But when it comes to Iran, the European Left is becoming much more quiet, eventually taciturn. No press statements can be found on the internet prescence of the GUE/NGL, the German DIE LINKE, the French NOUVEAU PARTI ANTI-CAPITALISTE, nor on the site of the Luxembourgian Left, DEI LENK, or SOLID, the German Young Lefts.
Strange, the greatest liberation movement in recent Iranian history is not even mentioned on their internet pages ? Why is that ? In 2006, Left and para-left groups around the globe were rallying against an Israeli pre-emptive attack on the Iranian nuclear plant & enrichment facility Naftans. Today however, when it comes to Ahmadinejad, one of the fiercest critics and most emblematic figures of the self-proclaimed "Anti-Imperialist world order", the European Left seems to maintain a low profile, or as I see it, put Human Rights second, and the supreme, mantric anti-capitalist struggle on the first place. In the case of Iran, that's not only shortsighted, but absurd: German Left medias (Neue Welt, Neues Deutschland) have even congratulated Ahmadinejad for his victory at the polls. (other congratulations came from Minsk, Caracas, Pyeongyang and Moscow, the typical romantic spots for human rights). In a country where homosexual teens are hanged, women stoned and dissidents tortured, the European Left can treat itself to talk about the capital, anti-imperialism and the struggle of good vs. evil, while dozens, see hundreds of brave Iranian citizens are slaughtered in the streets of Tehran, and Esfahan. Although I know many Lefts who all are showing their solidarity with the people of Iran, I demand more than just sympathy on the beer counter but also official statements and releases. Because where the European Left seems to totally miss the point is that this is not an issue about Mossawi, Ahmadinejad or Khamenei, this is an issue about the universality of human rights, and the longsome violation of Human Rights in Iran, nothing less.
Interesting Links:
http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/0,1518,632499,00.html
