this so-called "new left" however does wish for regime changes in areas of the world that it knows nothing about - and as such is reactionary, imperialist, and patriarchical (sure... it does not advocate military intervention, but it ends up feeding the beast that it supposedly opposes ) ... because it does not believe in self-determination --- or the notion that people may decide to live in ways other than the "new-left" ideology. And if a people do chose a form of govt other than "new-left", the new-left will attribute that to "theocratic repression" or just plain backwardness of people (who then need to be "educated" on the virtues of the "new left").
Altaf
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard
Sent: May 26, 2006 1:13 PM
To: NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [NewPacifica] FW: [LAAMN] Neither U.S. Aggression Nor Theocratic Repression
The new left opposes Bush (christian conservative) and the aligned Iraqi gov (islamic conservative) and they don't adhere to the Pres's form of imperial democracy nor do they support christian Law (Old Testament) and, finally, they don't approve of islamic Sharia. State legal systems and movements based on the Law and Sharia are traditional and patriarchal. The new left everywhere and whatever its form is anti-patriarchalism and its many manifestations.
The new Iraqi Constitution, if I recall correctly via Article 2....as well as elsewhere, establishes islamic Law (Sharia) as the high FOUNDATION and supreme source of national law.
Since the renaissance a secular left has existed throughout history having in our age spread over the face of the earth. Then too, at times, deep calls to deep.
So it is in heaven, on earth, and in the sea. /R
-----Original Message-----
From: NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of L. Mirza
Sent: Friday, May 26, 2006 10:31 AM
To: NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [NewPacifica] FW: [LAAMN] Neither U.S. Aggression Nor
Theocratic Repression
Well then the secular left should stop being so
arragent and trying to impose their philosophy on
others. What is the difference between them and bush's
regime change policy? They want secular then they live
here and work on the areas needed of change and
correction here and not call for "regime" change in
countries they do not live or vote in or try to
interfer in those countries. Iran, BTW, IS a DEMOCRACY! They have had elections
since the Islamic revolution, including two, not just
one vote, on the type of government they wanted; a
secular or religious. They have term limits as well
for the President, who can only serve for two terms,
then has to wait it out two terms before running
again. Even their constitution was put to a referendom
before being finally adopted. I've been in Iran during
the Iran and Iraq war when people dodged misiles being
dropped on them in order to get to the poles and
votes. 83% of qualified voters turned out during the
elections during the Iraq imposed and U.S. sponsored
war. That was more than impressive, but amazing, when
we see here, hardly 25-30% registered voters, not just
qualified voters, turn-out in many elections.
It is indeed NOT thercratic oppression when the
popular votes decide the form of government is to be
from a religious perspective.
--- Richard <rsierra7@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Regrets to those objecting to the LAAMN post's
> content but there was never
> any possibility of an American secular new left
> supporting religious
> governments whether christian, j!
ewish, islamic or
> whatnot. The separation
> of church/temple/mosque and state principle
> forestalls any such support. /R
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
> Behalf Of Altaf Bhimji
> Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2006 1:11 PM
> To: NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [NewPacifica] FW: [LAAMN] Neither U.S.
> Aggression Nor
> Theocratic Repression
>
>
>
> Yes, I agree totally with Loraine. I got the same
> impression --- this is the
> same as the neo-con... you wish for "elections" but
> if people elect someone
> you don't like... well then you go about wishing for
> "regime change" --- How
> is that really , when it comes down to it, any
> different than the neo-con
> imperialists? Well the left better start get used to
> seeing this happen all
> over the mid-east... or, remain totally irrelevant
> other than Saturday
> afternoon marches...
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: "L. Mirza" <haq4u@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >Sent: May 25, 2006 11:31 AM
> >To: NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >Subject: Re: [NewPacifica] FW: [LAAMN] Neither U.S.
> Aggression Nor
> Theocratic Repression
> >
> >This is bullshit, big time. How dare others who do
> not
> >live in Iran tell the Iranis what form of
> government
> >they should have.
> >
> >I applaud the majority of the Irani working class,
> and
> >working poor for their good judgement in chosing
> the
> >government. I wonder how many on that list of
> >signatories has actually been in Iran, has actually
> >met thousands of those "theocrats" label them.
