Today the independent member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Gamal el Khoudary, is scheduled to address a conference in Vienna organised by the Austrian Committee "Gaza shall live". Among the panellists are Karin Resetarits, independent European MP, Fritz Edlinger, General Secretary of the Society for Austrian-Arab Relations, Peter Melvyn, European Jews for a Just Peace, Paula Abrams-Hourani, Women in Black, Anas Schakfeh, President of the Islamic Community (which in Austria is a governmental charge), Franz Sieder, Catholic priest, Zuheir Elwazer, Palestinian ambassador.The campaign "Gaza shall live" collected up to now about 750 signatures for a petition to the Austrian government to desist from further supporting the Israeli, American and European stranglehold against the … [read more]

May 17th, 2008, 19.00Schwarzspanierstr.15, 1090 Vienna60 years after the massive expulsion of the Palestinians from their home country a murderous embargo makes 1.5 million people in Gaza struggle for survival.The campaign "Gaza shall live" calls on the Austrian government and the European Union to lift the embargo on the Gaza Strip in order to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. Panellists:Gamal ElkoudaryIndependent Representative of the Palestinian Legislative Council, GazaKarin ResetaritsMember of the European ParliamentFritz EdlingerGeneral Secretary of the Society for Austrian-Arab RelationsFranz Sieder Catholic priest / AmstettenViola RahebConsultant, Vienna - PalestinePeter MelvynEuropean Jews for a Just Peace - AustriaPaula Abrams-HouraniWomen in Black - ViennaAnas … [read more]

Interview with Magdi Hussein, chairman of the Islamic Labour Party, Egypt Magdi Hussein has been imprisoned several times for political reason. His last arrest occurred in the aftermath of the April strike movement.Magdi HusseinQ: How can socialism and Islam be combined?We think that Islam is nearer to socialism than to capitalism. I do not mean Soviet-type Marxism but would refer rather to Social Democracy at least regarding the political implication but not the doctrine. Both free market liberalism as well as complete nationalisation by the state does not work. Here we believe that Marxism made a mistake - again not referring to the doctrine but to the actual political deeds. We believe in Islam as the third way, as an alternative to both. We look to the Scandinavian model where … [read more]

Turin, Saturday May 10th, 10am to 2pm Dar al-Hikma Italian-Arab Center Via Fiocchetto 15 (Porta Palazzo zone)With the intervention of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, in live broadcast from Gaza- To listen to the voices of those who suffer everyday under the oppression- To learn about the situation in Gaza, a true lager of the 21th century- To understand the reasons of the Palestinian resistance- To denounce the takeover against the legitimate winners of the January 2006 elections- To carry on the struggle against the genocidal embargoFor all of these reasons, to remember the 60th anniversary of the Nakba, to protest against the International Book Fair dedicated to Israel we will meet in Turin on Saturday May 10th.We adhere to every initiative of protest against the Book … [read more]

wenn die pazifistische Verkleidung abfällt... "Sollte sich eine iranische Atombombe ohne Krieg verhindern lassen, so wären wir die ersten, die sich darüber freuen würden" - mit diesen Worten relativieren die Veranstalter eines zweitägigen Symposiums über die iranische Atombombescheinbar Forderungen nach einem atomaren Erstschlag gegen den Iran, die auf ihrer Konferenz aufgestellt worden sind. (Die Tageszeitung der standard berichtete, http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=3325059) Klingt ein bisschen weniger wild als Benny Morris, in dessen Statement der "unkonventionelle Schlag" gegen den Iran gefordert wurde. Ist aber im wesentlichen das gleiche: Nachdem die "Stop the Bomb" Veranstalter auch dem CIA nicht glauben, wenn dieser 2007 berichtet, dass es kein iranisches militärisches … [read more]

organisiert von der Kampagne "Gaza muss leben" Palästinensisches Flüchtlingszelt am StephansplatzSamstag, 10. Mai 2008, ab 14.00Stephansplatz, 1010 WienDieser Tage wird allerorts das 60-jährige Bestehen Israels gefeiert. Kaum je vernimmt man, dass Israel auf der Grundlage der Vertreibung von hunderttausenden Palästinenser/innen errichtet wurde, die bis heute Flüchtlinge bleiben. Schritt für Schritt eignete sich Israel palästinensisches Land an und setzte die ethnischen Säuberungen systematisch fort.Extremster Ausdruck dessen ist die gegenwärtige Blockade Gazas, die 1,5Millionen auf engstem Raum zusammengedrängte Menschen in ihrer Existenz bedroht. Der eigentliche Skandal dabei ist, dass alle von dieser Kollektivstrafe des schleichenden Völkermords wissen, doch niemand … [read more]

