Draft Joint Statement on the Syrian Uprising

 

Below is the draft Positional Joint Statement in solidarity with the Syrian uprising by Art Francisco, Ben Seattle and Les Evenchick. Criticism and comments are welcome

3/20/2016

The situation in Syria is not isolated from the world. Armed, mentored, and assisted by Iran and imperialist Russia, the Assad regime has been able to survive the popular uprising that began in 2011 while attempting to exterminate every dissenting voice for democracy.

The Syrian people, in asserting their desire for basic freedoms with protests and calls for the removal of Bashar al Assad, have fell victim to countless atrocities by the regime. Their protests were machine-gunned, their children shot by sniper fire, their neighborhoods gassed and bombed into rubble, their comrades tortured and executed. Not only have they defended themselves from the nightmarish oppression by Assad, but they had to defend themselves from the most backwards islamic inquisition who would turn them to serfs.

The rapacious western imperialist vultures, the United States, France and Germany as well as the strong regional nations of Turkey and Saudi Arabia–have all shown an interest and involvement in the uprising; to both profit from, and avoid any liability produced by the uprising in relation to their respective bourgeois interests. They do not have, and will not have humanitarian concerns. The greatest weapon of solidarity with the Syrian people, will be to expose the interests and opportunism of all the imperialists who seek to limit and control their coming victory.

We are affirmed that the people of the world must take a stand for the democratic rights of the masses of Syrians, most importantly their right to speech and organization, their right to elections, as well as their right to life and dignity, free of terror from both Bashar al Assad’s fascist state and the medieval religionists of ISIS and similar groups.

We recognize that the criminal Assad regime and its allies have, so far, been responsible for the great majority of the bloodshed. We oppose all forms of military intervention (including bombing, supplying weapons, training and advisers, and the creation of so-called “no fly zones”) in Syria by every country, including the U.S., Russia and their various reactionary allies used to strangle, or manipulate, or control the uprising.

We have confidence that the working class and small farmers in Syria are capable of overthrowing the tyrant Assad and overcoming the sectarian violence, as well as the religious and national oppression which is the poisonous legacy European colonial rule. We believe that it is their right to take practical steps to securing this victory, which includes securing the means to defend and advance the uprising against enemies on land and in the air. It also means utilizing the counter-interests of other imperialists if it means advancing the rights, the freedoms and the consciousness of the masses.

We also support the national rights of the Kurdish people in Syria, including their right to decide for themselves whether to form their own independent nation-state, or to secure their national rights as part of Syria.

We are agreed that the only outcome that will honor the incredible sacrifice made by the Syrian people, will require:

1. Assad and his co-conspirators swiftly removed from power and imprisoned,
2. All state institutions be dismantled and smashed.
3. All foreign forces must completely depart from Syria
4. Democratic rights of speech and organization of all Syrians and minority groups must be protected including the protection against censorship of a free internet.
5. Legal protection for free and independent trade unions and all political organizations for workers
6. Complete rejection of sectarian based power sharing.

Lastly, we are agreed that imperialism and imperialist war are not a “policy”, but rather are inseparable features of the modern economic and political system ruled by the oligarchy of finance capital. We need a movement aimed at eliminating all war waged by the capitalist class, and this requires the the construction of a class organization which will overthrow the class rule of the bourgeoisie.