Friday 18 September Islamic Republic had called for a large rally to commemorate “Al Quds” day. “Al Quds” day has been invented by Khomeini 30 years ago as an ideological symbol to help to remake the Islamist movement under his leadership by hijacking the Palestinian cause. “Al Quds” day corresponds with the last Friday of the month of Ramadan. This year the regime was preparing “Al Quds” celebration amid great tensions in the country. In the past three months, Iran has witnessed a mass uprising and a massive and brutal crack down by the regime. Hundreds have been detained, brutally tortured and several hundreds have been killed.
Islamic regime was under the impression that it has successfully silenced people’s protests. Therefore it had even invited the international media to go to Iran to cover the “Al Quds” celebration. The turn of events proved the regime wrong. On the day, people turned in their thousands to create a counter-demonstration. Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of Tehran in different areas including the streets around Tehran University, where Ahmadi-Nejad was due to make a speech. The demonstrators were attacked by the security forces but they defied the forces and continued their march. Similar demonstrations were staged in the cities of Shiraz, Tabriz, Rasht and Esfahan.
This was a strong show of force by the people against the Islamic Republic. Three months of suppression, violence, killings, arrests, torture and rape in prisons following the mass demonstrations in June this year had made people resolute to continue their struggle against this reactionary and suppressive regime. Even the ultimatums and “warnings” by Khamenei, the “spiritual leader” of the regime to crack down on any protests on this day, or the cries of Messrs Karoobi-Mousavi-Khatami, the state reformist faction, for people to be calm and not to chant radical slogans did not have any effect on the people. The regime’s plans did not work. Contrary to what they thought people confronted the armed forces and set their armoured vehicles alight. The Islamic regime is reaching a dead end. People have ruled for the demise of the regime. The war between the two factions within the regime has reached a point of no return. The future is in the hands of the people.
People showed that not only they oppose the regime; they also make a mockery of its holy religious rituals and ideological symbols. On Friday, people ridiculed “Al Quds” day, a very important ideological basis of the regime and Islamist movement. Moreover, it was Ramadan, the fasting month according to Islam. For 30 years the regime has tried to impose its suppressive and religious rule on people of Iran. During Ramadan the country is practically under military rule. This year, people broke this rule, as well.
Worker-communism Unity Party emphasizes that Iran is on the verge of very important developments. People’s struggle in Iran is to overthrow the Islamic regime and gain “Freedom, Equality and Prosperity.” People are sick and tired of suppression, dictatorship, discrimination, injustice, poverty, destitution and exploitation. They hate the religious state and want a free equal, prosperous and secular society.
We in the Worker-communist movement bear a very heavy responsibility. We have to abort and prevent any attempts by the regime’s state reformist faction that tries to limit people’s struggle within the constitution of the Islamic Republic. We have to set back the compromises that the right wing and reactionary forces impose on people. Our Party strives for the organisation of a workers’ revolution for the overthrow of the regime, abolition of capitalist system and establishment of a Socialist Republic. People’s real demands are only possible under a socialist republic. A free, equal, prosperous society and a better world is what people rightfully deserve. Only a workers’ revolution can guarantee such achievements. We call upon all to join us.
