The important role of women in the revolution to come
“Mahsa Amini”, a 22-year-old woman from city of Saqqez, went into a coma after being assaulted by the government’s “Guidance Patrol”. She died and left a nation in mourning. “Mahsa Amini” was not the first nor will she be the last victim at the hands of the Regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran. As a result of the indifference of the government to the living conditions of the masses, this murder was the spark that turned into a flame all over Iran and dealt a severe blow to the Islamic Republic. Angry crowds, including youth, teachers, workers, and students came together once again and demanded the dissolution of “Guidance Patrol” as a reactionary, repressive, and illegal organization. They used the slogan “repeal of compulsory hijab” as a flag against the rule of the capitalist Islamic Republic that has brought misery to the nation.
They challenged the Islamic Republic and its repressive police force and showed what an important role the women of our country will play in the coming revolution.
With the vast participation of men, angry women challenged the government’s indifference to their humane and rational demands by setting on fire their mandatory headscarves, a symbol of tyranny and humiliation. They challenged the Islamic Republic and its repressive police force and showed what an important role the women of our country will play in the coming revolution. The shining sympathy and general outpouring of people all over Iran show the extent to which the people of Iran hate and want to dismantle the regime of the Islamic Republic and all its oppressive organs.
The murder of “Mahsa Amini” took place in a situation where poverty, skyrocketing prices, discrimination, corruption, embezzlement, sanctions, and foreign pressure plague the whole of society. The presence of dissatisfied crowds on the streets, the inflamed atmosphere, and the anger and hatred that unrolled throughout Iran sparked fear in the Islamic Republic and its police forces. The radicalization of the slogans of the people of Iran and the unity and solidarity of different layers of the urban communities are a response to the regime’s indifference and lack of respect for the will of the majority in Iranian society.
This treatment added to people’s anger and encouraged people to join the protests with extreme slogans in unsuitable conditions. They made demands that did not have the chance to materialize. But despite that, we must respect this courage and selflessness and learn that dedication and self-sacrifice in the struggle for freedom and social justice are necessary and essential. We must add that such sacrifice alone is not sufficient. It does not lead to liberation from the darkness of capitalist tyranny. This spirit of fighting and courage must be combined with political awareness and organization and must be guided in the best direction possible.
Beware of counter-revolutionary forces
The protests by the masses showed once again that, despite the loss of its forces and internal contradictions and international pressures, the capitalist regime of the Islamic Republic is still able to collect and concentrate its forces to suppress the people’s struggles and protests. The more radical and violent the people’s struggles become, the more concentrated and intensive the counter-revolutionary violence will be.
The repressive forces of the regime, including the Revolutionary Guards, Mobilization (Basij) forces, agents in civilian clothing, lumpen proletariat, secret terrorist gangs, anti-riot repressive forces, law enforcement officers, and dozens of open and hidden groups are mobilized to prevent people from coming to the streets to fight the regime. The regime has installed facial recognition cameras at all the strategic points of the cities and roads so they can pursue the protesters after calm returns to the streets. The suppressing policy of the regime is organized in all arenas.
At this moment, the balance of power is still in favour of the government. However, the flare-up of people’s protests and their scope and depth and speed of their expansion surprised the regime. Subversive slogans, as opposed to logical and specific demands that are supported by most people, will not advance the protesting movement. Chanting subversive slogans are actions without thoughtful plans. They are spontaneous and emotional, and they consequently isolate the legitimate movement of the people.
The foreign media support these subversive and short-sighted actions, which only target the regime and have no beneficial plan of action for the future of Iran. They put forward slogans that will ultimately benefit their imperialist masters. The invitation to turn Iran into Libya and Iraq by the Zionist and imperialist counter-revolution in Washington is one of these efforts. Unfortunately, due to the lack of revolutionary leadership, the people’s protest movement was unable to draw a clear demarcation line with foreign enemies and their affiliated media and agents. It could not challenge their misuse of the people’s struggle.
A movement that cannot distinguish between friends and enemies is doomed to failure. The policy of imposing “mandatory hijab” and having Guidance Patrol on the streets has failed in Iran. This is also reflected in the internal differences within the government. The government of the Islamic Republic will be finally forced to ban the “Guidance Police”. This is a victory for this protest movement.
Revolutionary leadership in vital
The recent popular protests showed that the reactionary ruling class can suppress all movements that lack revolutionary leadership. To be victorious in a class struggle and in a social revolution, a leading and politically conscious force is needed. In order to win, the people’s movement must be at the centre of the battle. In the battle that takes place between the lower classes and the rulers, the people should have their own practical and theoretical leaders. Masses without leaders and leaders without an army can never win. Those who negate political leadership and unified command and those who promote anarchy, chaos, and liberalism are the enemies of the people. They cause the movement to fail.
Blind rebellion ends in despair.
The current movement, regardless of its just core and legitimate cause, was a spontaneous movement. It was a temporary rebellion, filled with emotions and lacking in perspective. It easily fell into the anti-revolutionary hands of monarchists, terrorists, subversive sects of Rajavi of Mojahedin, and ethnic separatists. For enemies of Iran, women’s rights is not an issue, and the lives of the Iranian people have no value. The unrest and misuse and the increase in the number of victims, which unfortunately has reached many dozens, have borne political fruit for them. Blind rebellion ends in despair. It should not be encouraged by politically conscious and responsible forces.
The most important lesson of the recent popular protests, like the popular movements of 1999, 2017, and 2019, is that a united revolutionary party of the working class is needed for final victory over the capitalist regime of the Islamic Republic and for crushing its repression machine. The mass of the people and the working class that lacks its powerful party are the cannon fodder of the bourgeoisie. The working class cannot and will not be able to liberate themselves and other oppressed people without the organization and leadership of a communist party. Resorting to unrealizable demands in inappropriate conditions only strengthens the counter-revolution and foreign enemies who want to sanction and dismember Iran.
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