Caucus

Last month’s stand-off between five Iranian speedboats and three US ships in the Strait of Hormuz underlines how tensions are still running high and that the US has no intention of giving up its plans to ‘deal’ with what is now – after the virtual destruction of Iraq – the most powerful country in the Middle East. This is something that all Republican and Democrat candidates are unanimous on.Hands Off The People Of Iran (HOPI) is an anti-war campaign that militates against the sabre-rattling against Iran and the international sanctions that have blighted the lives of millions.

Our political perspective flows from two basic principles:

1. Imperialism has no progressive role to play in this region or in any other part of the world. We therefore campaign against the threat of any imperialist intervention and fight for an end to the sanctions. Sanctions are not an alternative to war but a form of war. We demand the immediate, unconditional withdrawal of all occupying troops from the Gulf and an end to Israel’s expansion and aggression.

2. The Islamic regime – whether in the sway of the ‘reformist’ faction around Mohammad Khatami (dubbed the ‘Mullah with a smile’ by radical Iranian students) or the hardline Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – is no friend of democracy. Its repressive and reactionary policies actually smooth the way for imperialist designs on the region. This means that we must build active, practical solidarity with grass-roots progressive and secular forces in Iran – the radical women’s, workers’ and students’ movements. The ongoing nightmare of Iraq underlines that US-led imperialist forces can only introduce social meltdown and chaos – a fertile breeding ground for reaction. Progressive democratic change must spring from below, from the struggles of the working class and social movements.

In fact the question of imperialism and the Islamic regime are directly interrelated, with the Iranian theocracy using the pretext of imperialist intervention to divert attention away from the country’s endemic crisis, deflect popular anger onto foreign enemies and thus prolong its iron rule. Thus, last December around fifty anti-war students were arrested following the Student Day demonstrations as they were apparently US “conciliators”. The majority of these brave activists who were chanting “No to war, death to the dictator!” and “Hands Off The People Of Iran!” are still in prison and HOPI is campaigning for their immediate release.

Regrettably, the Stop The War Coalition in Britain also believes that raising criticisms of the Iranian regime or expressing solidarity with radical oppositionists in Iran is tantamount to supporting the foul plans of Bush and imperialism.

This way of thinking will hinder our movement. Only by taking a principled stance against the threat of war and in solidarity with radical anti-war activists in Iran can the anti-war movement progress and become a genuine force. It is in this sense that we call on all anti-capitalist forces, progressive political groups and social organisations to join activists of the Iranian left to both oppose imperialism’s plans and to organise practical solidarity with the growing movement against war and repression in Iran headed by the working class, women, students and youth.

We demand:

- No to imperialist war and an end to all sanctions!

- The immediate and unconditional withdrawal of US/UK troops from the Gulf region!

- Opposition to Israeli expansionism and aggression!

- No to the theocratic regime!

- Support to all working class and progressive struggles in Iran against poverty and repression!

- Support for socialism, democracy and workers’ control in Iran!

- For a nuclear-free Middle East as a step towards a nuclear-free world!

Our supporters include:

Labour MPs Diane Abbott, John McDonnell and Harry Cohen, Peter Tatchell, Ken Loach, Noam Chomsky, John Pilger, Bill Bailey, Naomi Klein and hundreds more.

For a full list, visit our website www.hopoi.org