WHAT'S really going on in Iran? It's now two years since the Shah was overthrown. But all we've heard in the Western press has been the hostages' saga and reports of the Iran-Irag war. We talked to a militant Fourth International) about the struggles of the Iranian workers, struggles of the Kurds, and the situation of women in Iran.
WHAT was the effect of the war with Iraq on the Iranian workers?
The war was a gift for the capitalists. Nationalistic feeling increased dramatically. At first the people were enthusiastic to go to the front and fight since they saw the war as an imperialist threat their revolution.
The Islamic Republican Party (IRP), which represents the hard-line religious wing of the up lls owll reactionary militias — the guards 'Crusade for Reconthe struction' and so on.
Bani Sadr, who leads the 'liberal' wing of the capitalists, has tried hard to build himself a base in the army - with some sucamong the more junior officers.
We didn't see the war as a directly organised imperialist intervention, but the imperialists certainly stood to gall from the defeat of Iran.
people took an abstentionist position, but Under the Shah, Iran was dIzucu differently. the gendarme of the region for imperialism, but now the situation is completely different.
Although previously illusions these are rapidly being dispelled as the economic crisis gets worse. But this stage they see Bani HKS (Iranian section of the their response to the war, the Sadr as the alternative Working class mobilisation and struggle is still continuing. During the anti-Shah revolution the demands of the masses were mainly Now they are fighting for democratic rights.
What position did the *HKS take on Our line was to degoverment that they arm the people to ighl saddam russeln and the Baathists in Iraq. the icacholary army coulan l defend the revolution.
The government COlstructed ideological 'tests' for those trying to get into the army. But despite this, quite a number of revolutionaries went to the front especially the Mujahadeen. Many of them were arrested and harassed by the Islamic zealots of the What is the state of workers' self organisation? Do the workers' committees still exist in the factories?
Before and during the revolution strike committees were set up in the factories around the fight for 10 RAM01-0 wages and conditions. Often these demands were won.
After many of these turned into factories even locked up management and ran the factories themselves. The Islamic Republican Party began campaign for 'Islamicisation', that under Islamic law workers couldn't run factories.
bll by bit IRP dismantled many of the and replaced them with Islamic councils with management.
But workers are still fighting for their demands, and in many places people are demanding new to the factory replace the 'Islamic' delegates. Our position the regeneration of the counCils, leading to regional councils and a united national workers' council.
good example of continuing workers' militancy has been the series of struggles over the new year bonuses. Under the Shah workers were stamic new year. Workers bonuses over realised that these weren't real bonuses - they relied on them as an integral part of their income This year the government said that they couldn't afford bonuses. i B: Why should should we pay for the crisis?
The Tehran bus drivers went on strike, the government brought in 5,000 drivers the army and the front to defeat them. But many workers in the factories won the demand to be paid their bonuses.
What is the state of the Kurdish struggle for self-determination?
The Kurds have had effective autonomy since the umoe revolution despite the government's furious military attacks on taken an abstentionist line on the war, which we think is wrong advocated that they demand a ceasefire from the central government and propose a joint The Kurds are far from defeated. They are still ar the heart of the Iranian revolution What is the situation of women in iran now!
The veil is the least of our problems. The IRP is trying push through very reachonary measure against women called 'ghassas', islamic punishment.
t a man kills a woman all he has to do is pay the 'price' of her blood to the family. And women can't be called as witnesses for a murder trial.
The second thing is the institution of "temporary marriage After the revolution the 'red light areas were demolishec against Islam'. But now men I can go • to a 'temporarv mar riage' centre.
There are other important battles women are fighting like the right of inheritance, for equal wages What about the forces of the left?
The most force on the left is the Mu. jahadeen been in the forefront of fighting for democratic rights and , against reacHON. They have mass sup port in the big cities. . The problem with them is that When Bani Sadr raises the demand for demo cratic rights, then we sup port that. But shouldn't forget that he The sensate int the capitalist class. IRP is holding a revolver against us, but Bani Sadr is waiting in the wings with a cup of poison That's why the HKS says that the fight for democratic rights can't be dependent on any section of the capitalists, but must be fought for by the unity and independence of the workers.
Socialist Challenge 2 April 1981 Page 11