet resolved. It depends on the capacity of the Bolivian Marxists to build the leadership and I’m very pleased to announce that the IMT has just approved the affiliation of two very important sections: the Bolivian section and the Moroccan section.
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