The Worker-Communist Party

by PaddyK Thu Oct 19, 2006 13:35

Eleanor Ommani, is a retired NYC educator, peace and justice activist with Wespac, Nowarwestchester, Progressive News Network, and the American-Iranian Friendship Committee. Ms. Ommani lived in Iran 1979 -1980, and returned this past March 2006 to visit family in Shiraz, Esfahan, Saman and Tehran.

Here she takes issue with the level of ignorance that is continually peddled in relation to Iran. She draws our attention to the September 29, 2006 ZNet article : Chavez’s Embrace of Iran Leader Insults Women, by Jennifer Fasulo.

She asks: "If Ms. Jennifer Fasulo’s intention is to defend women, how is it that the countries she has spotlighted to condemn and ‘expose’ for their "anti-women, student and worker abuses," are the two countries that have made the most advances in the shortest historical time for the vast majority of the working and poor people - Iran and Venezuela?"

Relating specifically to the WPI she states the following:

"According to Toofaan, the official monthly of Iran’s Labor Party, the WPI praises and condones the U.S. invasion of Iraq under the cover that it will result in the weakening of political Islam, which WPI brands as a form of terrorism. One of WPI’s spokespersons, Mansour Hekmat, defined the recent struggle in the Middle East as "civilized America" against "barbaric Islamists." Ms. Fasulo holds up the WPI as a beacon of hope for Iranian women, yet its leaders have joined Britain's far right politicians in a vicious campaign against London's socialist Mayor, Ken Livingstone, who alone hosted Hugo Chavez earlier this year (the Queen and Tony Blair refused to see Chavez, too). The same British tories had proudly welcomed Chile's mass murderer Augusto Pinochet to London a few years ago"

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=2...11221

I would like the Iran bashers here to give this very interesting article a read and address some of the issues Ms. Ommani raises. When people say "I dont want the Americans to attack Iran, but somebody's got to kill off the Mullahs for the sake of Iran" are they really contributing anything to progress or are they simply displaying a high level of ignorance and Islamophobic fascism?

Any comments from the usual suspects?

by pat c Thu Oct 19, 2006 14:20

The WcPI totally condemn US imperialism. This should be obvious from the many statements which have been posted on Indymedia.

If you had carried out even the most elementary research then you would have discovered that Mansour Hekmat had died in July 2002 so he could hardly have made any recent statements. Was Ommani conned or were you?

I have no idea what motivates either this woman or you. But it is truly sickening to see you describe Iranian Socialist Feminists as "Islamophobic Fascists". The fascists are those who stone women and gays to death.

Paddy I think you have been had.

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Maryam Namazie is Director of the Worker-communist Party of Iran's International Relations Committee. She is also co-editor of WPI Briefing.

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It is crucial for any successful discussion around visions of peace for the 21st century to look at the USA's adverse role in today's post-Cold War world. Iraq is a model for what the USA represents for the 21st century - insecurity, disorder, poverty and hunger, mass unemployment, destruction, carnage... No claims of weapons of mass destruction, liberation from dictatorship, a defence of rights and a war on terror can conceal its real nature. In Iraq, it is stripped naked and bare. It is itself the only state to have used the atomic bomb; it itself supported the dictatorship it has 'liberated' the people of Iraq from; it is itself the main cause of the Iraqi people's rightlessness. And despite its claims of fighting a war on terror, the USA is itself a pole of international terrorism in the world today.

And it is not just Iraq.

For profit and hegemony, the US ruling class would turn this world, including America, into another Iraq if it could.

http://www.maryamnamazie.com/articles/USA_political_Isl....html

**************************************************************

As every day goes by, it becomes painfully clear for all that neither the Islamist herds, nor the ethnocentric gangs and thugs let loose on society, nor the US-led 'liberators' can bring about a humane and 21st century solution to this swamp that was once called Iraq. They are in fact themselves the problem.

And in all this tragedy and chaos, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw says he wants to help the Iranian people have a freer and more prosperous future – that the Iranian people deserve better! Isn't that what they said about the people of Iraq and Afghanistan! And we have seen the prosperity they have brought for them!

To Jack Straw and Donald Rumsfeld: Please, if anyone is going to and can bring freedom, equality and prosperity, it is not you but the revolutionary movement fighting for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Your alternative is no alternative at all but more of the same.

http://maryamnamazie.blogspot.com/2006/03/not-another-i....html

************************************************
The Israeli State is waging a savage war against the
people of Lebanon. During the last few days it has
murdered hundreds more, injured thousands more, and
displaced and/or made homeless hundreds of
thousands more. It has destroyed almost everything
that carries a sign of civil society with its bombs,
rockets, and artillery fire. These are all acts of crimes
against humanity. The State of Israel, alongside its chief
supporter, the United States, must stand trial for their war
crimes.

