On Wednesday evening, September 24, I was one of over one-hundred activists who met for two hours with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran. President Ahmadinejad was in the US for a General Assembly meeting at the United Nations. Leila Zand, an Iranian woman from the Capital District who is the Iran Program Director for the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), organized the meeting. The next morning, anti-war group members who had attended Wednesday’s meeting met again to discuss how to organize against an attack on Iran.
I attended both meetings as a representative of Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace and of the Muslim Solidarity Committee. Also at the meeting was Priscilla Fairbank from Women Against War (WAW). Over 100 different anti-war organizations from across the country were represented, including, the Syracuse Peace Council, and Rochester Against War from upstate, NY.
After welcome addresses from FOR and the Iranian ambassador, eleven people, including Priscilla Fairbank of WAW, asked questions of the Iranian president.
President Ahmadinejad’s started his formal address by thanking those who were gathered for their work on behalf of peace. He observed that World War II took the lives of over 60,000,000 people, more than the number killed in all previous wars combined, and was then followed by additional wars in Korea, Vietnam, Granada, and elsewhere. He had determined, therefore, that it was not enough to fight against a single war; rather, the peace movement must address the causes of war in general and work towards ending all war.
He stated that, in his opinion, war has two major causes:
1. Greed, or the desire of one country to take the resources of another; and
2. Geographical expansion, or one country trying to take over the territory of another.
He said that the only war that modern Iran was involved in was the eight-year war with Iraq, which was started by the “professional criminal,” Saddam Hussein. Saddam, he said, started that war with the encouragement and support of the US. As a result, over 200,000 Iranians died, including many killed by chemical weapons supplied by the US.
President Ahmadinejad stated that the reason Iran is against war is because, in Iran, politics and religion are not separate. He said that all the great religions have a common moral code and that unless politics is based on a moral code, war will continue. He also said that Iran is against nuclear weapons and implied that nuclear weaponry violates the religious beliefs of Islam.
One of the questions asked of President Ahmadinejad involved the recent demonstration at the national political conventions and the number of arrests (over 800 were arrested in St. Paul including legal observers, medical helpers and reporters). The questioner asked about similar political repression in Iran. President Ahmadinejad replied that they have demonstrations in Iran, including two annual demonstrations that attract millions of people. He said political demonstrations are allowed in Iran. However, one Iranian women at the meeting the following morning stated that there have been non-government sanctioned demonstrations in Iran that have been broken up by authorities.
Another questioner asked about the role of women, youth, and gays in Iran. Ahmadinejad replied that Iranian youth are very involved in politics and that a national youth organization advises him. He said that people can vote in Iran at the age of 15.
President Ahmadinejad said that two of his vice-presidents are women and that women make up 70% of the university students and perhaps a majority of all professions. Women can work at all jobs , including taxi driving and truck driving. He noted, however, that he did not think it was a good thing for women to be taxi drivers and truck drivers, as he believes women should not do hard labor and represent beauty and the finer things in society. (I also noticed that all the dignitaries who came with him were men.)
He did not answer the question about gays although he did answer that question on Democracy Now the following morning. He stated that although he does not approve of homosexuality, gays are not discriminated against in Iran. What people do in their own homes is their own business, he said. Amy Goodman had a picture of two gays that she said were hanged in Iran. President Ahmadinejad responded that he did not believe that; people in Iran are only executed for murder or rape.
He was asked why Iran supports nuclear power instead of renewable energy. He said that he thought it was strange that the U.S., Britain, and other countries supported Iran’s nuclear power programs under the US supported dictatorship, but that once Iran had elections, these same countries no longer supported it. He said that they spend three times as much on renewable energy than they spend on nuclear power. He felt that both renewable and nuclear energy were necessary for Iran’s energy future.
Medea Benjamin of Code Pink asked why it is difficult for Americans to get visas to visit Iran. She said that they had sponsored tours of Iran but she herself had been denied a visa. President Ahmadinejad said that he did not know and instructed the Iranian ambassador to open up the process for Americans. He then told us that we should now go to our own government and ask why Iranians can’t get visas to come to the US.
President Ahmadinejad stated that the demise of the old Soviet Union started with their protracted war in Afghanistan. He believes that the US is going through a similar process. He said that the $700 billion bailout of US financial institutions could be better used by the poor around the world and that the $700 billion was more than the budgets of over 100 countries in the world. Because of the crisis, the US would not be able to have another war for perhaps a decade, he said. He also stated, “Iran will not seek war with anyone, ever.”