> >
> >Sure lik!
e the priviliged classes in Cuba and
> >Venueseula, the wealthy Iranians don't support the
> >Islamic government. But the working class and the
> poor
> >know exactly what they want! In the elections
> before
> >this one they tried a so-called moderate (Khatamie)
> >and after being neglected, burned and watching
> their
> >society turn into greedy western style consumerism,
> >70% of the people of Iran came out and voted, and
> the
> >majority voted for the most religious of the
> >candidates.
> >
> >You know the left/progressive intelligencia is not
> so
> >superior as they claim. They just as ignorant and
> >prejudice and the neo-cons.
> >
> >--- Richard <rsierra7@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: laamn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> [mailto:laamn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of
> >> Ed Pearl
> >> Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2006 6:03 AM
> >> To: Ed Pearl
> >> Subject: [LAAMN] Neither U.S. Aggression Nor
> >> Theocratic Repression
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Iran: Neither U.S. Aggression Nor Theocratic
> >> Repression
> >> - A call for a new, democratic U.S. foreign
> policy
> >> in
> >> the Middle East
> >>
> >> Dear Friend,
> >>
> >> As the Administration escalates its threats
> against
> >> Iran, we are writing to invite you to sign the
> >> Campaign
> >> for Peace and Democracy statement "Iran: Neither
> >> U.S.
> >> Aggression Nor Theocratic Repression - A call for
> a
> >> new, democratic U.S. foreign policy in the Middle
!
> >> East." The text is below. If you would like to
> add
> >> your
> >> name or donate to publicize the statement, please
> go
> >> to
> >> our website www.cpdweb.org (if for any reason you
> >> have
> >> difficulty at the website, just send us an email
> at
> >> cpd@xxxxxxx)
> >>
> >> Please join Michael Albert, Tom Ammiano, Stanley
> >> Aronowitz, Rosalyn Baxandall, Eileen Boris,
> Jeremy
> >> Brecher, Noam Chomsky, Ariel Dorfman, Martin
> >> Duberman,
> >> Rusti Eisenberg, Carlos R. Espinosa, Samuel
> Farber,
> >> Mansour Farhang, Barbara Garson, Larry Gross,
> Mina
> >> Hamilton, Thomas Harrison, Howie Hawkins, Adam
> >> Hochschild, Nancy Holmstrom, Doug Ireland, Joy
> >> Kallio,
> >> Larry Kramer, Joanne Landy, Jesse Lemisch, John
> >> Leonard, Sue Leonard, Rabbi Michael Lerner,
> Nelson
> >> Lichtenstein, Norman MacAfee, Marvin & Betty
> >> Mandell,
> >> David McReynolds, David Oakford, Barbara Watson
> >> Pillsbury, Henry Pillsbury, Frances Fox Piven,
> Nancy
> >> Romer, Ruth Rosen, Peter Rothberg, Matthew
> >> Rothschild,
> >> Jennifer Scarlott, Jay Schaffner, Sydney
> Schanberg,
> >> Stephen R. Shalom, Wallace Shawn, Meredith Tax,
> >> Cornel
> >> West, Cora Weiss, Peter Weiss, Edmund White,
> >> Reginald
> >> Wilson, and Howard Zinn in signing this
> statement.
> >>
> >> Signers names and affiliations (for
> identification
> >> only) will be listed on the Campaign for Peace
> and
> >> Democracy website and in other public venues.
> >>
> >> In peace and solidarity,
> &g!
t;>
> >> Joanne Landy, Thomas Harrison, and Jennifer
> Scarlott
> >> Co-Directors, Campaign for Peace and Democracy
> >> Please
> >> go to the CPD website at www.cpdweb.org to sign,
> >> donate, or see the full list of signers.
> >>
> >> IRAN: NEITHER U.S. AGGRESSION NOR THEOCRATIC
> >> REPRESSION
> >>
> >> Just as it did before its invasion of Iraq, the
> Bush
> >> administration is manufacturing a climate of fear
> in
> >> order to prepare public opinion for another act
> of
> >> aggression -- this time against Iran. Three years
> >> ago
> >> it was the specter of Saddam Hussein's alleged
> >> weapons
> >> of mass destruction; today it's the threat of a
> >> possible Iranian nuclear bomb. Washington's
> >> immediate
> >> goal is to get the U.N. Security Council to
> impose
> >> sanctions on Iran and, in all probability, to
> >> justify a
> >> military attack on Tehran's nuclear facilities --
> a
> >> job
> >> that may be outsourced to Israel. The White House
> >> even
> >> insists on keeping the catastrophic "nuclear
> option"
> >> on
> >> the table -- that is, using tactical nuclear
> weapons
> >> to
> >> strike Iranian nuclear facilities, many of which
> are
> >> located in or near civilian population centers.
