[Marxism] Re: The Workers Communist Party of Iraq split

[Ben C <minnows@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2004/591/591p15b.htm


   IRAQ: The Iraqi left and the resistance

*/Azad Arman/, an Iraqi Kurd now living in Melbourne, recently spent 
three months in northern Iraq. A member of the International Socialist 
Organisation, an affiliate of the Socialist Alliance, Arman spoke to 
/Green Left Weekly'/s /Chris Slee/.*

(....)

The Worker-Communist Party of Iraq says it is against both the US 
occupation and the armed resistance. Arman characterised the WCPI as 
“pacifist”. It calls for UN intervention and advocates that the UN 
control Iraq for six months and then hold an election. Arman argues that 
the UN is not an alternative to US occupation but “a part of US policy”.

Arman is critical of the WCPI for making propaganda against the Islamic 
religion, which the WCPI describes as “reactionary”. He told /GLW/ that 
“all [the WCPI's] struggle is against religion, rather than the class 
struggle and struggle against imperialism”. Arman argues that this 
approach alienates people. He said that the party is losing support and 
has been forced to close some of its offices.

The Communist Union of Iraq is a group which split from the WCPI in 
1995-96. It has two newspapers, /Azadi/ (published in Kurdish) and 
/Balagashoia/ (Arabic), and has offices in Baghdad and Kirkuk. It 
opposes the US occupation. While it is critical of radical Islam, in its 
day-to-day work the CUI concentrates on issues such as the gap between 
rich and poor, unemployment, women's rights and youth rights.

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