After meeting with Ahmadinejad, I had the opportunity to hear Bush’s televised address on the economic bailout. The contrast was clear: Bush spoke with the expressionless face of a psychopathic liar. Ahmadinejad spoke with expression and emotion, like a normal person. Although I disagree, at times strongly, with many of the points Ahmadinejad has made, I believe the U.S. campaign of vilification against the Iranian president is designed to build up a case for war against Iran.
The most important human right is the right to live. Any movement toward war by the U.S. against Iran would bring mass destruction and death. The role of the peace movement in the U.S. is to strongly oppose a war against Iran not criticize Iran, which will just add to the US villification of Iran and support the US war effort. As long as the US continues to threaten Iran, the Iranian people will band together to defend their country, and all their other progressive struggles in Iran will be postponed.
At the meeting the following morning, over 60 people representing a wide array of the national peace movement met at a church in the East Village. FOR has many ties to the religious peace movement ,and so a number of religious peace leaders were there along with most of the secular peace groups. Ahmadinejad’s comments about religion and politics became a topic of discussion at the meeting. Most people clearly disagreed with Ahmadinejad’s perspective, although some thought that his perspective comes from Iranian traditions where there is not a concept of separation of church and state.
One Iranian woman mentioned that she spoke to the Iranian ambassador during the meeting and he asked her if some of the people who attended the meeting would be arrested for attending. Perhaps this comment says a lot about the real political situation in Iran
There was discussion about legislative initiatives and about the importance of people to people contact between the two countries. There was not a lot of time for strategizing; however, FOR plans to keep us in contact with each other as a national network opposing an attack on Iran.
The meeting with President Ahmadinejad was filmed. FOR will let us know how we can get copies of the video.
On October 18, 2008 there will be a conference on Iran and strategies to end war in our area. Information can be found at the link below. Please join us to further discussion of avoiding war with Iran.
How to Prevent War on Iran and the Constitution
Peace,
Joe Lombard
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Georgia vs Russia
As George Bush and virtually all other American politicians and news media express their support for Georgia and condemn Russian “aggression” in the conflict between the two counties, it seems some important facts are being ignored. It was not Russia who started this fight, but Georgia by its unprovoked attack of South Ossetia. According to Associated Press interviews with survivors of the Georgian assault on Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital, the city was left in flames with hardly a single building left untouched. The parliament, the university and the main hospital were all totally destroyed. According to Eduard Kokoitym, the South Ossetian leader, more than 1,400 civilians were killed in this Georgian assault. Yet these facts seem to be unnoticed as the US continues to insist that Russia is the aggressor.
South Ossetia, along with the neighboring region of North Ossetia-Alania has been an autonomous region for over 70 years, including under the old Soviet Union. The Ossetians are a distinct nationality with their own Persian-related language and culture. The Georgian attempt to annex this region is in clear contrast to the wishes of the Ossetian people who have fought Georgia’s attempts at annexation since the break-up of the Soviet Union.
The US is not innocent in this conflict. The Georgian government is an ally of the US and had 2,000 troops in Iraq at the time of their invasion of South Ossetia. The US has armed and trained the Georgian armed forces. There are US military advisors in Georgia today and just before Georgia invaded South Ossetia, one thousand US Marines left the country after conducting joint military maneuvers called “Operation Immediate Response.” In the period leading up to the Georgian invasion of South Ossetia, the US supplied the Georgian military with hundreds of tanks, armored vehicles, artillery weapons, rocket launchers and dozens of combat helicopters and anti-aircraft missile systems. These were used in the Georgian invasion of South Ossetia.
Additionally, the Georgian invasion of South Ossetia comes at a time that the US is pushing for Georgia and the Ukraine to join NATO, an act that Russia sees as a threat. It also happens at a time that the US is installing missiles and listening systems in Poland and the Czech Republic causing Russia to threaten to aim its missiles at these countries in response.
The timing of the Georgian attack on South Ossetia is also of concern. The attack happened on the opening day of the Olympics as all eyes were on China and Bush sat watching the opening ceremonies. As Russia is fixing its attention on Georgia and South Ossetia, the US is amassing a huge armada off the coast of Iran. Three carrier groups with 39 Navy vessels prepare for something just outside the territorial waters of Iran. This armada includes nuclear weapons and weaponry that can reach all parts of Iran.
Is a Fall surprise being prepared by the Bush administration?
Joe Lombardo
South Ossetia, along with the neighboring region of North Ossetia-Alania has been an autonomous region for over 70 years, including under the old Soviet Union. The Ossetians are a distinct nationality with their own Persian-related language and culture. The Georgian attempt to annex this region is in clear contrast to the wishes of the Ossetian people who have fought Georgia’s attempts at annexation since the break-up of the Soviet Union.
