This article was published in Avtonom #30 in December 2008. The whole issue is available in PDF format here: http://www.avtonom.org/node/1821. This English translation was originally published in Abolishing the Borders from Below #35. read full story / add a comment

AFRIN, Syrian Kurdistan,— According to Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD, Mohammed Musto Rashid from Mabatli, Afrin, died as a result of torture in Aleppo Central prison. He had been in detention for nearly four months, and had been subjected to severe torture, and was taken to hospital in Allepo where he stayed for four days. He was then sent back to prison and his death was announced on 19 January 2010. The reason for his arrest and detention is not known, nor if this was in connection with any political activity.
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The revolution in Iran is also a women's revolution. Women are playing a key role in attempts to cast off the feudal regime of the Islamic Republic. read full story / add a comment

La Compagnie de l’Acier d’Ispahan (Isfahan Steel Company, ISC) est une des plus grande entreprise industrielle d’Iran. Pourtant, malgré de nombreux efforts petits et grands des travailleurs pendant des années pour améliorer leurs conditions de travail, ils ont été fortement privés du droit d’avoir une organisation dirigée par les travailleurs eux-mêmes pour défendre leurs droits et leurs justes revendications.

Aussi, face à un avenir incertain et à la dégradation générale des conditions de travail et compte-tenu du poids écrasant de la crise économique sur les épaules des travailleurs, nous, groupe d’ouvrier d’ISC, avons décidé de former le « Conseil Ad Hoc des Ouvriers de l’Acier d’Ispahan », dont la mission est d’unifier les rangs ouvriers et de défendre leurs droits.

De toute évidence, comme le Conseil a commencé son travail dans les conditions de l’activité clandestine et que ses membres, par nécessité, n’ont pas été publiquement élus par les travailleurs, il a décidé de se qualifier lui-même d’Ad Hoc. Cependant, le Conseil s’engage à mettre en place une élection libre et ouverte impliquant l’ensemble des salarié dès que les conditions permettront une activité au grand jour. Jusqu’à ce jour, le Conseil, en tant que seul représentant existant des travailleurs d’ISC, ne ménagera pas ses efforts pour défendre les droits de chacun et de tous les travailleurs, tout en informant tout le monde de ses décisions avec des communiqués périodiques. read full story / add a comment

The Isfahan Steel Company (ISC) has been one of the largest industrial enterprises in all Iran. Nevertheless, despite many small and large efforts by workers throughout the years to improve their working condition, they have been strenuously deprived of the right to have a workers-led organization of their own to defend their rights and just demands.

In this connection, faced with an uncertain future and generally worsening conditions, and mindful of the crushing weight of the economic crisis on the workers’ shoulders, we, a group of ISC workers, have decided to form the “Ad Hoc Council of the Isfahan Steel Workers”,whose mission it is to unify the workers’ ranks and defend their rights.

Clearly, since the Council has commenced its work under conditions of underground activity and its members are by necessity not openly elected by the rank and file, it has decided to qualify itself as ad hoc. However, the Council pledges to have an open and free election encompassing the entire labor force the moment conditions allow for open activity. Up until that day, the Council, as the only existing representative of the ISC labor, will spare no effort to defend each and every worker’s right, while keeping everyone informed of its deliberations with periodic statements. read full story / add a comment

Premiato all'ultimo festival del cinema di Cannes, nella categoria Un certo sguardo, il film "Gatti persiani" è il quinto film del regista iraniano di origine kurda Bahman Ghobadi, rivelatosi nel 2000 con "Il tempo dei cavalli ubriachi". "Gatti persiani" racconta il percorso di 2 giovani musicisti che cercano di organizzare un concerto a Teheran per finanziare l'acquisto di passaporti falsi allo scopo di emigrare a Londra. read full story / add a comment

Iranian teacher trade unionist and Kurdish activist Farzad Kamangar is facing the threat of imminent execution, and the TUC has joined the campaign led by international teacher union organisation Education International (EI), and teacher trade unions in Britain and around the world, to call on the Iranian authorities to lift that threat and commute his death sentence. Please add your name to the email protest. read full story / add a comment

The revolution that has started since June 2009 is the outburst of the repressed anger of the people against the criminal Islamic regime of Iran. This is a revolution for liberation from a corrupt system, for smashing a machine of murder, plunder, ignorance and lies which has been wrecking the lives of the people for thirty years. This revolution will not stop until it has crushed the entire inhuman system in power. read full story / add a comment

The anti-war movement, if it is to have a chance at success, must encourage the growing resistance in the lower ranks of capitalism’s armed forces. The rank-and-file soldiers of capitalist empire, recruited from the working class, could turn against the brass to become a true workers' army dedicated to fighting the real enemy at home: the ruling class of capitalists, politicians and the middle managers who do their bidding. read full story / add a comment

