Neither Washington nor Tehran.

international | anti-war / imperialism | other press Tuesday September 25, 2007 11:35 by pat c - Hands Off The People Of Iran

This is an interview conducted by Peter Tatchell with Mark Fischer and Yassamine Mather . There is also some commentary below in which Peter Tatchell makes clear the case against US aggresion towards Iran

Neither Washington nor Tehran. A war against Iran would be another disastrous neo-imperial adventure, which would strengthen the Tehran dictatorship. The overthrow of the clerical regime by the Iranian people - not US military intervention - is the best way to resolve the nuclear crisis and prevent a needless, unjustified war.

Peter Tatchell interviews Mark Fischer of Hands Off the People of Iran and Yassamine Mather of Workers Left Unity Iran, 21 September 2007.

Yassmine Mather Speaks at Blockade Of Faslane UK/US Nuclear Submarine Base

Peter Tatchell writes:

The Iranian regime is neo-fascist. It is notorious for bans on non-Islamist political parties, the violent suppression of protests and strikes, and the persecution of left-wingers, trade unionists, students, feminists, gays and religious and ethnic minorities.

The case for regime change is overwhelming, but it must come from within not as a result of US aggression. Many Iranians are hoping for Czech-style ‘people power’ democratic revolution, involving mass protests by socialists, secularists, democrats, women, students, trade unionists and minority nationalities.

If Iran was no longer a fanatical religious tyranny, the case for war would evaporate. Bush would lose the battle for hearts and minds. Public opinion would desert him. US military intervention would strengthen the position of Ahmadinejad, allowing him to play the nationalist card. It would also give him an excuse to further crack down on dissent, using the pretext of safeguarding national security.

Tragically, the leadership of the UK and US anti-war movements are making the same mistakes over Iran as they made over Iraq. They are silent about the regime’s despotism and oppression and refuse to show solidarity with the Iranian peoples’ struggle for democracy, human rights and self-determination for national minorities like the Baluch, Ahwazi Arabs and Kurds.

Hands Off the People of Iran, argues that both US war and Iranian tyranny should be opposed. Neither Washington nor Tehran!

To view the programme, click on this link: