-----Original Message-----
From: Mundy,M
Sent: Wed 30/03/2005 06:12
To: LSEStaffagainstwar@yahoogroups.com
Cc:
Subject: [LSEStaffagainstwar] Basra
Student Movements
ali_drii@yahoo.com
Campaign to support the courageous
demonstrations by students at Basra University in Iraq!
Join our campaign to strengthen
the protest movement of Basra Students!
Since March 15th there have been
massive and courageous student demonstrations in the southern Iraqi city
of Basra against the notorious Islamist gang led by Moqtada al-Sadr.
The students anger and outrage are a direct response to the a brutal
attack on a student outing from the Engineering faculty of Basra university,
in which al-Sadr's thugs aided by Iranian agents started beating
up the students and destroying their belongings, as well as ripping off
the clothes of female students and singling out in particular one young
Christian woman. The students fought back and, when a male student
tried to defend his female friend, he was shot dead. The authorities,
meanwhile, have turned a blind eye.
As a result, the students of this
faculty have been joined by many other faculties and high schools
and thousands of other Basra citizens on the streets. Despite the
threats of al-Sadr and tribal groups in the environs of the city
demanding that the students issue an apology for insulting Islam or face
bombardment of their university, the protest is growing and has generated
a lot of support among the people, particularly young people. Since the
war, Basra has been dominated by Islamist groups backed by the Iranian
regime. By demonstrating against al-Sadr's repression, the students
are taking a lead in fighting back against the Islamists for freedom and
democratic rights.
We call on all student groups, workers,
organizations and progressive campaigners to join our campaign to defend
the student movement in Iraq and its fight for freedom, equality
and secularism. The Basra students need international solidarity
urgently to win this battle.
- We demand separation of religion
from the state and from education
-We demand unconditional freedom
of speech, association and protest for students-and for all Iraqis.
-We want the Islamists criminals
to be brought to justice.
-We hold the British troops responsible
ignoring the barbarisms of political Islamists in Basra.
- We demand that armed militias
of political parties are banned from university campuses.
-We hold the "so called" Iraqi police
responsible for ignoring this Islamist repression.
We urge you to show solidarity add
your name and the name of your organization to this appeal.
Campaign Co-ordinators:
Houzan Mahmoud (Organization of
Women's Freedom in Iraq- UK Representative)
E-mail: houzan73@yahoo.co.uk <mailto:houzan73@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: 079 56 88 3001
Alan Clarke (UK National Union of
Students national executive member)
E-mail: alan.clarke@nus.org.uk
<http://uk.f257.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=alan.clarke@nus.org.uk&YY=15521&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b>
Tel: 07976 000 940
Dashti Jamal (Head of UK organization
of Worker communist party of Iraq) E-mail: d.jamal@ntlworld.com <mailto:d.jamal@ntlworld.com
Tel: 077 34 704742
Supporters of the campaign:
Nadia Mahmood (No to Afghanisation
of Iraq campaign) UK
Pauline Bradley (Convenor Iraq
Union Solidarity) UK
Muayad Ahmed (Editor in chief of
Worker Communism paper) UK
Daniel Randall (Alliance for Workers
liberty) UK
Mick Duncan (No Sweat Campaign)
UK
Kalliroi Nicolis (Social Aid of
Hellas) Greece
Aso Jabbar (Abroad representative
of Federation of workers councils and unions n Iraq) Switzerland
Josh Robinson, Cambridge University
People & Planet
Robin Sivapalan, Education Not
for Sale candidate for NUS VP
(Education)
Jodi Garrod, Women's Officer, SOAS
student union
Sam Keyes, Education Officer, Leeds
University Union
James Bull, Equal Opportunities
Officer, Salford University student Union
Coral Harding, Women's Officer,
University of East London student union
Will Wiles, National Union of Students
steering committee
Faz Velmi, National Union of Students
LGB committee
Laura Schwartz, Wadham College
student union
Emma Norris, president-elect, Oxford
University student union
Fran Robinson, Hackney Community
College
Hugh Grant-Peterkin, Bristol University
Maria Exall, Communication Workers'
Union national executive
John Moloney, Public & Commercial
Services Union national executive
Kate Ahrens, UNISON national executive
Peter Tatchell (Human right activist)
UK
Claire bileby & Louise gold
(National Union of Student- women's committee) UK
OutRage (the gay human rights campaign!)
UK
Raja bin Salama (Tunisian University)
Tunisia
