MAY DAY STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE WORKER-COMMUNIST PARTY OF IRAQ
First of May 2005 approaches, human society finds itself caught in the crossfire between the two poles of terrorism: US state terrorism and political Islam. The humanity face a grave danger, the danger of been engulfed in this terrorist contest. Around the world, the 1st May is a day the power of the working class comes out onto the streets for all to see. It is a day on which the working class once again resolves to face oppression, inequality, discrimination, enslavement and all the hardships of the contemporary world that workers are called upon to bear. It is a day for the working class to come to the fore and face the tragedies brought about by the capitalist system. On May Day the working class and freedom-loving humanity rises and unites in a struggle to control society and bring about a brighter future. May 1 this year is a day of protest against, war, terrorism and barbarism which pose grave dangers… not just to the Iraqi people, but to the whole of human society. In the days leading up to 1st May this year we have seen a continuation of the tragedies of the last two years. On the one hand we have American occupation, violence and torture. And on the other: armed groups of political Islamists and ethno-centric racists. Iraqi society is on the edge of a volcano! If this volcano were to erupt it would cause an immense human catastrophe. These reactionary forces have stamped the foreheads of more than 25 million people with national, sect and tribal identities. They have categorised and divided people along these lines. On this basis they installed an Islamic, ethnocentric-tribal government as a time bomb in the heart of Iraqi society. It’s a timed bomb that could be set off at any moment and would result in bloodshed like those took place in Rwanda.
The working class has proven through out its history that it is a giant force once it awakes. The working class is able to sweep away reaction, oppression and inequality. When the working class awakes, it will bring freedom, human dignity and equality to the society. It will abolish slavery, deprivation and most of today’s avoidable human tragedies.
The current situation in Iraq calls on the working class to wide awake and move towards the forefront. Our society needs the intervention of the working class badly … its active (not passive) involvement. No other class or group in Iraq today can emancipate the Iraqi society from this nightmare or resolve this lethal impasse.
Workers however can. How? By utilising their power at the point of production… their alternative. Workers’ unity can get rid of this nightmare, defuse this bomb and overcome ethnic, religious and other false identities. The working class are able to unite all residents of the country who share same future and lead the struggle to liberate the society from the forces of occupation and from the nationalist and religious groups.
We know that our class faces its historical task amid very harsh conditions. Nevertheless our points of strength enable us to overcome these hardships. The point of strength of the working class is that it has its own party. The Worker-communist Party of Iraq who is full of activities on a daily basis… organizing and leading the working class. The workers should make use of this tool to put themselves together in large numbers. The working class and its party are not by themselves however, the vast movement of civilised humankind around the world who marched the streets protesting against the US invasion of Iraq and the state terrorism of the bourgeois class; is beside us and is a foundation of enormous support for our movement.
Let’s make 1st of May 2005 a day the working class strengthens its determination. Let’s make May 1st a day this giant force … the only force that is capable of sweeping away backwardness and reaction…. revolts.
Let’s make May 1st 2005 the day the working class leads a comprehensive mass movement to:
Kick out the US forces and their allies
Curb the influence of political Islam and racist forces
Abolish all reactionary institutions, administrative bodies, laws and regulations imposed on people as a result of US occupation.
Build a progressive, secular, non-nationalist state based on the direct will of the masses of people: a state that guarantees security, freedom and prosperity for all the population of the country.
Workers! The next year or so should be influential in the life of Iraqi society. Bourgeois forces are striving to make their mark on the government and the constitution. Our class must also enter this conflict for the same purpose. It’s a contest to see what kind of future our society will have. This is the most vital conflict among political alternatives; therefore we have to enter the battle fully equipped and ready. Let’s enter the fore on 1st of May in large numbers with our immediate demands:
Bread
Security
Immediate withdrawal of the US and its allied troops
NO to political Islam
NO to ethnic extremists
YES to freedom and secularism: absolute separation of religion and the state. .
Let’s make 1st of May a day of departure. Let’s build an inclusive mass movement to ensure a brighter future for Iraqi society.
Long live 1st May, the international day of workers’ solidarity!
Long live freedom! Equality! Workers’ rule!
Rebwar Ahmad
Secretary of the Central Committee
Worker-communist Party of Iraq