The US is not innocent in this conflict. The Georgian government is an ally of the US and had 2,000 troops in Iraq at the time of their invasion of South Ossetia. The US has armed and trained the Georgian armed forces. There are US military advisors in Georgia today and just before Georgia invaded South Ossetia, one thousand US Marines left the country after conducting joint military maneuvers called “Operation Immediate Response.” In the period leading up to the Georgian invasion of South Ossetia, the US supplied the Georgian military with hundreds of tanks, armored vehicles, artillery weapons, rocket launchers and dozens of combat helicopters and anti-aircraft missile systems. These were used in the Georgian invasion of South Ossetia.
Additionally, the Georgian invasion of South Ossetia comes at a time that the US is pushing for Georgia and the Ukraine to join NATO, an act that Russia sees as a threat. It also happens at a time that the US is installing missiles and listening systems in Poland and the Czech Republic causing Russia to threaten to aim its missiles at these countries in response.
The timing of the Georgian attack on South Ossetia is also of concern. The attack happened on the opening day of the Olympics as all eyes were on China and Bush sat watching the opening ceremonies. As Russia is fixing its attention on Georgia and South Ossetia, the US is amassing a huge armada off the coast of Iran. Three carrier groups with 39 Navy vessels prepare for something just outside the territorial waters of Iran. This armada includes nuclear weapons and weaponry that can reach all parts of Iran.
Is a Fall surprise being prepared by the Bush administration?
Joe Lombardo
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
How to End the War
The following is a reply to a message sent to one of the local peace listservs expressing the feeling that our anti-war work is not effective.
Edpell wrote: why will the ruling elite care what we say?
I think this is a very important question. The ruling elite cares what we say only because they know that we have the potential power to stop them. To turn that potential power into real power requires organizing the American people and raising their political consciousness. This organizing and consciousness-raising must be the goal and the guiding principle of the peace and progressive movements.
Because the “ruling elite” does fear an increase in political consciousness and organization, we have had some success. They have not yet attacked Iran, though they want to. They have not used nuclear weapons in Iraq, though they have floated the idea such as the use of “bunker buster” bombs, which are low yield nuclear weapons. As they move towards attacking Iran, they know they will have to consider the reaction of the American people, of the rest of the world, of the soldiers, and of the Iranian people.
Our job is to cut through the media’s political propaganda, keep up our organizing efforts, and keep raising people’s awareness of what is going on. This will ensure that if they do attack Iran, the people’s reaction will be massive.
As far as increasing consciousness and organization are concerned, we are winning, even as the government continues with the same lies and propaganda. We have now gone from about 1/3 of the population being against the war to more than 2/3 being against the war. As part of that process, more and more people have started to draw far reaching conclusions about this war and about politicians, the media, and the government as a whole. I believe that there is now more mistrust toward both Democratic and Republican politicians than there ever has been before. Even during this election period, as news of the war has almost disappeared while the media uses up all the air time talking about the political horse race, anti-war groups are popping up, and the movement is strengthening in local areas across the country.
We have had glimpses of what can happen when potential power is manifested. On this past May 1st, 25,000 longshoremen went on a one-day strike on the West Coast, closing down all 29 ports on the West Coast. Their single demand was “US out of Iraq and Afghanistan Now.” Most strikes are economic strikes, like the one conducted by the transit workers in New York City a few years ago, which shut down New York City. That strike showed the power of working people when they are organized. But there has not been a political strike in this country for decades, except for the strike of the longshore workers and the strike conducted by immigrant workers last year to protest the injustices inflicted on them by this country.
It is clear that the longshoremen’s strike struck fear in the hearts of the American ruling class and their politicians, because the mainstream media, in lockstep, completely ignored it. The same thing happened with the Winter Soldier hearings, where Iraq veterans testified about U.S. atrocities in Iraq. The media all decided to say nothing, because if soldiers start opposing this war, it could turn into what happened near the end of the Vietnam War, when soldiers started to refuse orders and refused to fight.
So it is our job to let people know about the longshore strike and Winter Soldier, because it gives them an idea of what is possible. This is part of the consciousness raising that must happen. I believe that if the US attacks Iran, especially right in the middle of the ongoing war with Iraq, the response from people in this country, from the military, and from people throughout the world will be explosive. Once again, the political consciousness of people will be raised as they begin to understand what this ruling elite is really about and that it is not acting in the interests of the people.
