We are the counterparts of all the revolutionaries in pursuit of justice and equality across the world
Zhaleh Sahand
Everything in Iran is crumbling, but its extreme tyranny and cruel anti-workers policies. Iran is a perfect example of the notion that anti capitalism-anti-imperialism is nothing more than a farce when it is not organically coinciding with the free operations of the independent unions, planned economy, and all civic liberties and practices.
Iranian regime has jailed and executed thousands and thousands of Iranian political activists from all walks of life; national/religious minorities, labour activists, and unionists, charged with sham national security offences and more. Several of the activists found dead in their cells, some activists forever disappeared, and some of them are serving lengthy and full prison sentences at present time (1, 2).
While the regime’s anti- workers policies have always stayed intact with its day to day challenges since the day after the 1979 revolution, its state of economic affairs as a single-product oil economy has never been stable, and it is in deeper crisis since the sanctions imposed by Trump last year after breaking with the 2015 nuclear deal.
To look into the recent protests, we know that Iran’s export of about 2 million barrels of oil a day, dropped to 500 barrels a day in October. According to the World Bank statistics, Iran’s unemployment rate has dropped to about 12% in September, but these statistics are provided by the Iranian regime, and the real numbers can be higher. This decrease does not seem to be as the result of the creation of the new jobs and a better economy, but due to Iran’s definition of employment which says anyone more than age 10 who works even one hour a week, will considered to be an employed. Out of 82 million Iranians, 40% of them are under age 25, and of course many of them just work some hours a week.
Iran’s annual inflation was as high as 42.2% in April 2019, and is projected to be more than 30% in 2020. Food prices went up by 62.8% in 2019, and poverty is expected to reach 12.8% in 2021. Iran will further undergo a period of stagflation by 2020, and its currency, Toman which was equal to 10 Rial, dived to $1 in these days (3)
With all these fluctuating economic factors and numbers, Iran is facing a consistent political turmoil since 1979 revolution that as days go by, becomes increasingly terminal in its political/economic scopes and outcomes, portraying Iran’s indecisiveness and lack of attempt to better the lives of the toilers- this is souring proof that the Iranian regime is a capitalist regime with its vision and mission set to serve global capitalism, and openly have ruled by the points of swords to protect and save capitalism.
The record of the Iranian regime is much bloodier than what the outside world has witnessed. The Iranian regime as a member of the International Labor Organization has ratified the ILO Convention 87 that calls for freedom of association and the right to organize, but Iran only allows workers representations through its own Islamic labour council. The labour candidates must pass the review of the Islamic labour Boards. The right to arbitration, mediation, and collective bargaining is not protected by the regime, and as a result this process eliminates all the progressive members of the unions and bars the independent unions, and subject workers who periodically join work related protests to prosecutions, arrest, dismissals, and lengthy jail sentences.
The Islamic regime of Iran and its rotten capitalist agendas have failed the Iranian workers and poor, brought death and misery to millions, and must be smashed from below by the Iranian toilers, workers, and student movement echoing their true needs for freedom from capitalism and imperialism on the streets of Iran with their own voices, bloods, and gist since November 15, 2019.
The triggering cause of the recent protests in Iran, was the sudden and steep 300% increase in the price of gasoline, petrol-rationing, and reduction in subsidies. The heated protests in which quickly spread across more than hundred cities, are the deadliest and bloodiest protests ever that have taken place on the streets of Iran since the 1979 revolution, broadly questioning the Iranian regime in reign both economically and politically. Banks, the symbolic images of the rotten capitalism and several shops burned down, university students staged sit-ins in several universities, and roads were blocked by cars. Horrifying videos show how the Iranian security forces from the rooftops, grounds, and helicopters firing shots at people in cold blood (4).
Amnesty International and reports from Iran offer different statistics. It has been said between 100 to 300 protestors have been killed, more than 1000 arrested, and about 4000 are injured. At least 48 students were arrested at their homes. The Iranian regime apparatuses showed no mercy, and has been reported that they have arrested the injured protestors who were under treatment in the hospitals.
The protests have heavily been joined by the most marginalized and exploited populations, including Kurds and Arabs, in the provinces of Kurdistan and Khuzestan, where to a higher degree, the presence of the political oppression, economic devastation, and poverty has always had an uglier and straight face in both Shah’s and the Islamic regime.
The regime shut down the internet to 4%, to block the flow of information to the outside world, or prevent people from organizing their coming protests. The protestors have been represented as agents of foreign powers, the infamous slander promoted all along by the Iranian regime after the 1979 revolution to discredit, defame, and savagely suppress the integrity of the Iranian dissidents, workers, and toilers.
Ali Khamenei in his statement called the protestors “villains”, President Rouhani called the protestors “organized subversive elements who acted precisely on a plan the regional reactionary [Saudi Arabia], the Zionists [Israel] and Americans had formulated». The regime’s puppet Newspaper, Kayhan, wrote that “Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said protestors should be hanged.”
The Islamic regime not only is in the deep crisis in Iran, but it is a hated regime in the region, counter parting with the most hated and brutal regimes as Syria and Yemen. The recent wave of the protests in Iraq and Lebanon presented the deep political sentiments of both nations that are vastly under the influence of the Iranian regime both ideologically and economically, and the toilers of both countries want the hands of the Iranian regime to be cut off from their politics, and this is what all the Iranian and international revolutionaries firmly affirm.
We believe that not only the long term U.S. sanctions, and the rupture of the nuclear agreements recently imposed by Trump, that mainly is victimizing the Iranian working class and its livelihood, is at the root of disenchantment with the regime, but the ill capitalist system and the reactionary superstructure of the regime with its tyrannical policies, and nothing can bring change to this regime, but a revolution. Only through revolution can the working class rule and bring about a planned economy.
Under mounting economic pressure as the Iranian workers are, both Iranian Islamic regime and the U.S. imperialism fiercely do everything in their power to prevent the working class from taking power in Iran, and as a whole all over the world-and this is the common bond between all the reactionaries. As internationalists, the establishment of socialism and organization of the working class in Iran and across the world is our aim, and we must fight to our last breaths for revolution only with the comradely assistance of our counterparts and revolutionary forces around the world.
Stop killing the innocent people!
All political prisoners and recent arrestees must be immediately and unconditionally released!
Down with the U.S. led Imperialism!
Down with the Islamic Regime of Iran!
Long Live Socialist Revolution!
Long Live Iranian People’s Struggle for freedom and Equality!
Notes
1-https://workers-iran.org/iran-workers-under-continued-political-repression/
2-https://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/Rapport_Iran_final.pdf
3-http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/930061553672411223/Iran-MEU-April-2019-Eng.pdf
4- https://www.facebook.com/100024513930723/videos/588096665350793/