The Worker-communist Party of Iran therefore demands the following: immediate cessation of allhostilities; immediate cessation of all and every military operation by Israelaimed at the Lebanese and Palestinian people; convictionof the Israeli government for committing war crimes; payment of compensation by the Israeli government to the bereaved Lebanese people.

http://www.wpiran.org/English/english.htm

by pat c Thu Oct 19, 2006 17:20

It gets worse!

The event that we are posting on is about a fourth anniversary commeration of Mansoors death! It should have been obvious that he was in no position to issue any sort of statement. Unless someone is using a medium to contact him.

by cut Thu Oct 19, 2006 17:25

paddy K is a cut n paste merchant

its not his fault he dont understand what he posts

give him a break, he does it all the time
all he can do is plaguerise peoples work with no idea what they are talking about or even if they are true. Most of the stuff he posts is ill informed and without any foundation

a paddy indeed!

by PaddyK Thu Oct 19, 2006 18:36

Dont you have anything to say about the content of the Article, did you read the article ?

She is claiming that Iran is a vibrant society. That she has witnessed a social revolution that is not equalled anywhere. She speaks of Women in the Workforce, in education, their legal rights under an Islamic government , the progress made, etc. It was these points that I thought you might address. She is asking many questions of the Anti-Iran Camp, that's the issue here. What about the Islamic government’s Family Planning Program and the Rural Health Care Network? Any comments ?
What about her assertion that stoning being a "rare and outdated practice" ? Thats a favourite hobby horse around here,. Would you care to challenge her on that point ? That actually might be interesting. You see, the truth is that she may well have "been had" as you so sagely put it and I would like to hear from anyone who might KNOW that these points she makes are wrong or dishonest.

So far, You have managed to successfully query her perception of time.

by pat c Thu Oct 19, 2006 18:53

Shes spouting nonsense. The fact that she is unaware Mansoor is dead for the last 4 years should tell you something about how reliable she is.

If you or any of the other Indy readers wish to read the truth about Iran then go to the links I posted above. I'll post some more below. You could also consult Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch; both of these organisations have an extensive collection of articles regarding the oppression of women, gays and workers in Iran.

Human Rights Watch
http://hrw.org/

Amnesty International
http://www.amnesty.org/

International Labour Solidarity Page of the Worker-communist Party of Iran
http://www.kargaran.org/_main-eng.htm

"In the case of women, only 1.3% of those who can take a job have jobs. Of the millions of women who work in the cities only 37,000 are employed in industries. And they are the first victims of redundancies. Women are even denied the right to choose their own clothing, and are every day punished for breaching the Islamic laws on dress. Women don't have the right to work outside the house and travel without the man's permission. When the marriage doesn't work, the woman has no right to divorce or to custody of the children.

We ask all those who are concerned about the women's situation in Iran to show their support by joining the struggle of the people and women in Iran; by fighting the so-called cultural relativism that is being put forward by the governments in the West under the excuse of respecting backward cultures; by joining us in declaring that people's rights and freedom are not Islamic or European but human and equal; by demanding that the Islamic Republic be driven out of international organisations; by not letting their governments approve the repression against the people in Iran, which these governments do so as to continue their profitable trade with Iran; and by not letting these governments close their eyes to the crimes being committed by the inhuman Iranian regime, under the big lie that people in Iran themselves want this situation and this regime. "

International Campaign in Defense of Women’s Rights in Iran
http://www.irandwr.org/english/aboutus.htm

by PaddyK Thu Oct 19, 2006 23:47

You say she's lying when she claims it is getting better and that Iran has a vibrant society that is rapidly evolving. Why is she lying?

Surely the way we assess the health of a society is in how it is changing for the better or worse. There seems to be no doubt that Iran is rapidly changing for the better. Ms Ommani states Iran's rate of change is unparralleled except for Venezauela. Is she lying there?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5359672.stm

Is Ireland changing for the better? With trafficing in humans and forced enslaved prostitution of kidnapped european women being a new social value, are we living in a healthier society than the Iranians? With us accepting the tyrrany of our governments in the west and the mayhem they cause in poor countries whilst remaining unwilling to demand change, have our free western societies brought us enlightenment?

Are we seeking change in the West, because it would appear that Iran's society is currently nurturing change. If the conservatives rail against that , then that would hardly be new. But it continues to happen.

Can America claim this of its democratic society? America grows less free, more conservative in government. Is that a healthy society?

Is Iran not doing what you want it to do, rapidly evolving?

Is this not happening under the tenure of the Islamic Republic and The mullahs ?

by pat c Fri Oct 20, 2006 10:51

How can you believe anything she says?

