Your article in the summer 2011 edition of ‘Emma’ entitled ‘A Black Spring’ expresses concern about the possibility of a Muslim Brotherhood dominated government in Egypt in the future after the transition period. You conclude that the easiest aspect of the fight is with the violent jihadists; and whilst Bin laden is dead, the doctrine of jihad lives on. In another article*   you say: “...the gradualist approach is far more likely to win the prize of state power. All that Khomeini did before he came to power in Iran was to preach the merits of a society based on Islamic law. He did not engage in terrorism. Yet he and his followers took over Iran – a feat far greater than bin Laden ever achieved. In Iran the violence came later.” 

In reality, however, ‘doctrine’ alone was not the reason behind the brutal Islamic movement’s rise to political power. In Iran, for example, the rise of Islamism was aided by the US-led foreign policy of creating a green or Islamic belt around the then Soviet Union during the Cold War. At a conference in Guadeloupe, Western powers decided to back Islamism at the expense of a left-leaning revolution that was crushed in order for the Islamic Republic of Iran to establish itself. In fact, to secure power, the regime slaughtered an entire generation. As a result, we have witnessed the rise of the political Islamic movement for several decades.

read full story / add a comment

Somehow as the sounds around us get stronger our voices get weaker and no-one wants to listen.  If we speak out people around us feel uncomfortable and threatened.

read full story / add a comment

A leading vet exposes cruelty at major coursing event

read full story / add a comment

Following the surrender of the Labour Party in Cabinet on JLCs, SIPTU has described the proposals as “relatively positive” on RTE Television News, July 28 and has given the government plan “a cautious welcome” (Martin Wall, Irish Times July 29).

This is a dark day for Irelands biggest union which was built by Larkin and Connolly

read full story / add a comment

The Shell to Sea national day of action is now in progress in Erris with a WSM member at the scene reporting that all work has been stopped, several fences have been pulled down and up to 30 people are now occupying Shell's compound. This despite the deployment of large number of private security who along with Garda have assaulted campaigners in a failed attempt to stop them gaining access to the site.

read full story / add a comment

From 7am to 7pm on Thursday, the road between Shell's Bellanaboy refinery and the Aughoose compound was virtually shut down by local residents and supporters from the Rossport Solidarity Camp. Between a person sat on top of a tractor and then a tripod in the morning, a blockade of the scaffolding company responsible for getting the tripod removed, then a mass of people blocking the road outside the refinery in the afternoon, it was a brilliantly successful day.

read full story / add a comment

Labour's Shame on Low Pay-Labour Party has capitulated to Fine Gael by agreeing to cut low pay

read full story / add a comment

A fuller report from today’s Irish Independent on the Labour capitulation on Low Pay is carried below.

Not alone has the Labour Party agreed to the scrapping of the Sunday premium for low paid workers, it has also agreed to allow employers to claim inability to pay and ,if successful, to pay a lesser rate for normal working days. In circumstances in which demand is being continuously removed from the economy by government, this can only lead to continuous reduction in the direction of the minimum wage and the effective collapse of the system. Compliant employers will be progressively undermined by those paying a lower rate.

The scrapping of the Sunday premium will simply add to the profits of highly successful multi-national retail chains at the expense of their employees.

read full story / add a comment

On Wednesday 27th July two people locked their arms into a concrete barrel or 'lock-on,' blocking the road between Shell's Bellanaboy refinery and the tunnelling compound in Aughoose. This stretch of road has been the focus of the protests this week with protesters on bikes and on foot blocking tractors in addition to the tripods and lock-ons. read full story / add a comment

Maghaberry jail is where Irish Republican prisoners in the Six Counties who did not agree with the Good Friday Agreement remained while the Provisions walked out under the terms of the Agreement. Subsequently their numbers have been swelled by others also opposed to the GFA. Although the British and the Northern Ireland Executive's Justice Minister deny they are political prisoners, they call them "Separate" because they are separated from non-political prisoners within the jail. After broken agreements, ongoing harassment and violent and physically intrusive body searches, the prisoners now escalate their protest campaign.

read full story / add a comment

This morning, Wednesday 27th July, at 7am, campaigners placed an enormous cement filled barrel or 'lock-on' in the middle of the road between Shell's Ballinaboy refinery and tunnelling compound at Aughoose. Two people are locked on to the barrel and it is expected that it will take the best part of a day before it can be moved. It is now stopping all truck deliveries between the two sites, seriously delaying Shell's work for the third day this week.

read full story / add a comment

The software that runs the Indymedia Ireland website known as Oscailt has been updated with two new features that will be of interest to our users. The software itself will be officially released in the next few weeks so that other sites using the software can include these updates too.

read full story / add a comment

A variety of actions have been taking place all day in order to delay Shell's expansion and securing of their new compound. Protests and blockades from 7am to 7pm. read full story / add a comment

Monday 25th July Shell intended to begin constructing a permanent compound in Aughoose from which to begin laying the offshore pipeline. However in a statement to Midwest radio Shell commented that works had been 'severely impeded' on Monday. Between a 5½ hour tripod blockade in the morning and loads of protesters on bicycles and on foot, the roads remained shut down for quite a lot of the day. read full story / add a comment

RNU activists in Ireland, Scotland and America, have over the last few days been very proud to participate in the campaign and 4 day fast to call for the immediate release of Brendan Lillis.

read full story / add a comment

Veteran Republican, and one of the Old Bailey bombers, Marian Price has been charged in connection with the shootings of two British soldiers in Massereene barracks in Antrim in March 2009. Her lawyer, Peter Corrigan has called this an abuse of Process as no new evidence has emerged in the 18 months when she was first questioned on the same charges.

read full story / add a comment

At 6.59 this morning a tripod was erected on the road between Shell's Ballinaboy refinery and their compound at Aughosse, Co Mayo.

read full story / add a comment

Over the past number of weeks Eoghan Harris has been uttering more than the usual amount of drivel in relation to the 1919-21 War of independence. Contemporary events have been dragged in week on week to promote the moronic view that the IRA systematically attacked Protestants during the War and after it.

No notion is too ludicrous in pursuit of the deeply reactionary and frankly sectarian campaign aimed at undermining the IRA’s anti-sectarian pursuit of independence between 1919-21. read full story / add a comment

Friday 22nd July Shell brought a digger and a port-a-cabin into the existing temporary compound in Aughoose. This is in preparation to start building a permanent compound in Aughoose from which they hope to start digging the tunnel for the pipeline which will connect Ballinaboy refinery to the 70 kms of offshore pipeline. They will come in full force on Monday 25th July, please come up to Mayo and show your support! A mass day of action is planned for Friday 29th July, but come up any time. read full story / add a comment