yasmine's blog

the Iran Tribunal

yasmine — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:37:33 +0000

Hands Off the People of Iran has been criticising the “Iran Tribunal” for its pro-imperialist agenda and links to funds that campaign for “regime change from above”, like the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). In this video, Yassamine Mather responds to some criticisms leveled against Hopi.

http://hopoi.org/?p=2244

Quotes:

Iran: Sanctions mean war on the people

yasmine — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 19:22:25 +0000

If you want to find out what economic chaos looks like, forget about Athens or Madrid: Tehran is the capital to study.

In 2009-10 there were already signs of a serious economic crisis in Iran - low wages, mass unemployment, spiralling inflation, all helped along by privatisation. That was when we saw mass protests against fraudulent elections results, dictatorship and repression. Those demonstrations were suppressed and a number of factors, including the threat of war and the reformism of the self-appointed leaders of the green movement, contributed to the defeat of the protests.

Hopi weekend conference: April 21-22, central London

yasmine — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:19:32 +0000

The danger of a new war in the Middle East is increasing every day. The war drums are beating ever louder, especially in Israel. Hands Off the People of Iran is hosting this weekend conference in order to highlight the dynamics behind the sabre rattling. Sessions include:

Saturday April 21

War, imperialism and the capitalist crisis
- Mike Macnair, Communist Party of Great Britain
- Istvan Meszaros, invited

Threats, opposition and solidarity http://www.hopoi.org

yasmine — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:17:51 +0000

First Published in Weekly Worker 16 Feb 2012

In the last few weeks Iranians have woken up every day to news of further military threats and new sanctions. Anyone you contact in Iran will tell you how the constant media ‘analyses’ of if/when the bombing will start is affecting the national psyche, how morale is down, how the current situation is reminiscent of the terrible days of the Iran-Iraq war.

How does the Islamic Republic survive

yasmine — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:14:34 +0000

33 years after it came to power how can we explain the longevity of the Islamic regime in Iran

Explaining the longevity of the Iranian theocracy from Communist Party of Great Britain on Vimeo.

Make your voice heard: No war on Iran! For regime change from below!

yasmine — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:13:51 +0000

The war drums against Iran are beating ever louder. The new embargo on Iranian oil, to come into force on July 1, is only the latest in a long list of measures imposed by US and EU imperialism. It bans all new oil contracts with Iran, and cuts off all existing deals. Also, all of the Iranian central bank’s European assets are to be frozen.

We are told that the sanctions are designed to weaken the regime and “force Iran back to the negotiating table” over its nuclear programme. This is clearly nonsense:

Islamists courted by imperialist

yasmine — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:38:16 +0000

After months of elections, incorporating three rounds of voting, Egypt has elected a new lower house of parliament dominated by Akhavan Al Moslemin, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafites.

Embassy stunt backfires

yasmine — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:27:02 +0000

The storming of the British embassy compounds in central Tehran and Gholhak followed a week of political pressure on Iran and the imposition of UK sanctions against the country’s central bank.

Explaining the longevity of the theocratic regime

yasmine — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 18:26:38 +0000

Explaining the longevity of the Iranian theocracy from Communist Party of Great Britain on Vimeo.

Cricket for Iranian workers

yasmine — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:37:35 +0000

Dear friends,

The Arab Revolution: reasons, impact and prospects

yasmine — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:45:34 +0000

On May 28, Hands Off the People of Iran organised a roundtable discussion to debate the question of the uprisings in the Middle East, the connection to the capitalist crisis and the impacts on Turkey and, crucially, Iran.

Contamination spreads

yasmine — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 07:26:30 +0000

As early as Sunday February 13 riot police and the bassiji militia took up positions in the main streets of Tehran in preparation for the demonstration called for the following day. ‘Reformist’ leaders Mir-Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi were put under house arrest and internet connection to many sites was blocked.

Then, as darkness fell, all over Tehran people went onto their rooftops, shouting, “Allah-o-akbar” (God is great) and “Marg bar dictator” (Down with the dictator).

The anti-Mubarak coalition will break apart

yasmine — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 22:56:32 +0000

The dramatic events unfolding in the Arab world will have long-lasting effects on the political and economic situation of the region and beyond. In Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen we are witnessing uprisings against dictators who have been in power for over 30 years. These events take place against the background of the global financial crisis, as the countries of the periphery bear the brunt of the fall-out.

Amadinejad slapped as factions turn on each other

yasmine — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 05:31:32 +0000

Last week's stalemate in nuclear talks between Iran and the so-called 'five plus one' countries (US, China, France, Russia, Britain and Germany) came at a time when a number of events had already promised a turbulent start to the new year for Iranians: a plane crash for which sanctions must have been partly responsible; the execution of 53 prisoners, including four political prisoners, in less than three weeks; accusations by the 'principlist' faction of the regime that president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's closest ally, chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, is an "agent of foreign powers

Last chance for regime change from below

yasmine — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:49:24 +0000

Demonstrations were held across Iran on the June 12 anniversary of last year’s rigged presidential elections - despite a heavy security presence and the cowardly back-stabbing of the so-called ‘reformist opposition’.

‘Reformist’ confusion stunts opposition protests

yasmine — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:54:58 +0000

Last week’s official celebrations of the February 1979 uprising that brought down the shah’s regime in Iran stood in total contrast to the events of 31 years ago.

HOPI Annual Conference 28 Nov 2009

yasmine — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:15:19 +0000

Saturday November 28 2009, Somers Town Community Centre, 150 Ossulston Street, London NW1 1EE (near Euston station). Registration from 10am.

Download a leaflet here: AGM leaflet front leaflet back

We have nothing to loose but our unpaid wages

yasmine — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:51:04 +0000

Every day for the last few weeks Iranian workers have been protesting, at times in their thousands - at their workplaces, outside government offices and provincial offices complaining about job losses, non-payment of wages, privatisation ... Universities have been the scene of daily protests and ordinary people have used every opportunity, even football matches, to express their opposition to the regime.

Iran: misogynist torturers cling to power

yasmine — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 06:39:23 +0000

Over the last few weeks, following the show trials of ‘reformist’
personalities and the imposition of even more severe forms of
repression in Iran, the nature of protests has changed considerably.

Show trials and apologetics

yasmine — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 06:31:38 +0000

The Stalinist show trial of Saturday August 1 – when a number of prominent ‘reformists’ appeared on Iranian state TV to ‘thank their interrogators’ before repenting – was not the first such event in the Islamic republic’s history. Leaders of the ‘official communist’ Tudeh Party were similarly paraded on Iranian TV to denounce their own actions in the 1980s, while in the 1990s we had the trials of ‘rogue’ elements of the ministry of intelligence.