The war on Iraq was only a part of this huge campaign. In Iraq imperialism acted as prosecutor, as judge and as executioner also and invaded this country by illegal, injustice and immoral war. By this way they showed that not only Iraq but they wanted to capture the conscience and will of the people of the world and they also wanted to crush the spirit and consciousness of resistance.
The aggression which started with Afghanistan and after that continued with Iraq can not be labeled as new colonialism. Although it has some new aspects, in real sense this is returning of classical colonialism. Like before, colonialists again attribute themselves some missions in terms of countries which they came to invade. The countries which were invaded by them long time ago to bring “civilization” nowadays reinvaded and this time their claim is to bring “democracy”. At the past they were lying to cover their real colony order intentions and massacres. Nowadays they lie again. Moreover today they have more propaganda means. So they perform more intense and systematic lie campaigns.
Although their propaganda seemed efficient and functional to some extent, the realities can not be hidden forever. As a matter of fact even before a war broke out, the protests which arose all over the world showed this fact. This was a first in the world history. Even before it broke out, a war preparation had caused huge protests of masses. From the East to the West and from the South to the North the masses who have different beliefs, humanitarian cares and political ideas exhibited a shared attitude against an unfair war. This fact was so important that, from military aspect whatever the result is, in the conscience of the humanity US was sentenced to lose. Perhaps the despotism could win a regional war but it was clear that it could not build the future.
When we look to the position of Islamic movements or Islamic inclined masses to the war protests, we saw that these movements manifested a common language and worries with other anti-war movements in the world. Although they have some different evaluations and approaches, in general not differentiating points but shared attitudes, demands and slogans came to the front. Together with most of the anti-war movements of the world, they declared that this war is an unjust war; US´s real intention is invasion and exploitation; US products must be boycotted; and Palestine problem must be solved in a just manner.
In this respect, Islamic movements and anti-global movements, peace movements and leftist movements met on a shared ground. This was very interesting. This shared ground can be named as the justice meeting. Naturally justice is a term which can be described from different perspectives but in its common denominator it reflects a seeking of human essence, rightness and pureness. And Muslims believe in as a Q´uranic term justice consists of all these human values.
US aggression has created some world wide effect and the relationship between Islamic movements and other movements which have different beliefs and worldviews is one of these effects. This fact in different types and densities is lived from London to Cairo and from Far East to Africa. And also in Turkey we witnessed that. In our country where the political-ideological differences are too sharp and sharing common points are very rare that practice was very important.
The anti-war coalition in Turkey which brings together personalities and groups from Left, Socialists, Democrats and Islamists perhaps could not arrange so huge demonstrations like London or Jakarta but could constitute a strong center of gravity against the establishment by way of gathering opponents from different parts of society. Of course with the contribution of many other factors, as a result of the efforts of this movement the Turkish government´s active involvement to the war on behalf of the US could prevented.
Since the system is globalized, so the opposition also must be globalized!
The fact which must be focused on is that the unjust, oppressive and exploitative order which is practiced in the name of globalization brings out the world wide opposition. The dominating nature of despotism shows to the resistance movements their weakness and this encourages the solidarity. So we can say that the globalization of the system and hegemonic powers is not one-way process, this brings also the globalization of the opposition.
In fact we face a preparing for a comprehensive aggression system, an authoritarian intolerance and an effort of hegemonic order which try to suffocate all kinds of protests and disapprovals. We see these practical results in Afghanistan and Iraq, partially in Palestine and US threats against to Syria, Iran, North Korea and even Zimbabwe which are imposed regime change. We saw concrete reflections of this imposing unlawfulness in Bush´s words of “either with us or with the terrorists” or in Rumsfeld´s words which used to justify the war on Iraq “the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”
It is also clearly seen that neither local, regional movements nor certain ideological-political groups by themselves can not resist against all this picture. To stop and drive back this global brutality is possible only by way of broad coalitions, effective campaigns and a resistance which comprehend all opponent groups of people. A global resistance, a global Intifada is an urgent need and also responsibility for all the world people. In this respect organizations and people from different ideological, ethnic, religious and political tendencies without losing time must strengthen the basis of dialog among themselves. The strength of the basis of dialog will bring the fact of solidarity. Whoever would like a more just world and a world in which not power and despotism but justice is superior, must strengthen the Global Intifada.
Ridvan Kaya
