FROM STOP THE WAR

From: Stop the War Coalition
Date: 20 Feb 2008 13:22
Subject: Eyewitness from Iraq and Lebanon
To: stwc@lists.riseup.net

STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER No. 1033
20 February 2008
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
T: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:

1) EYEWITNESS FROM IRAQ AND LEBANON
2) MARCH 15: WORLD AGAINST WAR - DEMONSTRATE
3) PROTEST DAILY EXPRESS ATTACKS ON MUSLIMS

**********************************
1) EYEWITNESS FROM IRAQ AND LEBANON
The World Against War tour starts London, Thursday 28
February. Five years after the invasion of Iraq, leaders of
the opposition to US plans in the Middle East are coming to
Britain to tour the country, speaking about the reality of
the war on terror on the ground. This will be a unique
opportunity to hear from leading activists about the impact of
war and occupation in the region and the prospects for the
opposition.

Hassan Juma, President of the Iraqi Oil Workers' Union has
been a key figure in leading the successful campaign against
the US attempt to privatise Iraqi oil.

Ibrahim Mousawi is editor of the Hezbollah newspaper
Al-Intiqad and was a leading spokesperson for the successful
resistance to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2006.

At the first meeting of the tour in London, they will be
joined by Tony Benn, Independent journalist Yasmin Alibhai
Brown and Lindsey German, Convenor of the Stop the War
Coalition.

EYEWITNESS FROM IRAQ AND LEBANON
Speakers: Hassan Juma, President of the Iraqi Oil Workers'
Union, Ibrahim Mousawi, editor of the Hezbollah newspaper
Al-Intiqad, Tony Benn, Yasmin Alibhai Brown, The Independent,
Lindsey German, Convenor of the Stop the War Coalition
THURSDAY 28 FEBRUARY 6.30PM
FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE, EUSTON ROAD
LONDON NW1 2BJ

The tour then continues to:
BRISTOL (Feb 29)
BIRMINGHAM (March 1)
MANCHESTER (March 1)
CAMBRIDGE (March 2)
NORWICH (March 2)
CARDIFF (March 3)
LIVERPOOL (March 4).

For more details, go to: http://tinyurl.com/2hdyzo

***********************************
2) MARCH 15: WORLD AGAINST WAR - DEMONSTRATE
Everything the two million marchers said on the demonstration
five years ago has turned out to be tragically accurate. Iraq
is a disaster created in Washington and London. There are as
many as one million dead and four million refugees as a direct
result of the occupation. Afghanistan is -- in the words of
the US based Afghanistan Survey Group -- 'becoming a failed
state'. Now it's official that the dodgy dossier that took us
to war had indeed been 'sexed up'. Meanwhile there has been no
apology and no public accounting for the lies and deceit that
took us into these dreadful wars.

Stop the War is asking all its supporters to do everything
possible to publicise our demonstration on March 15, the fifth
anniversary of the Iraq invasion, which is organised in
conjunction with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and
British Muslim Initiative. Coaches have already been booked
from 35 towns and cities with many more to follow (see
http://tinyurl.com/2hdyzo for updates).

Please contact the Stop the War national office (tel 020 7278
6694) for leaflets, posters, badges etc to pass to your
friends, workmates, classmates and colleagues. Please forward
this e-mail where you can. Contact your local Stop the War
Coalition group and join in their local activities for
building the demonstration (contact the StWC office for
contact details).

There will be WORLD AGAINST WAR demonstrations around the
world on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, with
events in close to 30 towns and cities already announced (see
www.theworldagainstwar.org).

WORLD AGAINST WAR DEMONSTRATION
Troops Out Of Iraq And Afghanistan. Don't Attack Iran. End The
Siege Of Gaza.
SATURDAY 15 MARCH
ASSEMBLE TRAFALGAR SQUARE, 12 NOON

***********************************
3) PROTEST DAILY EXPRESS ATTACKS ON MUSLIMS
The Daily Express regularly splashes its front page with
titles such as "Christmas is banned. It offends muslims.",
"Muslim plot to behead Briton." These disgusting attacks are a
threat both to the muslim community and to all those who value
our civil liberties. The National Union of Journalists at the
Express has been campaigning against these racist stories.

The Stop the War Coalition, together with Media Workers
Against the War, the Stop the War Muslim Activists Network and
the British Muslim Initiative have called a picket outside the
Daily Express Office from 12.30-2pm on Thursday 21 February.

Thursday, 21 February 12.30-2pm outside the Daily Express
office, the Northern Shell Building, 10 Lower Thames Street,
London, EC3R 6EN.
Nearest tube: Monument
MAP: http://tinyurl.com/387eah
LEAFLET: http://tinyurl.com/2uv7rq

Please join us if you can and publicise as widely as possible.

