IRAQI COMMUNIST PARTY
Contribution to the International Conference
Organized by AKEL
(25th November 2010)
“The struggle of the Left and the fight of the peoples for global peace and security against the imperialistic Order”
Dear Comrades,
The topic for this Conference should be discussed in the context of the need to develop left alternatives and united action of progressive forces against war, neo-liberalism and imperialism, as well as combating far right and reactionary tendencies on the international level, and promoting socialist ideas and goals. This is closely interconnected with strengthening international solidarity against the warmongering policies of imperialism and the onslaught of capitalist globalization, and the need to provide genuine support for ongoing struggles all over the world for peace, freedom, democracy and social progress.
The events of September 11, 2001 had a grave and dangerous impact on the situation in the Middle East, particularly in relation to the situation in Iraq (following the American war and occupation in Iraq), the US military presence in the area, the intensified aggression of Zionist rulers in Israel, the path of the peace process and the Arab-Israeli conflict, as also the situation in Iran and mounting dangers of a new military conflict in the region, with grave consequences for world peace.
The Middle East region is still suffering the consequences of the so-called “war on terror” and attempts by the US to impose its hegemony over the area in accordance with its security and strategic interests. It is important to note in this respect that this imperialist offensive exposed the true state of the Arab regimes and their shameful failure to face up to these challenges. Most of these regimes rushed to declare their allegiance to the US, with total disregard to the causes of the Arab peoples.
As a result, calls and demands by the popular masses in the Arab world for democratic freedoms mounted, to enable them to defend the independence of their countries and achieve economic and social development. But these legitimate demands were met with vicious repression and violations of human and democratic rights. Furthermore, some Arab regimes exploited the rise of religious fundamentalism and the activities of extremist Islamist groups (that enjoy generous funding), as well as the hysterical climate that accompanied the US “war on terror”, to crush what was left of a relative margin of freedom in their countries. Thus we witnessed a significant escalation in repressive policies, especially by dictatorial and despotic regimes.
It is therefore of great importance to stress here, once again, the vital lesson learnt from bitter experiences of the Arab peoples since the June 1967 War; that the absence of freedoms and democracy serves the interests of imperialism and Zionism, and their schemes of war, occupation and hegemony. It is only when people enjoy freedom and democracy that they can safeguard their national independence and sovereignty, and can confront imperialist pressures and schemes. Only then they will be able to decide their own destiny with their own free will.
It is also worth mentioning here that a meeting of Communist parties in the Arab countries was held in July 2010, in Damascus, to discuss the situation in the area, with particular emphasis on solidarity with the Palestinian people. It was attended by the Syrian, Iraqi, Jordanian, Lebanese, and Egyptian Communist parties, the Palestinian People’s Party, and the Party of Progress & Socialism in Morocco.
The meeting called for greater efforts on regional and international levels to support the struggle of the Palestinian people against Israeli occupation. On Iraq, the final statement said that the meeting agreed “to support the struggle of the Iraqi people to eliminate the American occupation and its legacy in Iraq, to achieve a national democratic regime, preserve Iraq’s unity, and condemn all forms of terrorism suffered by the Iraqi people”.
The recent Meeting of Arab Left, held in Beirut (22-23 October 2010), stressed the need for the Left forces in the region to regain their role and develop a realistic program of national-social liberation, based on struggle for democratic change, employing legitimate means of struggle and taking into consideration the specifics of each country. Tackling the deep crises that are caused by the policies of Arab regimes and their subservience to global neo-liberal capitalism, especially poverty and unemployment, requires developing concrete proposals for a program of economic revival and social development, including comprehensive development as an alternative to the policies of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Achieving these objectives requires activating the role of the Left in the social movement and developing a critical political vision towards the existing regimes. The principal aim of a distinguished program for change to be adopted by the Left should be the setting up of a national democratic regime, with a socialist perspective, that constitutes an alternative to subservient regimes. In this context, the forces of the Left need to mobilize the workers, peasants and progressive intellectuals into a mass movement to achieve real democratic change. Major tasks for such a movement include the fight for both, closely interconnected, aspects of democracy: political and social. Democracy, and building a state of law and institutions, based on the principles of citizenship, is a firm guarantee against sectarian divisions. In this respect, it is of utmost importance for the Left to uphold and defend human rights and fundamental democratic and trade union rights, especially women’s rights, as part and parcel of the big national issues.
Dear Comrades,
Our Party, the leading force of the Left in Iraq, is currently engaged in relentless efforts to achieve unity in action of the democratic forces, and to transform the democratic current into an effective principal force in the ongoing intensified struggle over the future of Iraq. This vision requires greater efforts to involve the trade union movement and democratic organizations, especially those of women, youth, students and other civil society organizations, in mass struggles to defend human and democratic rights of workers and people. During recent weeks, conferences of democratic forces have been held in several provinces, as part of a process that will be culminated in a national conference to be held in Baghdad.
Iraqi Communists are determined to strengthen their links to the broadest popular masses, including workers, peasants, students and intellectuals, and all popular strata that aspire for freedom and democracy; taking up their demands, and defending their role in deciding our country’s destiny.
Our Party has unlimited confidence in the Iraqi people and their ability to continue their struggle, despite all difficulties and obstacles, to defeat terrorism and sectarianism, eliminate the legacy of dictatorship and American occupation, restore full national sovereignty, lay the foundations for a state based on institutions, justice and law, and build a unified federal democratic Iraq.
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Iraqi Communist Party
· Website: www.iraqicp.com
· Email: salamsaadi@hotmail.co.uk
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