> >> Although a full-scale invasion of Iran is highly
> >> unlikely at the moment, there can be little doubt
> >> that
> >> the neoconservatives in the Bush administration
> have
> >> a
> >> grand strategy that includes, eventually, "regime
> >> change" in Tehran as a way o!
f further enlarging
> U.S.
> >> imperial power.
> >>
> >> We strongly oppose the U.S. occupation of Iraq:
> it
> >> has
> >> brought appalling suffering to the Iraqi people
> with
> >> fatalities in the tens of thousands, descent into
> >> civil
> >> war and the strengthening of the most
> authoritarian
> >> elements in Iraqi society -- as well as more than
> >> 2,400
> >> U.S. soldiers dead and thousands more wounded.
> >> Likewise, the U.S. government's attempts to bully
> >> Iran
> >> are succeeding mainly in terrorizing the Iranian
> >> people
> >> and weakening internal opposition to the mullahs.
> >> The
> >> Bush administration's claim that it is promoting
> >> democracy in these two countries is the grossest
> >> hypocrisy; its only interest is power and control
> of
> >> oil resources. We, on the other hand, care very
> much
> >> about the ability of the Iraqi and Iranian people
> to
> >> control their own societies, about civil
> liberties
> >> and
> >> the rights of women, gays, workers, and ethnic
> >> minorities there. That is why we raise our voices
> >> against the current threats to Iran and call for
> >> immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces from
> Iraq.
> >>
> >> We too would like to see a regime change in
> Tehran,
> >> but
> >> one brought about by the Iranian people
> themselves,
> >> not
> >> by Washington. For 26 years Iran has been ruled
> by a
> >> repressive theocracy. Behind the formal trappings
> of
> >> democracy, real power is held by an un-elected
> >> oligarc!
hy of clerics; all electoral candidates
> must
> >> receive their approval, and their authority is
> >> enforced
> >> by gangs of religious thugs. President
> Ahmadinejad
> >> is a
> >> Holocaust denier who has called for the
> elimination
> >> of
> >> Israel.
> >>
> >> Iranian women lack some of the most basic human
> >> rights.
> >> They cannot dress, work, travel or choose spouses
> >> freely. "Honor killing" is legal, and by law
> women
> >> can
> >> be hanged or stoned to death for "unchaste
> >> behavior."
> >> Millions of Iranian women find ways to at least
> >> partly
> >> circumvent these restrictions, and relatively few
> >> suffer the most extreme penalties. Women vote and
> >> sit
> >> in parliament, and there are significant numbers
> of
> >> women both in university and at the workplace.But
> >> the
> >> fact remains that there are few countries in the
> >> world
> >> where women face legal handicaps as severe as
> those
> >> in
> >> Iran.
> >>
> >> Workers who try to strike or form independent
> trade
> >> unions are often violently put down. Large
> numbers
> >> of
> >> workers have not been paid for months and in some
> >> cases
> >> for years. Attempts to organize are frequently
> >> attacked
> >> by club- and knife-wielding mercenaries, security
> >> forces and the military. Despite this repression,
> >> workers are continuing to organize, however, and
> >> independent unions are gaining a foothold.
> >>
> >> As in many countries, homosexuality!
is outlawed,
> but
> >> Tehran has gone further than most by making
> >> homosexual
> >> conduct by men or women punishable by death and
> >> unleashing a vicious pogrom against Iranian gays,
> >> many
> >> of whom have been tortured, beaten, and publicly
> >> executed. The government is carrying on a massive
> >> campaign of entrapment through the Internet;
> victims
> >> are subjected to constant surveillance, loss of
> >> employment, arrest, and violent blackmail that
> >> forces
> >> them to reveal the names of other homosexuals.
> >> Torture
> >> is used to make gay people confess to crimes they
> >> never
> >> committed. The basiji and other religious
> parapolice
> >> forces kidnap gay people, who are sequestered and
> >> tortured until they name names. Gays on the
> >> government's lists are forbidden to leave the
> >> country.