This is why it is critically important right now to build a strong peace movement, as well as other progressive organizations. As people’s consciousness raises, they will be looking to join organizations in order to collectively fight back. We are the great majority. As Ralph Nader points out, in this country the top 1% is wealthier than the bottom 95%. The top 1% is organized; they have 2 political parties to represent them. Our 95% is not organized. Therefore, we must build a movement that seeks to organize the masses and move them into action. To do this, we must keep up our visible activity, seeking to draw in more and more people and figuring out ways to reach further and further into the general population.
This is one of the reasons why I worked to build the Cleveland Anti-War conference that was held in late June. On a national level, the anti-war movement is poorly organized and painfully divided, to the extent that the major national coalitions refuse to work with each other. The conference represented an attempt to change all of that by building a single united movement. This movement is critically important, especially as the US moves towards war with Iran and seeks to violently implement its goals throughout the world. (For a report on the Cleveland conference which took place June 28 - 29 go to: http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/natassembly040708.html )
Peace,
Joe Lombardo
Edpell wrote: why will the ruling elite care what we say?
I think this is a very important question. The ruling elite cares what we say only because they know that we have the potential power to stop them. To turn that potential power into real power requires organizing the American people and raising their political consciousness. This organizing and consciousness-raising must be the goal and the guiding principle of the peace and progressive movements.
Because the “ruling elite” does fear an increase in political consciousness and organization, we have had some success. They have not yet attacked Iran, though they want to. They have not used nuclear weapons in Iraq, though they have floated the idea such as the use of “bunker buster” bombs, which are low yield nuclear weapons. As they move towards attacking Iran, they know they will have to consider the reaction of the American people, of the rest of the world, of the soldiers, and of the Iranian people.
Our job is to cut through the media’s political propaganda, keep up our organizing efforts, and keep raising people’s awareness of what is going on. This will ensure that if they do attack Iran, the people’s reaction will be massive.
As far as increasing consciousness and organization are concerned, we are winning, even as the government continues with the same lies and propaganda. We have now gone from about 1/3 of the population being against the war to more than 2/3 being against the war. As part of that process, more and more people have started to draw far reaching conclusions about this war and about politicians, the media, and the government as a whole. I believe that there is now more mistrust toward both Democratic and Republican politicians than there ever has been before. Even during this election period, as news of the war has almost disappeared while the media uses up all the air time talking about the political horse race, anti-war groups are popping up, and the movement is strengthening in local areas across the country.
We have had glimpses of what can happen when potential power is manifested. On this past May 1st, 25,000 longshoremen went on a one-day strike on the West Coast, closing down all 29 ports on the West Coast. Their single demand was “US out of Iraq and Afghanistan Now.” Most strikes are economic strikes, like the one conducted by the transit workers in New York City a few years ago, which shut down New York City. That strike showed the power of working people when they are organized. But there has not been a political strike in this country for decades, except for the strike of the longshore workers and the strike conducted by immigrant workers last year to protest the injustices inflicted on them by this country.
It is clear that the longshoremen’s strike struck fear in the hearts of the American ruling class and their politicians, because the mainstream media, in lockstep, completely ignored it. The same thing happened with the Winter Soldier hearings, where Iraq veterans testified about U.S. atrocities in Iraq. The media all decided to say nothing, because if soldiers start opposing this war, it could turn into what happened near the end of the Vietnam War, when soldiers started to refuse orders and refused to fight.
So it is our job to let people know about the longshore strike and Winter Soldier, because it gives them an idea of what is possible. This is part of the consciousness raising that must happen. I believe that if the US attacks Iran, especially right in the middle of the ongoing war with Iraq, the response from people in this country, from the military, and from people throughout the world will be explosive. Once again, the political consciousness of people will be raised as they begin to understand what this ruling elite is really about and that it is not acting in the interests of the people.
This is why it is critically important right now to build a strong peace movement, as well as other progressive organizations. As people’s consciousness raises, they will be looking to join organizations in order to collectively fight back. We are the great majority. As Ralph Nader points out, in this country the top 1% is wealthier than the bottom 95%. The top 1% is organized; they have 2 political parties to represent them. Our 95% is not organized. Therefore, we must build a movement that seeks to organize the masses and move them into action. To do this, we must keep up our visible activity, seeking to draw in more and more people and figuring out ways to reach further and further into the general population.
This is one of the reasons why I worked to build the Cleveland Anti-War conference that was held in late June. On a national level, the anti-war movement is poorly organized and painfully divided, to the extent that the major national coalitions refuse to work with each other. The conference represented an attempt to change all of that by building a single united movement. This movement is critically important, especially as the US moves towards war with Iran and seeks to violently implement its goals throughout the world. (For a report on the Cleveland conference which took place June 28 - 29 go to: http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/natassembly040708.html )
Peace,
Joe Lombardo
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