The presence of women in the forefront of the upsurge is promising!
The political earthquake and the uprising of the people in December 2017 in Iran, although had a relative decline, but soon led to the courageous struggle of women against compulsory hijab and other forms of women’s oppression.Soon later the protests against the gang rape of women in some deprived cities,the protests against the ongoing poor livelihood throughout Iran, the struggle with water shortage or having no access to drinking and agricultural water, the workers protest over unpaid wages and the protest of those whose money were stolen from the deposit boxes, the protest over rise in price of US dollar and ...,which are all interconnected; led to the rebirth of another wave of massive street struggles of the people in August 2018. Once again, people are aiming at the Islamic Republic Regime (all different faction of the religious regime) with the slogan "we do not want the Islamic Republic!"
The main force of the recent uprising is from the lowest classes of society,those left out of the formal economic circle and are living on the edge of cities and in disadvantaged conditions at the margin of society. But this economic pressure has not been equally addressed to all classes and mainly and above all, is on the lower classes and the working people .Poverty also have another important feature. It has been feminized in Iran to a high degree. As a result, it has had its own consequences such as the unprecedented growth of gender-based violence, prostitution, rape, women trafficking, street sleeping, homelessness, unemployment and … among women.
In addition, the defeat of foreign policy of the Islamic Republic has directly and irreversibly affected domestic policies. The governing body of the Islamic Republic, which itself was struck by an apparent internal split, tried to reconcile its various factions by an "official" connection to the US-led network of the capitalist imperialismwhich is deeply in crisis, under the name of "Nuclear deal", to temporarily heal its internal and external crises. But with the emergence of Trump fascist government, all their efforts and last-ditch efforts and “heroic flexibility”for recognition by the United States were in vein and down the drain. The announcement of US withdrawal and the resumption of sanctions against Iran had a direct impact on the Iranian currency market and subsequently the destruction of the livelihood of the people.
In such circumstances, however, this regime does not stop intimidating, threatening, and befooling people.Various factions of the ruling power; are trying to reduce this uprising merely to the issue of bread and economic problems. By denying the political and anti-regime nature of these protests, they want to channelize it into "legal protest". It is an undeniable fact that dissatisfaction and anger of the people is NOT due to political pressure of various factions of the regime or the conspiracy of "foreign" forces and countries. It is the result of the functioning of a religion-centered capitalist system of oppression and exploitation of The Islamic regime of Iran.
Today, when the need for a radical revolution is felt from all sides of society, the closest historical experience, the collapse of the reactionary monarchy reign, comes to us. In such a situation, one cannot and should passively wait and observe. One cannot and should not repeat the same historic mistake and hold the destiny of the people’s movement once more into the cycle of choosing between bad and worse. One cannot wait again for the emergence of "outsourcing alternatives" that, at the end of the twentieth century, brought out ‘’khomeini’s Islamic fundamentalism government’’ to people. We cannot wait until once again imperialist governments, based on their own interests, determine the fate of the people in Iran. It cannot be allowed to either launch a reactionary war in the region, or equip and stabilize the current regime, or bring out a "proper government" from within this government, or create a "transitional government" or one or a combination of the so-called opposed reactionary forces for the people.
We must, today and now, not only discuss everything we want and whatever we do not want, but also prepare for it, plan it and implement our plans with full force to hasten the revolutionary overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Today, the overthrowing movement of the people, with all its weaknesses and strengths, and with all its potentials, boldly and bravely,is standing in the scene of action and away from the illusion of reform to a varying degree. A movement that is Young, inexperienced; is disconnected from the past world historical experience and deprived of the link to the past generation of fighters ; is filled with the backward thoughts arising from the patriarchal relations, nationalism, chauvinism, religious fanaticism, class supremacy And ... which are being pumped by the regime into society and is a serious obstacle among people to advance; is deprived of being organised and run away from it; has no horizon other than bourgeois horizon; and its most material alternative is to substitute "democracy" for "tyranny and dictatorship" ….
Therefore, the most important factor is the need for a revolutionary leadership because without this, there cannot be strategy to move beyond the existing order and determine a line of demarcation with both reactionary poles- religious fundamentalists and imperialists.
We, women, are not only angry and strong protestors aiming to revolutionary overthrow of the Islamic Regime , but our struggles in the field of gender oppression and patriarchy and other areas are a testament to build a movement that has a future free of oppression and exploitation, and is promising women’s emancipation not backwardness!
March 8 women’s organization (Iran-Afghanistan)
August 2018
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