> >> And now Iran has exported its violent anti-gay
> >> crusade
> >> to Iraq.
> >>
> >> In recent years there has been growing resistance
> >> within Iranian society, particularly from workers
> >> fighting privatization and unemployment and young
> >> people chafing against social and political
> >> repression.
> >> This resistance holds the promise of bringing
> >> grassroots democratic change to Iran. The threat
> of
> >> military action or broader and harsher sanctions
> >> from
> >> outside -- and especially the horrifying menace
> of
> >> nuclear strikes --only serve to rally people
> around
> >> the
> >> regime and to give it another excuse to clamp
> down
> >> on
> >!
;> dissent, inhibiting a potentially revolutionary
> >> process
> >> and strengthening the right-wing clerics. U.S.
> >> threats
> >> have already served to legitimize nuclear weapons
> to
> >> the Iranian people.
> >>
> >> Under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran
> has
> >> the right to develop civilian nuclear power,
> though
> >> the
> >> Bush administration has tried to obscure this
> fact.
> >> Many of us oppose the use of nuclear power by any
> >> country, both for environmental reasons and
> because
> >> of
> >> its link to nuclear weapons -- but that is not
> the
> >> issue in the present U.S.-Iran confrontation.
> While
> >> there is reason to doubt Tehran's assurances that
> it
> >> only wants to develop civilian nuclear energy,
> Iran
> >> is
> >> probably still several years away from being able
> to
> >> produce nuclear weapons. And if Tehran acquires
> the
> >> bomb, it is unlikely that the ayatollahs, who
> hold
> >> decisive power, would use it since it would be
> >> suicidal
> >> to do so. Israel alone has between 200 and 300
> >> nuclear
> >> warheads capable of striking Iran, and this is
> not
> >> counting the thousands of warheads the U.S. can
> >> launch
> >> at Iran. Nevertheless, there is no guarantee that
> >> Iran,
> >> or any other state armed with nuclear weapons,
> won't
> >> use them or make them available to others. As
> long
> >> as
> >> these barbaric weapons exist, they can be used,
> and
> >> the
> >> more countries that possess them the mor!
e likely
> it
> >> is
> >> over time that they will be used.
> >>
> >> We therefore strongly oppose any effort by Tehran
> to
> >> acquire nuclear weapons. But as long as a handful
> of
> >> nations arrogate to themselves the exclusive
> right
> >> to
> >> possess nuclear weapons, the have-nots will
> always
> >> be
> >> able to point to the threat posed by the nuclear
> >> powers
> >> and will constantly seek to acquire such weapons
> for
> >> themselves -- as North Korea has already done,
> >> withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty
> >> regime.
> >> Likewise, Iran, which has been menaced by the
> U.S.
> >> for
> >> more than two decades and was a charter member of
> >> Bush's "axis of evil," may opt out of the NPT.
> >>
> >> An end to Washington's belligerence is a crucial
> >> step
> >> in preventing Tehran from joining the nuclear
> >> "club."
> >> Beyond that, the only way to stop proliferation
> is
> >> for
> >> those countries that have nuclear weapons to
> begin
> >> disarming -- something the Bush administration
> and
> >> previous administrations of both parties have
> >> refused
> >> to do, despite the fact that the U.S. is a
> signatory
> >> to
> >> the Non-Proliferation Treaty which commits it to
> >> "pursue negotiations in good faith on effective
> >> measures relating to cessation of the nuclear
> arms
> >> race
> >> at an early date and to nuclear disarmament." At
> the
> >> same time the nuclear powers must work toward
> >> nuclear-
> >!
;> free zones around the world, but especially in
> the
> >> Middle East, a particularly volatile and
> dangerous
> >> region.
> >>
> >> We call for a new democratic U.S. foreign policy
> >> that
> >> would deal with the threat posed to all of us by
> >> terrorist networks, and by weapons of mass
> >> destruction,
> >> and promote real democracy in the Middle East and
> >> elsewhere, by:
> >>
> >> Renouncing the use of military intervention to
> >> extend
> >> and consolidate U.S. imperial power, and
> withdrawing
> >> U.S. troops and bases from the Middle East.
