There is just no escaping the absolute inadequacy of statism and nationalism for resolving questions of social justice. Here the Anarchist tradition has an old proposal that looks much more promising.
The class struggles in Iran are the world’s longest series of movements against the state and capitalism of this century. The recent protests and mass uprising that have started after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody on 16 September 2022, were eruptions of the same active volcano of revolutionary need and desire of oppressed humans for total freedom, for a new society that is based equality for all and the one that is run by unity of all its members.
This chain of recurring protests, riots, occupation and mass actions started in 1999 and re-emerged every few months and years until today. The highest point of the movement was Green movement in 2009, in 2017, 2018 and 2019, when main sections of the working class took active part in the movement. The main characteristic of the anti-state movements in Iran are:
The universality of the movement by encompassing all sections of the society, beyond ethnical, national, religion and gender barriers. Iran contains several nationalities, religions and languages, and the state tries by all means to divide the movements by encouraging regional and religious divisions.
The movement is facing one, if not the most brutal capitalist state in the world, but despite all the brutality of the state’s repression forces, beatings, killings, imprisonment of thousands and hundreds of executions, the movement has erupted time after time with a stronger determination.
The state, many times, tried to control the situation by reforms through election of its moderate elements and by using general amnesty for activists who have been arrested in the protests but the movement, which seemed to be done, has resurfaced even stronger than the previous one.
Opposition parties, nationalist of all kind, Royalist of crown Prince, the son of the late shah of Iran and their party National Council of Iran, Kurdish nationalist parties, National Resistance of Iran (Rajawi’s), and even the leftist like communist party, komala, , Pijak, ..all well supported either by super states like America, Europe or by regional states to control and lead the movement. These parties have been so far totally ignored by the real forces of the movement. Their influence is only in the media and its spectacle than reality.
The movement is not only facing the burden of the harsh living conditions, affected by low wages, high prices, unemployment and poor health care and poor social welfare…, but also by the repression by religious ideologies, by banishment of basic freedom of expression of opinions and individuals desires.
The anti-imperialism, anti Zionism, anti-west ideologies that had served the Iranian state’s interests in the past, in rallying the general population within the compound of the national unity, has lost its magic power to deviate and to recuperate the struggles. There is now a total state of distrust and hatred of people towards the regime and all the political parties.
The movement has expressed practically and clearly its departure from all sorts of political reforms of the government and of the society. It’s mainly and solely raising the banner for a free human society.
The solidarities to the struggles in the neighbouring countries are another encouraging factor, especially from working class and from libertarians in Afghanistan and from Iraq. The support of the people from the Shia region in the south of Iraq, especially in the holy cities like Karbala and Najaf, where mass demonstrations were erupted in the support of the riots in Iran and banners were raised against the Islamic regime.
Right now the protests are rested, but some are still happening in some parts like in Baluchistan, Azerbaijan and Kurdistan.
These protests were reinforced by the strikes of workers in some oil production sites and some public services.
There is a rebellious group called collective 98, (1398, Iranian calendar), after the movement of November 2019, that defends anti-authoritarian and libertarian positions, which are active within the protests and there is another group called Sarxatism that is also situated outside the leftist circle and support a radical class position.
In addition to above the more radical group that emerged during the uprising is a group of people call themselves the Young Revolutionary. This group is local group and very active. It looks they have a lot of support from young people in different towns and cites while they get more news about protests and demos when is happened in other places. The group publicised the information as quickly as possible.■
Kurdish-Speaking Anarchist Forum
(KAF)
09/02/2023
There is just no escaping the absolute inadequacy of statism and nationalism for resolving questions of social justice. Here the Anarchist tradition has an old proposal that looks much more promising.
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This denial undermines solidarity and risks pushing trans people who aren’t white and able-bodied out of trans liberation movement spaces.
The Man Came Around is a game of complex moral decisions, where you attempt to navigate across a militarised border with a group of people fleeing an authoritarian regime. Organise sat down with its developer, Thierry, to talk about indie game creation, the game, and the all-too-real politics and events that inspired it.
Means and Ends is as robust as its research and the argumentation is as clear as the general prose styling.
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