The Arab Revolution has started

Declaration of the DIP (Initiative for a Revolutionary Workers Party of Turkey) on the events in Tunisia (Translated into English by Radical Socialist) 1. The DIP welcomes with great joy and respect the heroic struggle of the Tunisians workers and unemployed, who faced the police bullets to finally topple Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. Ben Ali subjected the country to a brutal dictatorship for 23 years. What is taking place in Tunisia is a political revolution. Only time would tell us whether this revolution transcends to a social revolution that challenges bourgeois rule or not. It seems unlikely given the fact that even the trade union movement is not an independent force in Tunisia – let alone socialist – and that imperialism now comes into play to stop the revolution. However, on the other hand, is the fact that the working class in Tunisia – old and young, men and women – has begun to arm itself, even if with nothing more than sticks, with the aim of protecting its neighborhoods and establishing self-defense committees, which can be considered as centers of workers’ power in a primitive stage. In any case, support for the Tunisian working class and youth – to protect their insurrection from the forces trying to leave half way – is an obligation for the entire international working class and the world revolutionary movement. The most important task now is to fight against the brakes applied to the revolution by the pro-EU globalizors of “democracy”, in the hands of the bourgeoisie and its allies. Since this kind of regime cannot in any way eliminate or even alleviate the poverty amongst the workers and the unemployed youth of Tunisia, it is not worth the sacrifice of the great martyr of the revolution, Mohammed Bouazizi, or the death of more than 100 workers during the incidents. 2. The Tunisian revolution is, by far the most important consequence in this zone of the class struggle of the great depression that shook the world since 2008. The immediate cause of the long months of struggle that culminated in the revolution was the rise in unemployment to an unbearable level, as a result of the blow given to the tourism industry by the economic crisis that has spread around the world and rocked Europe, Tunisia’s rich neighbor and the main source of income for the Tunisian economy. Moreover, the harsh measures imposed by the EU to prevent the immigration of workers in the context of the crisis has destroyed the hope of the youth of North Africa in individual salvation. In this regard, the Tunisian revolution has been marked by the same dynamics that led to the rebellion in Greece in 2008 and formidable class struggle in this country in 2010, Tekel’s struggle in Turkey in 2010, general strikes and students’ rebellions in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland and Britain throughout 2010. Echoing the accumulated contradictions and traditions of the class struggle of the European countries of the Mediterranean coast, the poor, the unemployed and the working class of northern Africa now rise up.The Mediterranean is becoming a basin of revolution. 3. The reaction of imperialism to the revolution in Tunisia has been an example of hypocrisy. Having pontificated on the importance of democracy against nations they consider enemies, the U.S. and the EU have adopted a totally different approach with respect to Tunisia. The EU and particularly France, the former colonial power in Tunisia, did not utter a word about the events that killed more than 50 youth. Having remained silent for a long time, earlier the U.S. and then the EU detected the imminent catastrophe of the Ben Ali regime and maneuvered to differentiate itself from the the old regime. Obama, a hero to many, finally “applauded” the Tunisian people, but only after the fall of Ben Ali. Having reported daily on incidents in Iran after the elections last year, and constantly insisted on the murder of Neda, one of the few victims of the mullahs in those incidents, the media of the imperialist countries looked the other way while the youth was massacred in Tunisia (and later in Algeria). Both the U.S. and the EU remained silent until the last moment, because they considered the pro-imperialist Ben Ali, who was even subservient to Zionism, useful to their interests. France also fears a mass revolutionary victory in North Africa, because it could motivate the Beurs (the youth of North African origin born in France), who have been the recent rebels in the suburbs of France and a new round of insurrection. The population factor is another link that unites the two shores of the Mediterranean. 4. This is the first time that the working class and masses of workers have overthrown a tyrant in the Arab world. This is bound to have resounding repercussions that are still unimaginable. The imperialist looters (in Iraq and Lebanon) of the great Arab civilization and its lackeys; kings, sheiks, emirs (Gulf countries), dictators (in Egypt, Syria, Algeria, Sudan and Libya) and bureaucrats (of Palestine): all tremble! The Arab working people are preparing to take their destiny into their own hands! Their days are numbered! In all Arab countries, the masses are looking at the unemployed youth and the poor in Tunisia with unrestrained admiration. The Tunisian events have led to large demonstrations in Algeria and Jordan on class issues. However, their main impact will be developed in the coming years and even decades. At the same time, the insurrection in Tunisia has created a great opportunity to put forward socialism as an alternative to Islam, perceived in the last three decades as the only opposition to imperialism and the despotic regimes in the Arab world. The duty of the proletarian revolutionaries of Turkey and the world is to provide constant and tireless support for the emancipation of the Arab world. 5. The Tunisian revolution has also exposed the hypocrisy of the bourgeois forces in Turkey. Tayyip Erdogan, a hero in the Arab world, did not open his mouth in a month to condemn the criminal regime of Ben Ali. In line with the pseudo-democrats of the EU, the liberals did not lift a finger to support the masses against tyranny. Both the secular media and the fundamentalists engaged in a conspiracy of silence against the struggle of the masses in Tunisia. The DIP calls the working people of Turkey, the Sunnis, the Alawi and other beliefs, to choose the path of the Tunisians. This path has proven once again that not only bread, but democracy can be gained through the struggle of the working class. The road of Tunisia shines in contrast to “the exercise of democracy” in Iraq by the imperialists. Shame on those who no longer believe in the revolution and class struggle, who for years have hammered relentlessly on the idea that “the working class has become increasingly disorganized and, therefore, cannot carry on the fight”; those who have argued the nonsense that “the Muslim populations are timid and never rebel”. The proletariat is adding another proud page in its long history of international struggle! And this in an overwhelmingly Muslim society. Long live the struggle of our Tunisian worker and youth comrades! For the permanent revolution that would lead workers to take power without stopping in the stage of “democracy” in Tunisia and elsewhere. Long live the Socialist Federation of the Middle East. Long live the World Revolution! January 16, 2011