Haifa, 20-21/6/2008In recent years, there have been annual conferences on the Right of Return that have played an essential role in consolidating and demonstrating the growing political and public consensus in support of the return of all Palestinian refugees to all the places from which they were expelled. The new Haifa conference is not an alternative to the "Right of Return conferences". It rather takes the discussion one step further by proposing a specific political framework for the implementation of the right of return and for all the countries' residents and refugees to live together.One year ago, the Abnaa elBalad movement, a Palestinian movement active within the 1948 Palestinian territories, proposed the convening of a conference that will discuss the right of return of the … [read more]

اللجنة العالمية للتضامن مع الأسرى والمعتقلين في سجون القوات الأمريكية في العراق(نداء) كان هدير الملايين من شعوب الأرض في شهر شباط من عام 2003 يزمجر في شوراء المدن الكبرى رافضا لخيار الحرب على Ø§Ù„عراق لانّ تلك … [read more]

ادلى سماحة الاخ المرجع القائد احمد الحسني البغدادي حول موقف الكتلة الصدرية تجاه تهديدات نوري المالكي واصراره على حرمانها من الاشتراك بالانتخابات المقبلة Ùˆ فيما يلي نص التصريح :انا مصاب بالصدمة من بعض الاخوة من … [read more]

John Wight, Scotland, on Carter's attempt for a dialogue with Hamas The attempt by former US president, Jimmy Carter, to facilitate dialogue between the Israelis and Palestinians over the past week has ended in inevitable failure and condemnation. Indeed, the former president’s assertion that in any peace negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians Hamas must be included earned him the kind of opprobrium associated with paedophilia from within both Israel and the US. The fact he deigned to meet Khaled Meshaal of Hamas in Damascus merely compounded the issue, guaranteeing Carter, a man who in the past few years has revealed increasing sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians, the eternal calumny of Israel and her supporters around the world.Yet again, throughout the week … [read more]

The influx of social protest is rising, but the question remains if the oppositional movement is able to gather their forces The recent events in Mahalla al-Kubra, an industrial center in northern Egypt, where thousands of workers went to the streets in protests against rising prices, show the deep level of unrest and dissatisfaction existing in the country. Several factors have led to the explosion of social protest as is witnessed today, most prominently the price inflation on basic commodities, the recently felt effects of the privatization policies of the Egyptian state companies and the widely felt marginalizing among large sectors of the Egyptian society.The Egyptian toiler has often been accused of being accustomed to bow his neck and obey orders. This is maybe an orientalist … [read more]

الحملة الدولية ضد الاحتلال الأمريكى والصهيونىمؤتمر ومنتدى القاهرة للتحرر 2008البيان الختامي الحملة الدولية ضد الاحتلال الأمريكى والصهيونىمؤتمر ومنتدى القاهرة للتحرر 2008البيان الختاميإن نجاح مؤتمر القاهرة … [read more]

International Campaign against Zionist and US Occupation Cairo Conference - Cairo Forum for LiberationMarch 2008The success of the 6th Cairo Conference and the Cairo Forum for Liberation 2008, despite all the challenges and difficulties, is, by all measures, an important achievement. The objective of the two events was and continues to be linking between three struggles: the resistance movements in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon; the political groups, foremost the Islamic, Arab Nationalist and socialist, struggling against colonialism, hegemony and despotism in the Arab world; and the antiwar and anti globalization movements worldwide. The previous year has witnessed major challenges on each of the three fronts. The Palestinian people and resistance face a frightening siege imposed by the … [read more]