This is a talk and discussion on Iran hosted by Miami Autonomy and Solidarity. read full story / add a comment

Kurdish community in Ireland goes on a protest on Wednesday 18 November at 14.00 outside of Iranian Embassy to condemn the execution of Ihsan Fattahina and to stop execution of another 11 Kurdish human right activists including Sherko Moarefi. read full story / add a comment

Ça fait combien d’années qu’on nous répète dans tous les médias de masse que la guerre en Afghanistan est noble en opposition aux barbares qui torturaient les femmes et régnaient d’une main de fer sur le pays? Que «nos soldats» donnent leur vie pour la démocratie?
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A barbárie que é promovida no Afeganistão pela NATO - OTAN é apenas um capítulo da transformação da máquina de guerra que foi montada e mantida no período da «guerra-fria» em instrumento de sujeição ao capitalismo totalitário, ao império global, seguindo a doutrina do «consenso de Washington».

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The Kurdish Student Union in Ireland has organised a protest outside of Iranian embassy on Thursday 20the August at 1 o’clock to remember 1979 invasion of Kurdistan by the Iranian regime.

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Fondata nel 1977, RAWA è la più longeva organizzazione politica attiva in Afghanistan. Il suo obiettivo prioritario è la costruzione di un paese democratico e laico, basato sulla autodeterminazione del popolo afghano e sul riconoscimento dei diritti delle donne. [Français] [English] [Castellano] [Ελληνικά] [Deutsch] read full story / add a comment

1977 gegründet ist die Revolutionäre Vereinigung der Frauen Afghanistans (RAWA) die älteste in Afghanistan aktive politische Organisation. Ihre Priorität ist die Aufstellung einer demokratischen und sekulären Regierungsform, basierend auf der Selbstbestimmung der Afghaner und der Anerkennung von Frauenrechten [1]. RAWA führt im Geheimen Bildungsaktivitäten durch. Die Aktivisten befinden sich in ständiger Gefahr und gehen deshalb unter dem Deckmantel humanitärer Aktionen vor. Dennoch ist RAWA 'keine humanitäre Organisation' und ihr sozialer Aktivismus ist politisch motiviert. Als Teil einer Lesungstour im Februar hatte Alternative Libertaire die Gelegenheit, mit einer ihrer Aktivistinnen, Zoya, zu sprechen. read full story / add a comment

Het bloedbad dat wordt uitgevoerd door de leiders van de islamitische republiek verplettert de vreedzame oppositie van het volk, wat een einde maakt aan de mythe dat door de islam geïnspireerde staten verschillen van de zogenaamde "seculiere" staten van het Westen: als de klassen die de macht hebben, of het nu een seculiere bourgeoisie of een religieuze bourgeoisie is, door het volk op straat wordt gevraagd verantwoording af te leggen voor hun macht, hun machtsmisbruik, hun voorrechten, hun beperkingen op de vrijheid voor de oppositie, is het gevolg altijd hetzelfde - hevige repressie, mensen worden neergeschoten, veiligheidskrachten keren zich tegen het volk om de demonstranten fysiek te vernietigen, of het nu arbeiders, vrouwen of studenten zijn. [English] [Italiano] [Ελληνικά] read full story / add a comment

Founded in 1977, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) is the oldest political organization active in Afghanistan. Its' priority is the establishment of a democratic and secular regime, based on the self-determination of the Afghan people and the recognition of the rights of women [1]. RAWA conducts clandestine educational operations. The activists are constantly at risk and thus act under cover of humanitarian action. However, RAWA is 'not a humanitarian organization', and its social activism is driven by political goals. As part of a lecture tour in February, Alternative Libertaire had the opportunity to speak with one of its activists, Zoya. read full story / add a comment

Fundada en 1977, la Asociación Revolucionaria de las Mujeres Afganas (RAWA) es la más antigua de las organizaciones políticas activas en Afganistán. Su prioridad es “el establecimiento de un régimen democrático y laico” fundado sobre la autodeterminación del pueblo afgano y donde los derechos de las mujeres sean reconocidos. RAWA desarrolla clandestinamente sus actividades educativas sobre el terreno. Sus militantes están bajo una constante amenaza y por ello actúan bajo el disfraz de la acción humanitaria. Sin embargo, RAWA “no es una organización humanitaria” y sus actividades sociales están subordinadas a sus objetivos políticos.

Dentro del marco de una gira de conferencias que tuvo lugar en febrero, Alternative Libertaire (N.d.T. organización anarquista francesa), pudo entrevistarse con una de sus militantes, Zoya. read full story / add a comment

Συνέντευξη της Zoya (Ζόια), μιάς αγωνίστριας της Επαναστατικής Οργάνωσης Γυναικών του Αφγανιστάν (RAWA: Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan). read full story / add a comment