A new website has been set up by some
people in Germany; here is a description, followed by pictures from a
demonstration held yesterday in Berlin:
Winds of War: Iranians and Israelis against Germany’s contribution
to the escalation of the conflicts in the Middle East
We, Iranians and Israelis living in
Berlin, protest together against the current politics of Germany,
Israel and Iran, all aiming at escalation and military conflict in
the Middle East. We oppose the armament of Israel by the German
government, the sanctions imposed on Iran by the West, and the
politics of war threats and deliberate escalation perpetrated by both
the Israeli and Iranian regimes.
We maintain that the nuclear hype is
used by both the Iranian and the Israeli regimes to secure their
power by diverting public attention from the pressing existential
needs of their peoples: the growing social and economic tensions,
inequalities and repression. Moreover, the fabricated conflict
between the two countries is used to prevent criticism – both
abroad and at home – of decades of occupation and repression of the
Palestinian people by Israel and of the oppression of the Iranian
people by the regime in Iran.
In the face of mounting war threats, we
are convinced of the necessity of a strong opposition to warmongering
and of a critical analysis of the underlying causes of the current
conflict. We seek to act against the war by shaping ties between the
people from the region, encouraging resistance/opposition at home and
abroad, and encouraging a critical debate within the German public
regarding Germany’s intervention in the Middle East.
Saying No to Sanctions
The sanctions claimed to be targeted
against the government have in fact mainly targeted the population
and adversely affected the Iranian protest movements that started in
2009. A war added to the crippling sanctions, in addition to its
immediate human cost, would serve as a tool for the government to
crack down on and repress the protests. We stand together in
solidarity with the struggles of the Iranian people and believe they
are the only legitimate force to change the current situation in
Iran.
Saying No to the International
Contribution to the Region’s Arms-Race
We are outraged by the involvement of
Western governments in the military escalation in the region: Germany
has just supplied Israel, that already has nuclear weapons, with yet
another military submarine designed to carry nuclear warheads, and it
has for years been infamous for supplying Israel and other states in
the region with weapons and surveillance devices.
We call for:
1. A public debate in Germany, Israel
and Iran: it is time to stop ignoring these issues and to put an end
to the imminent danger.
2. Germany to end its military
involvement in the Middle East, and to stop its arms supply to
Israel.
3. An end of war threats from all sides
4. An end to all sanctions on Iran.
5. An end to occupation as well as to
all wars and militarization in the Middle East.
6. The dismantling of all nuclear and
other weapons of mass destruction in the region.
No comments:
Post a Comment