[Marxism] ISO and Iraqi Resistance

[<mekchi@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Which Side is the ISO on, Working Class Socialism or
Nationalism and Islamism?

By Mahmood Ketabchi
mekchi@xxxxxxx
July 8, 2004

On July 2, 2004, Socialist Worker, carried an article called ?Why you should 
support the opposition to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the right to resist? in 
which Eric Ruder responds to questions regarding ?Iraqi resistance.? 
http://www.socialistworker.org/2004-2/505/505_06_RightToResist.shtml

In this article, Eric Ruder talks about ?Iraqi resistance to occupation? and 
analyzes the make up and characteristics of the ?resistance.? He sees the armed 
resistance of Islamists and nationalists as justified and therefore, prescribes 
that anyone who supports freedom should support Islamist and nationalist 
movements in Iraq.    

As usual, under the rubric of ?supporting the opposition to the U.S. Occupation 
of Iraq,? the ISO continues to deny class and class struggle in Iraq, and lends 
its rabid support to Iraqi nationalist and Islamist forces.  In the entire 
article of 2,260 words, there is not even one word about Iraqi working class 
struggle for freedom and equality or the tremendous efforts by Iraqi workers 
who are fighting under incredibly harsh and brutal conditions to organize their 
ranks against the US occupation and capitalist exploitation of Iraqi workers.   
You will not find one word about the women?s liberation movement that opposes 
the US government, violence against women, misogynism, and all brutal laws and 
regulations that turn women into subhumans. There is nothing about the 
squatters? movement for decent housing and a better life.  There is no word of 
communism, socialism, unionism, workers? councils, neighborhood committees, 
workers rights, women?s freedom, equality, secularism, etc.        

Iraq is a capitalist society with class and class struggle and ongoing social 
movements and real social and political forces representing Iraqi workers and 
capitalists. Iraqi workers and women have a long and valiant history of 
progressive and powerful struggle for freedom and equality.  Every page in the 
history of Iraq in the last century reflects the aspiration and hopes of the 
Iraqi masses for communism and socialism.  Only the bourgeoisie opportunism of 
the Iraqi Communist Party (ICP) stopped Iraqi workers after the1958 revolution 
from undertaking the ?forbidden? task of taking political power in their hands.

Full Text: http://www.wpiraq.net/english/index.htm




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