Cohosts: International Emergency Campaign & "Global Conversations" of Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco
Speakers: Stephen Zunes, Lili Babayi, Gavrilah Wells, and Dolly Veale
Watch the speakers, solidarity statements and cultural presentations on YouTube:
A timely, spirited and informative webinar took place on Sunday, August 25th, with over 70 people -- in at least 4 countries and 10 cities -- participating via zoom or in-house at the UUSF.
The event was inspired by the political prisoners in Iran, especially the women in Iran’s Evin prison, and spotlighted their urgent struggle against rise of executions taking place in Iran. The speakers all brought heart and substance to the webinar’s theme. While coming from different perspectives, each gave a view of a dimension of the situation that provided a journey that challenged the audience. There was a spirit of unity in genuine care and support for Iran’s political prisoners, opposing the Islamic Republic’s theocracy, AS WELL AS opposing US imperialism.
The event was co-hosted by the International Emergency Campaign to Free Iran’s Political Prisoners Now (IEC) and the Global Conversations Group of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco (UUSF). It opened with the reading of a warm welcome message from UUSF Minister, Rev. Millie Phillips, followed by presentations from the four speakers.
Professor Stephen Zunes set the stage by giving an compressed yet accessible overview of some of the historical and current dynamics of the Middle East. Lili Babayi highlighted the long history of the regime's oppressive rule, and the tenacious, heroic resistance of women in Iran. Gavrilah Wells' PowerPoint graphically showed the gut-wrenching statistics of Iran’s current execution surge. Dolly Veale spoke to the responsibility of people in the US to bring forward another way in the interest of humanity -- through the IEC’s work, as well as through engaging the revolutionary leader @BobAvakianOfficial on possibly ending the system of U.S. imperialism in this “rare time”. [1]
Two powerful poems contributed a unique and lively cultural component – a hallmark of IEC events. Rafael J. González sent a short solidarity comment to accompany a previously recorded video of his poem in Spanish and English “El cabello de la mujer/The Hair of Women.” Raymond Nat Turner joined via Zoom to give a live reading of his new work “ Can we walk, talk, chew gum, text and BREATHE at the same time?” There were heartfelt solidarity statements from individuals in the Seattle (Dan Ellsberg chapter of Veterans For Peace, and from Sharat Lin of San Jose Peace Center.
We encourage everyone to watch, spread and utilize this video —of this one-of-a-kind internationalist webinar— especially as high school and college classes are opening for the new school year at this extraordinary and challenging moment in the world and in the US. Write us your comments, suggestions and reports – and to volunteer. Stay tuned for news and announcements in September of events that mark the 36th anniversary of Iran’s 1988 massacre of political prisoners, and/or the second anniversary of Mahsa Jina Amini’s murder (that sparked Iran’s historic 2022-2023 uprising). Share your plans and reports – inside Iran, in the Iranian Diaspora, and worldwide. Write us at FreeIransPoliticalPrisonersNow@gmail.com
Footnotes
[1] STEPHEN ZUNES, Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco, founding director of the program in Middle East Studies.
LILI BABAYI, a revolutionary communist, supporter of the Communist Party of Iran MLM and a follower of revolutionary leader Bob Avakian. She is fighting to put an end to the oppression of women and of LGBTQ in Iran and around the world. She thinks this is not possible without breaking with the system of capitalism-imperialism and Islamic fundamentalism as part of that.
GAVRILAH WELLS, a long-time human rights activist and social justice advocate. She is the Coordinator for Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) Group 30 based in San Francisco, and is an AIUSA Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator for California.
DOLLY VEALE, a co-initiator of the IEC, together with long-time feminist and abortion advocate Carol Downer. Dolly is a spokesperson for the IEC. She is also a contributing writer to revcom.us, and contributes to revcom’s “American Crimes” series.
Click "Show" for Solidarity statements (under construction)
Solidarity Statements
We will add further statements as they are transcribed.
From veterans in support of the IEC Teach-in
Iranian student and political groups, and especially prisoners themselves are right now calling for international solidarity – calling on us to act right now to free Iran’s political prisoners.
As anti-imperialist veterans of the U.S. military we stand with the people of Iran against any and all aggression by the U.S. and its Zionist and other allies. We have learned some of the horrors US imperialism inflicts on the people of the world through being part of its war machine. We have come to realize that people everywhere have basic rights as people-- and on this basis we stand with people anywhere who are denied those rights.
There is an emergency of executions and repression in Iran. This takes place in the midst of the U.S./Israeli genocide in Gaza, as Iran gears up its confrontation with the genocidaires.*** Because of this confrontation the prevailing view among serious opponents of the genocide, including many of our fellow veterans, is that the Iranian state should not to be criticized in any serious way at this time. Here’s a problem: We live in a world overwhelmingly dominated by the capitalist-imperialist system. All states that are participating parts of this system, on whatever level, act in the interests of their own ruling classes– not those of the people, domestically or elsewhere. In the case of Iran this means the interests in being a dominant regional power in semi-alliance with Russia and China— imperialist powers coming into conflict with the U.S. and it’s allies. All these actors have larger systemic interests opposed to any real struggle for liberation.
The teach-in being called for by the International Emergency Campaign to Free Iran's Political Prisoners Now (IEC) on August 25 is an opportunity to get into some key questions:
What is the emergency facing prisoners and political protest in Iran?
What is a real antiwar struggle under these conditions?
How do we support the people of Gaza and Iran without relying on reactionary governments?
Can we get away from the whole logic of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”?
How do we support solidarity between Iranians and Palestinians?
Signed
Pete Schoonmaker USN 1977–84 member Veterans For Peace*
James Williams Veterans For Peace Daniel Ellsberg Chapter 92, Seattle*
Martin Kunz USN 1970-76 member Veterans For Peace*
* Organization listed for individual identification only
Professor
We stand in solidarity with the people of Iran, united in the pursuit of justice and peace. Together, we condemn the violence that has plagued the nation for 45 years and call for an immediate end to the oppression that continues to harm innocent lives. We demand the release of all political prisoners, whose unjust detentions are a violation of their fundamental rights. Now is the time for action through unity and collective strength, we will push for a future where freedom, dignity, and equality prevail for every citizen of Iran.
Yousef Daneshbod, PhD (He/Him)
Associate Professor
Chair of the Mathematics Program
University of La Verne