Ending ISIS Terror
In 2003, millions marched in outrage to oppose the Labour Party’s so-called “war on terror.” Yet despite an overwhelming display of global public oppositio, the vile war on Iraq still took place — further cementing into history the unwillingness of mainstream politicians to align their policies with the demands of their electorate.
As a direct result of this needless war nearly two million Iraqi citizens were slaughtered. Now into this devastated landscape, fundamentalist terror organisations like ISIS are busy carving their own brutal mark of oppression upon the democratic aspirations of the working-class.
This brings us to today, when in the spirit of resistance to terror, the Kurdish community of Leicester mobilised to show the urgent need to stop ISIS, chanting “No to terror, no to ISIS, yes to peace!”
Among the many speakers at the two hundred strong protest gathered around Leicester clock-tower, Yadgar Sdiq, Chairman of the Nursi Charitable Association, addressed the crowd.
We are gathering here today to condemn the recent attack by the self-proclaimed ISIS militants on Iraq, targeting Arabs, Kurds and religious minorities mainly Shia Muslims, Christians, and Yazidis.
Yadgar then detailed a recent massacre, where in just one village “420 civilian Yazidi men were shot to death.” Adding that not a single day passes when locals are not mourning the aftermath of ISIS violence. He explained…
“ISIS has announced their Caliphate, stretching from a large part of Syrian territories towards Iraq. The ISIS Caliphate is now trying to advance towards Kurdistan to include Kurdistan’s territories onto their ruling land. They don’t recognise any border; they don’t respect diverse beliefs and are threatening all people from East to West.”
The threat to all is very real, and so many people rightly recoil in disgust (although perhaps not surprise) when they recall that earlier this year “ISIS posted on the web photos of some of their fighters with right-wing US Senator John McCain who spoke of his ‘very moving experience to meet these fighters’.”
As history has repeatedly shown, the imperialist powerbrokers residing in the United States and Britain only ever intervene overseas to promote the interests of the rich and powerful minority, and never those of the majority. This is of course more than evident by their callous attitude to the working-class within the borders of their own countries; and by their continuing support for sectarian religious regimes like Saudi Arabia.
Iraqi and Kurdish working people must have no trust in the imperialist powers. These powers are quite prepared to support sectarian religious regimes like Saudi Arabia when it is useful to do so. The key to stopping the unfolding sectarian war is building a resistance amongst working people, a resistance that fights against the sectarian attacks by forces like ISIS and the Shia death squads operating in and around Baghdad while, at the same time, defending the rights of peoples like the Kurds to self-determination.
This can only be based upon building democratically-run, non-sectarian bodies as the basis for popular defence, which would be able to appeal to those Sunnis who have rallied to ISIS as a means of defending themselves from sectarian Shia attack. Without such a non-sectarian approach, there is a danger that imperialist-backed military action against ISIS will not weaken it and may actually increase its support in some areas.
However, military setbacks or defeats for ISIS will not be the end of the crisis gripping both Iraq and Syria. In both countries the fight against oppression, dictatorship and poverty requires the creation of a movement of working people. Only such movements can struggle for democratic rights (including full freedom for religious and non-religious alike), oppose further imperialist intervention and fight for governments led by genuine representatives of the working people and poor, which are prepared to break with the capitalist system that has failed the peoples of the Middle East and begin the socialist transformation of the region.
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Thank you so much to your interest in the content of our message. We are (Kurdish People) doing our best to protect the land of Kurdistan from falling into hands of ISIS thanks to our brave peshmarga forces. This is the fight against brutal extremism who has no respect to religion, humanity values and international law. So Kurds are now fight this war on behalf of the free world that is why the world super-powers should aid us urgently.