From the Worker-Communist Party of Iran

I'm just re-printing a couple of items from the Worker-Communist Party of Iran about the current uprising.

Class character of the current revolution
This resolution was adopted at the 7th congress of Worker-communist Party of Iran earlier in December 2009

1- The movement that began June 2009 in Iran, and goes on strongly as ever, is a revolution aimed at bringing down the Islamic Republic to reach freedom, equality and welfare for all. As far as its genuine content and the objective circumstances that have given rise to it are concerned, the present revolution has its origin in the class opposition between the bourgeoisie and the working class, and can be victorious only by ending the former's political and economic domination.

2- The formation of the current revolution per se is indicative of the working-class horizon, or alternative, enjoying the upper hand over right-wing scenarios such as "reconstruction", "gradual transformation", "regime change", and other nationalist-ethnic-religious alternatives. The formation of the revolution confirms and firmly establishes the working-class perspective with respect to the most fundamental transformation of the status quo. It also bears out the fact that revolution is the most desirable as well as viable way to destroy the regime of Islamic Republic and liberate the whole society from political and economic domination of the bourgeoisie. The formulation and publicization of the said perspective as well as ceaseless practice for its realization by the workers' class-political representative, i.e., Worker-communist Party of Iran, has itself been instrumental in the formation of the current revolution.

3- The formation of revolution in Iran opens an active and effective front for beating back such reactionary movements as political Islam, the militarism of the Western's bourgeoisie, and the corresponding socio-political theories like cultural relativism, multi-culturalism, and so on. The Iranian revolution turns the human being and the universal humanist values into the focal point of the class struggle between the world proletariat and the world bourgeoisie, and thus presents the honorable, civilized people of the world with a bright, promising perspective. The current revolution enjoys therefore a high capacity for enlisting the support of the world working class as well as the public opinion of the freedom-loving people across the globe.

4- The working class is the only class that is both willing and able to bring the present revolution to victory. For, on the one hand, the emancipation of the working class from exploitation and the domination of the bourgeoisie is objectively, actually, pending the emancipation of the whole society from the prevailing poverty, suppression, discrimination, oppression, and repression. On the other hand, the people's demands, their ideals, namely women's liberation, emancipation from the clutches of religion, cultural emancipation, modernity, unconditional political and social freedoms, eradication of poverty and securing welfare for all are represented only by the working-class perspective, [reflected in] the working class [party-political] program. The demands and ideals of the citizens at large are, for all practical intents and purposes, achievable only through the realization of the socialist objectives, the socialist program, of the working class. In the process of the present revolution the working class can, and should, rally onder its standard the great majority of the citizens, overthrow Islamic Republic, and realize [the slogan] "freedom, equality, welfare".

5- The working class can position itself at the head of the current revolution only through its political party. Advancement, deepening, radicalization and the eventual victory of the revolution is pending the people embracing the party of the working class as the representative of the masses' critique, their dissatisfaction with, and their objections to, the status quo, as well as accepting it as the leader of the mass struggle for the overthrow of Islamic Republic. Such a party should, firstly, represent the political and social objectives of the revolution, and make its presence felt in the field of the fight over the political power, and, secondly, be accepted as the leader by the society. Under the political circumstances in Iran, Worker-communist Party of Iran enjoys the said characteristics, and possesses the necessary capabilities to obtain the position of the leader of the revolution.

6- Worker-communist Party of Iran fights with all its might to advance, strengthen, organize, lead and bring to victory the present revolution. The Party calls on all activists in the workers' movement and all revolutionaries in the student and women's liberation movements, as well as in all other protest movements of other sections of the society to get actively involved on the basis of the Party's policies, and to join its ranks.

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Manifesto of the Iranian Revolution

The revolution that has started since June 2009 is the outburst of the repressed anger of the people against the criminal Islamic regime of Iran. This is a revolution for liberation from a corrupt system, for smashing a machine of murder, plunder, ignorance and lies which has been wrecking the lives of the people for thirty years. This revolution will not stop until it has crushed the entire inhuman system in power.

But this revolution is not just about the liberation of the people of Iran from the Islamic nightmare. It is not even just a source of hope and inspiration for the people in Islam-stricken regions. This revolution speaks from the heart of the people of the world. Fundamentally, it is a revolution against a dark period identified by the offensive of the New Right and the New World Order; September 11 and the rise of political Islam; and the War on Terror and conflagration of the world in the war of terrorists. A period which by the metamorphosis of the human being through religion, ethnicity and nationality, by defining the relations amongst members of humankind as the Clash of Civilisations, and by denying the universal rights of the human being by the notion of Cultural Relativism has in fact imposed a Postmodern Middle Ages on humanity. The Iranian revolution is in fact the voice of the Third Camp against this regression of the bourgeoisie of our age. It is a voice that shouts “Freedom, Equality, Human Identity”. It is for this reason that songs have been written for this revolution from around the world, and Neda has become a hero of the people of the world.