> >>
> >> Ending U.S. support for authoritarian and corrupt
> >> regimes, e.g. Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states and
> >> Egypt.
> >>
> >> Opposing all forms of terrorism worldwide -- by
> Al
> >> Qaeda, Iraqi death squads, and Palestinian
> suicide
> >> bombers, and by U.S.-backed forces like the
> >> Colombian
> >> paramilitaries and the Israeli military in the
> >> Occupied
> >> Territories -- as well as the brutality and
> >> humiliation
> >> inflicted on Iraqis every day by U.S. occupation
> >> forces
> >> and Washington's ominous threats against Iran.
> >>
> >> Supporting the right of national
> self-determination
> >> for
> >> all peoples in the Middle East, including the
> Kurds,
> >> Palestinians and Israeli Jews. Ending support for
> >> Israeli occupation of the West Bank and
> oppression
> >> of
> >> the Palestinian people.
> >>
> >> Taking unilateral steps toward renouncing weapons
> of
> >&!
gt; mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, and
> >> vigorously promoting international disarmament
> >> treaties, instead of obstructing even minimal
> >> efforts
> >> to end the arms race.
> >>
> >> Abandoning the effort to impose, through the
> >> IMF/World
> >> Bank or unilaterally, neoliberal economic
> policies
> >> of
> >> privatization and austerity that bring mass
> misery
> >> to
> >> people in large parts of the world. Initiating a
> >> major
> >> foreign aid program directed at popular rather
> than
> >> corporate needs.
> >>
> >> The majority of people in this country now
> believe
> >> that
> >> the invasion of Iraq was disastrously wrong and
> that
> >> they were systematically lied to by the Bush
> >> Administration about the reasons for going to
> war,
> >> and
> >> they are wary of new U.S. military intervention
> in
> >> the
> >> Middle East. At the same time, the
> administration's
> >> scare tactics may succeed in generating popular
> >> support
> >> for aerial attacks on Iran. It is therefore
> >> imperative
> >> to speak out now against Washington's threats, to
> >> educate public opinion, and to build organized
> >> opposition to aggression against Iran, as well as
> >> support for immediate, complete withdrawal from
> >> Iraq.
> >> It is time to demand a new democratic U.S.
> foreign
> >> policy that genuinely expresses solidarity with
> the
> >> aspirations of people for liberty everywhere,
> >> renounces
> >> once and for all imperial intervention, and is!
> >> committed to real disarmament.
> >>
> >> [CPD's previous statements, including "We Oppose
> >> Both
> >> Saddam Hussein and The War Against Iraq: A call
> for
> >> a
> >> new, democratic U.S. foreign policy," have
> appeared
> >> in
> >> The New York Times, The Nation, and The
> Progressive,
> >> as
> >> well as on many websites and listserves in this
> >> country
> >> and abroad. Your tax deductible donation will
> enable
> >> us
> >> to publicize this declaration of opposition to
> war
> >> and
> >> repression in these dangerous times.]
> >>
>
>>_______________________________________________________
> >> portside (the left side in nautical parlance) is
> a
> >> news,
> >> discussion and debate service of the Committees
> of
> >> Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. It
> aims
> >> to
> >> provide varied material of interest to people on
> the
> >> left.
> >>
> >> To subscribe:
> >>
> http://lists.portside.org/mailman/listinfo/portside
> >
> >Read "Internment Camps of Bangladesh," by Loraine
> Mirza
> >Published by Crescent International Newspapers,
> Inc.
> >300 Steelcase Road West, Unit 8, Markham, Ontario,
> Canada L3R 2W2
> >"The story of a long-suffering people told with
> compassion and sensitivity.
> All who care for justice must read this book.
> Loraine Mirza, an American
> Muslim print and broadcast journalist, has written
> this remarkable account
> of the 'Stranded Pakistanis,' trapped in internment> camps in Bangladesh
> since 1972." (Zafar Bangash, Director of Institute
> of Contemporary Islamic
> Thought.)
> >For more information:
> >e-mail: haq_for_u@xxxxxxxxxxx
> > info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > crescent@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> > crescent.uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >Visit web sites:
> www.statelesspeopleinbangladesh.net
> > www.strandedpakistanis.com
> > www.OBATHelpers.org
> > www.muslimedia.com
> > www.ihrc.org
> -
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