In your first comment you/she was claiming that the WcPI supported the US in Iraq. I have shown that this is not the case. Quite clearly the WcPI also believe that Iran can only be freed by internal action (see quotes above) and they oppose the Israeli imperialist attack on Lebanon (see above).

Why should you, I or anyone believe anything she says?

You believe what she writes if you wish; I choose to accept the writings of the WcPI who have a proud Anti Imperialist record and support workers, womens and gay rights.

by PaddyK Fri Oct 20, 2006 23:55

Eleanor Ommani does not speak to dead people but she does take to task one, Jennifer Fasulo, over an article she posted on Znet.

Ommani states that:

" While purporting to support women’s rights, Ms. Fasulo’s article contains some arrogant and injurious statements about Iran and Venezuela, misinformation about the condition and position of women inside Iran, and shows deep ignorance about Iran’s domestic realities. "

Here is the article:

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=2...11221

A core element in her position is clarified by her as follows:

"In an opinion poll conducted earlier this year by the U.S.-based firm Intermedia, 71% of the Iranian respondents expressed satisfaction with the general direction of the country"

-----------------------
Personally, I do not buy into an argument that she is a liar. You seem to be asserting that she is trying to pretend that Mansour Hekmat made recent statements, or she did not care to acknowledge that he died 4 years ago , therefore she is a liar.
in her piece she refers to recent developments in the middle East conflict, not recent quotes, I dont see any reason to read any more into that. 2002 is recent in that particular arena. Your position is vague and derogatory.

She claims Hekmat was quoted as having stated certain things , I dont know if he did or did not , you have certainly not provided any proof that he did not. Ommani does not claim this is the current consistent position of WPI. She just quotes a source that claims Hekmat said that. Big deal. The article is not about WPI , it's about Iran. It's about her trying to dispel what she perceives to be damaging myths about Iran.

I dont see her trying to defend the Governing regime of Iran in any of her debate, nor do I see her trying to claim that Iran is a Utopia. But she is claiming that :

"Individuals, groups or some ill-informed organizations who stand on the slippery slope with the neo-cons and old monarchists, repeating their charges and accusations that dominate the media regarding life in Iran, creates confusion as to the political identity of the Iranian women protagonists in the U.S., not to mention among the American progressive community."

Now, is there a credible rebuttal of this woman's position or shall we accept Ommani's position that Iranians inhabit one of the most rapidly evolving societies in our world ?

In her article, are we being diverted from the cruel totalitarian reality by her lies and misinformation? Should we as Westerners shout for an immediate remedy to right the terrible wrong against Iran's women and minorities? What about Homosexuals in Iran, where is their debate?

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=10772

"Iranians are already engaged in these debates. Just one example is the situation of the transsexual people who are at the forefront of a cultural transformation in Iran, demanding greater respect and rights. The case for sexual minorities in Iran might first come through this movement and not from gay or lesbian-identified individuals. Change is already under way, and although it will be a slow, arduous road, it is unlikely to follow a Western pattern or be hastened by Western intervention. "

by pat c Sat Oct 21, 2006 16:07

She was wrong about Mansoor. He didnt make the statements shr claimed. Hes been dead for 4 years.

The WcPi do not hold the views she claims. I have shown that through the quotes above.

When she has got so much wrong, why believe anything else that she says or articles she promotes?

I have listed organisations\which would disagree\with her view of IUran. These include Amnesty & HRW.

The defence rests.

by pat c Sat Oct 21, 2006 16:13

"She claims Hekmat was quoted as having stated certain things , I dont know if he did or did not , you have certainly not provided any proof that he did not"

How can I prove he didnt say these things? Surely its up to you to prove your assertions. What I have done is show that the politicals positions she attributed to the WcPI are false.

by logical Sat Oct 21, 2006 16:51

is just sophistry. The onus is on people putting forth an assertion to provide evidence for their assertion.

I suggest countering such sophistry with a similarly ridiculous request to prove a negative.

Reductio ad absurdum usually puts the argument back on track

by sofia Sat Oct 21, 2006 17:52

here's his grave - next to Mr Marx.
if you're a fan you know when the gig is.
If you're a farsi reader & are unfamiliar with the chap here's his wikipedia page http://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%88%D...D8%AA

Here you can read about Mansoor Hekmat in many languages :-

http://www.m-hekmat.com/

in life.

in death closer to Marx than Schubert got to Beethoven

but they were both atheists so didn't get delusional about it.

by pat c Sat Oct 21, 2006 18:02

Thanks for that. I think its time for a pilgrimage to his grave. Perhaps he will have some words of wisdom to share with me. Hello? Knock once for yes.

by PaddyK Thu Nov 09, 2006 02:42

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=2...11363