The Iranian revolution is, first and foremost, against religious and Islamic rule. It is deeply secular and opposed to the rule of ignorance, superstition and the clergy. In this respect it is pursuing, in a radical way, the unfinished, or forgotten, tasks of the French Revolution. With the victory of this revolution, not only will religion become completely separate from the state and the educational system, but any privilege, law and tradition giving the religious apparatus the right to interfere in social life will also be abolished. Religion will be pushed to the sphere of voluntary choice and private beliefs of adults. Official religion will be abolished, and the hold of religion on society and social affairs will be ended. Thus, for the first time, genuine freedom to have or not to have a religion will be established. The Iranian revolution has already, in a practical way, delivered its severe censure on the appeasement of political Islam by European and Western governments and the shameless reversal on secularism. The anti-religious revolution in Iran is the beginning of a new Renaissance in human history.

The present revolution in Iran is a “women’s revolution”, not only because it is immediately against sexual apartheid and a misogynist government, and not only because women and girls are at its forefront in fervent demonstrations and street battles, but also because the maxim “women’s freedom is a measure of society’s freedom” is increasingly etched in the consciousness of the masses of the people. The unconditional equality of women is the inviolable decree of the present revolution. This revolution is another step forward in the efforts of modern humanity for liberation from vile gender slavery. From the October 1917 Russian revolution to the women’s liberation movement in the West; from the women’s demonstrations in Iran against the veil in March 1979 to thirty years of women’s resistance and protest against Islamic veil, discrimination and humiliation – these make up the backbone and inspiration of the present revolution in Iran. The victory of the present revolution will not only have a phenomenal impact on the status and struggle of women in Islam-stricken countries, but will also advance the women’s liberation movement in the world as a whole.

The revolution in Iran is about freedom. The realisation of the most radical and human definition of individual, civil, cultural and political freedom is the immediate task of the ‘Twitter’ and ‘Facebook’ generation which has risen up in revolt. It does not accept any restriction on freedom of expression, assembly, strike and organisation or other political freedoms. It does not recognise any boundaries for the freedom to criticise “sanctities”. It does not accept any censorship on culture, art, literature and human creative activity. It is against any interference of the state or any official authority in the private lives - including in the sexual relations and preferences - of members of society. Not only should political prisoners be freed, but the very notion of political prisoner should be abolished. This is a revolution against the death penalty and all brutal or Islamic punishments. It is not only against Kahrizak, but also against Guantanamo and its corresponding political culture - from shock therapy to rape and torture, which have been elevated to official tools of the state. This is a revolution not only for cultural liberation from Islam, dictatorship and any backwardness and recourse to “one’s own culture”, but stands for a global, human and modern culture. In this sense, the nearest counterpart of the Iranian revolution are the 1960s’ and 70s’ civil rights movements in the USA and Western Europe, with the difference that this revolution along with Marx goes further than “civil society”, and aims for a “human society” or “social humanity”.

This revolution is the powerful response of a poverty-stricken society to the ruling parasites. It is a revolution for abolishing poverty, unemployment and the appalling gulf between the life of a billionaire minority and that of the great mass of deprived people living under the poverty line. This is a revolution not only against non-payment of wages of millions of workers, but in essence against the very sale and purchase of human creative power and the rule of blind and brutal market laws on people’s lives. This is a revolution for putting an end to drug addiction, prostitution, the plight of working street children, homelessness, depression, suicide and all that is the result of the poverty running amok in Iranian society. This is a revolution for “livelihood and dignity”, for “bread and roses too”.

Thus the present revolution in Iran is about the liberation of the human being in all political, social, intellectual, cultural and economic dimensions. This is a revolution against all false identities for the human being, be it religious, ethnic or national, and ultimately for putting an end to the division of people into classes. This is a revolution for human dignity, for happiness, freedom, welfare and equality for all in the enjoyment of the material and intellectual riches of social life. It is indeed a revolution for reclaiming the will of the human being, in both individual and social capacities. In one word, as we said from day one, this is “a human revolution for a human rule”. Thus the revolution in Iran links up with great efforts in history – from Spartacus to the Jacobins of the French Revolution, from the Paris Communards to workers of Petrograd, from the councils of the 1979 revolution in Iran to the anti-capitalist movement at the start of the third millennium, stretching from Seattle to Rome. The Iranian revolution is fundamentally against modern wage slavery, whose time has long been up, and which for its survival has needed to resort to religion, superstition, torture, prison, terror, and the nuclear bomb. This slogan of Tehran’s students expresses the foundations of the Iranian revolution: Socialism or barbarism!

The triumph of the revolution of the people of Iran over the Islamic Republic will open up a new chapter in the world and will be a new stepping stone for putting an end to class history and for the start of genuine human history. The Seventh Congress of the Worker-communist Party of Iran calls on the people of the world for a more enthusiastic and resolute support of the Iranian revolution and people. The Congress sends its greetings to women, youth and workers in Iran and calls on them to join the ranks of the Party for the victory of this revolution and realisation of this Manifesto.

Adopted unanimously by the Seventh Congress of the Worker-communist Party of Iran, 5-6 December 2009.