Press Release , 15 April 2008May 14th marks the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, during which over 530 Palestinian towns and villages were depopulated and destroyed and 750,000 men, women, and children driven from their land. This programme of ethnic cleansing will also be marked as the anniversary of the formation of the apartheid state of Israel.We, members of The European Campaign To End The Siege Of Gaza, on the anniversary of the Nakba, pledge our commitment to the Palestinian struggle for self determination, human rights, and restitution for the 60 years of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, murder, and theft of land and resources which they have suffered unabated at the hands of this Zionist state. This unremitting cruelty has reached a new stage with the ongoing siege of … [read more]

by the Party Red, Norway The party Rødt (Red), Norway, fully supports the struggle of the textile workers in Mahalla al-Kubra. The textile workers at Mahalla are in the forefront of the struggle of the poor masses of Egypt against rising price and low wages which is going on at the present. The Mahalla workers are not alone in their struggle. Their long strike has been joined and supported by other workers all over Egypt and from peasants fighting for their land. We are informed also here in Norway that these strikes and protests by workers, peasants and people in the street who no longer can make ends meet in their daily life due to the price hikes on bread, flour and basic commodities, have been met with brute police force and massive arrests and other forms of repression by the NDP … [read more]

General strike put down by force In the last days thousands of workers and citizens have taken to the streets of Mahalla al-Kubra, an industrial centre in northern Egypt, to protest rising prices and to demand a respectable minimum wage and social security.More than 10,000 workers took to the streets during 6hth and 7th of April. They countered the harsh measures imposed by the security forces of Hosni Mubarak, dictator since 1981. The militancy of the Egyptian worker sends a clear message to the ruling elite of the country: This regime must go.The call of the workers of Mahalla to strike was met with a deeply felt response in all ladders of Egyptian society. 6th of April was declared a day of general strike by the opposition movement. Despite of huge security measures, threats of legal … [read more]

 Ø­ÙˆÙ„ الاحداث الاخيرة في العراق بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمالحمد لله الذي نصر عبده .. واعز جنده .. وهزم الكفر وحده .. والصلاةوالسلام على سيدنا محمد العربي الصادق الامين المبعوث رحمة للعالمين ..وآله الطيبين … [read more]

On 28 March 2008 the office of Imam Baghdadi in Baghdad issued a political statement concerning the confrontation between the Sadrist Mahdi army and the forces of the collaborator regime supported by the occupation armies. Imam Baghdadi denounced the blood-shedding for which he blamed the Maliki regime. He called for:"1. Resignation of the forth government installed by the occupation. Build an intermediate council and government to take care of the country after the withdrawal of the American occupation forces.2. The attack on the Sadrist current basically means an attack on the whole national and Islamic, political and operative resistance.3. We call among the brothers in the (national) police and army institutions not to execute the orders given by the collaborator … [read more]

Since the imposition of the embargo on Gaza and its radicalisation in January of this year already several international solidarity delegations tried to enter besieged Gaza. The latest attempt took place on March 31 starting from Cairo and trying to reach Gaza with relief materials.It was initiated by the "European Campaign to Lift the Siege on Gaza" and seized by several other groups like us from the Anti-imperialist Camp or the "Gaza must live" committees. As most of the interested forces did not know each other the preparations were scarce and had to take place upon arrival in Egypt.We took advantage of the international Cairo conference against Zionism and imperialism which took place ahead of the delegation. It was astonishing how the idea was taken up spontaneously by the … [read more]

A critique of the anti-war movement from a Greek perspective Following speech was held by Georgia Mylonaki of the association Intifada (www.intifada.gr) at a seminar of the Cairo conference in March 2008:The Role of International Anti-War Movement in Supporting the ResistanceA critique of the current pacifist nature of the movement, why are movements shy to openly support resistance, challenges, proposals for changing this attitude, political benefits etc.The Anti-War movement in Greece is being developed within a supposedly privileged environment if compared to that of the US or the rest of Europe, the reason for this is in brief the following:-The Greek people is generally regarded as anti-American, which means against the American imperialist domination -the demonstrations against … [read more]