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[Other] George Galloway - Solidarity with the Middle East Revolutioninminds With the winds of revolution sweeping the Middle East, the London Student Broad Left invited George Galloway for a panel discussion on 'Solidarity with the Middle East revolution - support the people, oppose US & British intervention'. Over 100 people attended the event which was held at SOAS, University of London, on Friday 11th March 2011.  Fiona Edwards (Student Broad Left) speaking, panel includes (left to right) George Galloway, Aaron Kiely (NUS Black Students' Committee), Shadia Edwards-Dashti (Student Stop the War Coalition) and Activist from Viva Palestina Convoy to Gaza 2010
The US and Britain are steadfastly opposed to any real democracy in the Middle East because its inconceivable that democracy would deliver a pro-Western government.
Fiona Edwards, Speakers included:
Shadia Edwards-Dashti from Student Stop the War Coalition chaired the meeting. Each speaker gave a short talk, all combined to less than half an hour, followed by 35 minutes of questions and answers. Full video of the event is provided below. Shadia Edwards-Dashti Shadia Edwards-Dashti, Student Stop the War Coalition Shadia Edwards-Dashti, Student Stop the War Coalition: "Our duty is to stop our governments foreign policy interfering in Arab revolutionary processes because Britain has failed in wars and Britain has failed in peace. Revolution comes from the people, it came from the people and they are completely capable of succeeding on their own."  Shadia Edwards-Dashti, Student Stop the War Coalition Aaron Kiely Aaron Kiely, NUS Black Students' Committee Aaron Kiely, NUS Black Students' Committee: "Through out our campaign, anti-imperialism and a belief in the right to self-determination has been consistent and that is why we are calling for no Western military intervention in Libya. The West have consistently supported dictatorships in the Middle East to serve their own interests and are seeking to ensure that these uprisings do not result in governments hostile to the West's colonial aspirations in the region."  Aaron Kiely, NUS Black Students' Committee Fiona Edwards Fiona Edwards, Student Broad Left Fiona Edwards, Student Broad Left: "It is clear from the events since December in Tunisia that the struggle in the Middle East and North Africa for democracy is a very difficult one. The masses of these countries are not only taking on their own dictators but they are taking on dictators which are backed and armed by the western imperialist powers. We know that the West with its imperialism is not interested in democracy or peace in the region, it purely seeks to dominate, and exploit the people, and steal their resources. Across the globe imperialisms goal is not emancipation but subjugation of the majority of humanity to serve the interests of the West. The US and Britain are steadfastly opposed to any real democracy in the Middle East because its inconceivable that democracy would deliver a pro-Western government."  Fiona Edwards, Student Broad Left Activist from Viva Palestina Convoy Activist from Viva Palestina Convoy to Gaza 2010 Activist from Viva Palestina Convoy to Gaza 2010: He talked a little about the convoy to Gaza, and his first hand experience of the brutality of Mubaraks regime. He specifically mentioned Al-Arish. When the convoy to Gaza reached Al-Arish the regime cut the power and under the cover of darkness Mubaraks thugs attacked the convoy, members of the convoy were injured and vile anti-Hamas slogans were daubed on the vehicles.  Activist from Viva Palestina Convoy to Gaza 2010 George Galloway George Galloway George Galloway explained why a US/EU enforced no fly zone over Libya will inexorably lead to US bombing and possible occupation of Libya: "I think there is a problem for us - Gaddafi is winning this war. We are against Western intervention. Somebody asked why would a no fly zone inexorably lead a battle between the Western powers, who are the only people who could actually affect this no fly zone? Here is how it works, as Gates himself , the US defence secretary, and the head of the US military have made clear.. To have a no fly zone you have to attack Libyan anti-aircraft defences. To attack Libya's anti-aircraft defences you have to fly over their territory and you have to bomb them. They will try to shoot you down. If you bomb them you will kill people, by killing people you will allow Gaddafi to rally not just Libyans but Africans and Arabs and Muslims everywhere behind his defence against a Western military attack on his country from the very Western powers that used to occupy Libya. I mean Italy is proposing to participate in this attack on Libya. the last time Italy was in Libya was when Mussolini invaded and occupied Libya. How productive do you think it would be for the presence of Italian armed forces once again to be involved in military action over or on the soil of Libya? But that still leaves us with this problem, and my solution which you will see if you read the Guardian on Saturday in a big debate between me and a Tory MP that was held yesterday and will be published on Saturday, I say this - I believe the Arab masses should cross the border from Egypt and Tunisia and join the freedom struggle in Libya. The Arab masses are the only legitimate people who can join this struggle and defeat the Libyan dictatorship. if Egypt were a democratic country now then yes there might be a case for Egyptian intervention in this affair, if Tunisia were yet a democratic country and strong enough. which it is not, there might be a case for Tunisian intervention in this conflict. But neither are, and Tunisia cant. And no other Arab country has any right to even raise their voice on this matter. We learned in the week that the Americans were trying to push Saudi Arabia in to supplying weapons to the democratic revolution in Libya, all the while promising to shoot their own democratic demonstrators in their own country, when you begin to explore the contradictions in the Arab League having any word to say on this matter you see how foolish, facile, empty, hollow it is. So I'm not sanguine about the suffering going on in Libya or the prospect of perhaps defeat as least in the west of the country of the revolution - I don't believe the east will ever be re-conquered by Gaddafi. You saw the pictures from Benghazi today after Friday prayers in Benghazi its inconceivable to me that Gaddafi can ever conquer Benghazi again ,but the west of the country is a different matter and I believe that the only people with the right to intervene in Libya are the Arab people themselves."  George Galloway The same elements of the thoroughly disgraced so-called 'green' movement that at previous Al-Quds Day demos in London have stood shoulder to shoulder with zionists waving Israeli flags against the pro-Palestine demonstration, posing for photos with the racist EDL and sharing a megaphone with Stephen Gash, head of the islamophobic 'Stop Islamification of Europe' group, while he hurled racist abuse at Muslims, were present at this event trying to disrupt it (see more). George Galloway handled their interruptions and silly questions with patience and calm. However, it was very disappointing that the chair indulged them by permitting that small handful to dominate the Question-Answer session at the expense of other members of the audience who had genuinely come to listen and learn from the speakers rather than harangue and abuse them. They were given four of the nine question slots that made up the Question-Answer session, despite each of their contributions being way off topic. It was also noticeable that the chair was wearing the same green cloth around her wrist as they were around theirs.  George Galloway There was one aspect of George Galloway's speech which we drew exception to. Whilst we appreciate that a non-Muslim cannot be expected to support any Islamic system of governance as their ideal choice, we do however have to strongly disagree with George Galloway's personal choice of Turkey as being a model state for Muslims to follow. Apart from its deeply flawed foreign policy - a long standing member of NATO with very close links between the Turkish and Israeli military, there is an even more fundamental problem with Turkey as a model for Muslims to follow - its constitution is anti-Muslim, denying Muslims basic rights to practice their religion. Legally the hijab ban is still in place in public buildings from hospitals to universities. The Turkish Daily Radikal reported just last year that out of 68 Universities surveyed only 8 didn't enforce the hijab ban in the classroom! Now whilst the ruling AKP party is trying hard to bring about change its a very slow process because they are effectively challenging Turkeys secular fundamentalist constitution that Ataturk imposed on Muslims in 1924. Two years ago when the AKP tried to lift the hijab ban, Turkey's top court struck down the proposed law as a threat to the country's secular constitution - and soon after came within one vote of banning the AKP itself. This follows a history of the Turkish military using the constitution court to outlaw political parties, even those currently in power, if they espouse religious freedom for Muslims in Turkey. Remember Prime Minister Erbakan's Rafah party forced out of power by the military and banned as anti-constitutional in 1998, followed by the banning of the Virtue party in 2001. It was only last September when President Gul, after winning the referendum, felt secure enough to announce that his government will support any student expelled for wearing hijab, that many universities finally started to abandon the ban. So whilst the current AKP party is making great progress its only by going against the constitution. Any gains made are in spite of the constitution not because of it - hardly a good endorsement of the Turkish secularist system of government. Our comrades in the anti-imperialist struggle must allow Muslims to choose their own style of government, and must realise that invariably Islam will always play a central role in that choice.
Video: George Galloway - Solidarity with the Middle East Revolution
Source: inminds.com   Related ArticlesAlso Of InterestPage URL: http://www.inminds.co.uk/article.php?id=10506
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