STOP THE BNP!

An important message: Stop the BNP!

From: John Page [mailto:john.page45@btinternet.com]
Sent: 16 February 2008 17:09
To: Recipient List Suppressed:
Subject: Stop the BNP

Dear supporter,

I am writing to thank you for showing support for the campaign to mobilise votes in Hackney with the intention of blocking the BNP from gaining electoral success in the GLA election. I am also writing to ask you to do a number of things to increase the strength of this campaign. In the last week we have launched a facebook site which has attracted almost 100 members, http://city.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10515640986
(you need to be signed up to facebook for this link to work, but joining is free).

We have also gained support from representatives of the Kurdish, Muslim and Jewish communities. Councillors from all political parties represented on Hackney council. Jeanette Arnold the current Assembly member for this area as well as local representatives of the following trade unions; Union of Shop, Distribnution and Allied Workers union, Unite-Amicus, National Union of Teachers, University and Colleges Unions, UNISON, Communication Workers Union, and the Transport Salaried Staff Association. The College branch of Unison. The Transport for London branch of the TSSA, and the London Metropolitan University Branch of UCU have already circulated details of this campaign to their members. A number of other trade union branches have promised to do the same. This is an incredibly good start, but it is not sufficient. Over the next few weeks we need to ensure that everyone in Hackney is aware of the consequences of not voting on 1 May. Put simply, if the BNP win 5% of the vote they will get an Assembly seat, if they reach 8% they will get two seats. We can stop them easily if we alert friends, neighbours and colleagues to the fact that if they do not use their vote they will make it easier for the BNP to succeed. What needs to be done?

1 Please forward this email to everyone you know who lives or works in Hackney and ask them to act on it.

2 Please sign up (and get others to sign up) to the following statement which we intend to use accompanied by a list of endorsers in a full page advert in the Hackney Gazette which will alert residents to the risk of a BNP victory.

'DECLARATION IN OPPOSITION TO RACISM AND FASCISM

We, the people of London, are totally opposed to all those who seek to promote racism in our society. We strongly believe that the lessons of history show that racism, discrimination and fascism, if unchallenged, causes hatred and division in society and will provoke fear and intimidation among many within our city. We believe that diversity is a strength and a cause for celebration, and that those who promote racism and discrimination divide our community. All signatories to this statement have a shared belief in justice, fairness and equality for all. We oppose racism and discrimination wherever it takes place and will not co-operate in public meetings or media events that offer fascists or racists a platform to normalise their repugnant views or to legitimise the politics of hatred. We declare our desire to co-operate with trade unions, political parties, faith groups and others that take a stand against those that promote racist and fascist political views.'

'The deadline for receiving public endorsements of this statement is 9 March, so that we can compile them and publish them in the Hackney Gazette on 13 March. Endorsee's should email John Page (john.page45@btinternet.com) stating their name and if appropriate their organisation.

3 If you are a member of a faith, trade union, community or other group, please try to get an article in your newsletter alerting people to the consequences of not using their vote on 1 May.

4 On 13 March we intend to hold an organising meeting/rally to bring everyone together, to finalise the details for the weekend of activity (see below), to distribute campaign leaflets and to agree a strategy going forward. Details will follow, but please put this date in your diary now.

5 Over the weekend of 14-16 March we plan to distribute leaflets across the borough door-to-door, as well as through faith and community groups. If you are a member of a group that can distribute leaflets, either by inclusion in a members mailing, distribution on a noticeboard, or through a faith group, please let us know how many leaflets you require. We are also asking people to agree to leaflet their streets door-to-door. If everyone agrees to leaflet just two or three streets, we can cover the borough without difficulty. Please let John Page know what leaflets you need and where you will use them.

6 After all this campaign work we will be entitled to some fun, so why not attend the Love Music Hate racism 30th anniversary event in Victoria Park on April 27th from 12 noon to 6pm. The 1978 anti-racist carnival took place at a pivotal point in the struggle against the National Front (the forerunner of the BNP). Music has always been one medium that breaks down cultural barriers and this celebratory event will give a powerful message, just days before the election, that for the BNP the party is over. Please visit www.lmhrcarnival.com for more details.7 Finally, we would welcome donations (payable to Hackney TUC, PO Box 44656, London N16 5YX). We expect this campaign to cost in the region of £1,200, so every little will help.Please consider what you can do to spread the message now and how you can contribute over the weekend of 14 - 16 March.

Any ideas you have about how to get maximum publicity for our message will be gratefully received.Together we can make a difference.Thank you for your continued support.

John PageCo-ordinator.