Arab Revolution
Five years on: What happened to the Arab Revolution?
Five years ago, without any organisation, programme, plan or preparation the Arab masses, in the words of Marx, stormed heaven. They brought down in a matter of weeks, what had seemingly not moved an inch in decades of petitioning by NGO's and academic do-gooders. The colossal state-apparatus, employing hundreds of thousands of spies, police officers and army personnel, could only watch as the masses took over the streets.
Bolshevism and the Arab Revolution
From a Marxist point of view, the Bolshevik Revolution was the greatest single event in world history. Why? Because here, for the first time, if we exclude the heroic but tragic episode of the Paris Commune, the masses overthrew the old regime and began the great task of the socialist transformation of society.
[Video] The Arab revolution and its impact on Europe
Erik Demeester, editor of the Belgian Marxist journal Vonk, spoke on the Arab revolution and its impact on Europeat the recent world congress of the IMT.
[Audio] The Arab revolutions
Listen to Hamid Alizadeh speak about the Arab revolutions. The recording was made on 17 February at the Winter School of the IMT in Cambridge.
One Year Since Bouazizi's Death — One Year of Arab Revolution
Tomorrow, Saturday, 17 December, marks the first anniversary of the Arab revolution. On this day, one year ago, Mohammad Bouazizi, a young Tunisian fruit vendor, driven by desperation, poverty, and anger, set himself on fire in the city of Sidi Bouzid. The revolutionary wildfire that began after his death — first in southern Tunisia, then the entire country, then erupting across the entire Arab-speaking world—marked a turning point in human history.
The Arab Revolution continues
Far from dying out the revolutionary process in the Arab world is continuing. In the last week we've seen protests in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt aside from the on-going mobilisations in Yemen and Syria.
[Audio] Erik Demeester on the Arab Revolution
Erik Demeester
Erik Demeester of Vonk (Belgium) speaking on the Arab Revolution at the recent World School of the IMT.
[Audio] Francesco Merli speaking on Nasserism
Francesco Merli speaking on the Nasserism at the recent World School of the IMT.
Arab revolution reaches Israel – next step, a general strike!
Walter Leon
Incredible scenes in Tel Aviv. On Saturday, August 7, over 300,000 took to the streets of a city with a population of less than half a million. Other demonstrations also took place on Saturday, with 30,000 gathering in Jerusalem, and thousands gathering in other cities across the country. The total figure of demonstrators is difficult to estimate, but it could be anything between 400,000 and half a million, in a country of 7.7 million inhabitants. Amongst the familiar demands for "social
[Audio] Hamid Alizadeh on the Arab revolution
Listen to Hamid Alizadeh, editor of the Iranian Marxist newspaper and website Mobarezeye Tabagathi, speak at the Marxist Summer School (18 June) on the dramatic events that began late last year, sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East, which have come to be know collectively as the Arab revolution.
The Marxist method and the Arab revolution
In his Preface to our new book, "Revolution until victory! – The Arab revolution: A Marxist Analysis", [available from Wellred Books at the discounted price of £7.99] Alan Woods highlights the Marxist method of analysis which allowed us to predict several years in advance the coming Egyptian revolution, and the growing instability of all
[Video] The Arab Revolution and Iran
Socialist Appeal - USA
On May 26th, Fred Weston and Arash Azizi presented on the Arab Revolution and Iran at May Day Books in Minneapolis, MN. Fred Weston in dealing with the Arab Revolution dedicated some time to explaining the complicated situation in Libya and Syria, while Arash Azizi highlighted the effect of the revolution in rekindling the movement in
Nakba protests: The Arab revolution reaches the Palestinian masses
The revolutionary wave sweeping through the Middle East has acquired a new dimension with the eruption of the Palestinian masses along Israel's borders last weekend. Every 15 May, Palestinians commemorate the Nakba (catastrophe) of the declaration of independence of the state of Israel on 15 May 1948. In recent years, protests have been marked by clashes between Israeli security forces and stone-throwing Palestinian youths, but yesterday was the first time the commemorations took on a more
[Audio & Video] Alan Woods (IMT) and Muayad Ahmed (WCPI) on Arab Revolution
Alan Woods, Political Editor of the In Defence of Marxism website and a leading cadre of the International Marxist Tendency, and Muayad Ahmed a leading cadre of the Worker Communist Party of Iraq & Editor of the 'Alsheoiya Al-Omalya' (Worker Communism) monthly paper, speaking on the way forward for the Revolution in the Arab world at a recent meeting in London.
Nasser and the Arab revolution
Frederik Ohsten and Francesco Merli
The world has been shaken by the Arab Revolution. From the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf, revolution is on the agenda. And once again Egypt has been at the heart of this process, as it has always played a leading role in the region, due to its size, population and economic weight.
Imperialism and the Arab Revolution
Lal Khan
There is no future without the past. An empirical, mechanistic and a pragmatic approach to the revolution sweeping across the region from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Sea would end up in a flawed analysis and a disastrous fate for the mass upheaval.
[Audio] Jorge Martin speaking on Arab revolution and Wisconsin on Latin Waves
Jorge Martín, international secretary of the Hands Off Venezuela Campaign, is speaking on the Canadian Latin Waves radioprogramme about the Venezuela, Libya, the revolution in the Middle East and the movement in Wisconsin.
The Arab Revolution - Manifesto of the International Marxist Tendency. Part Three: The Revolution is not finished
To say that a revolution has begun is not to say that it has been completed, much less that victory is assured. It is a struggle of living forces. Revolution is not a one-act drama. It is a complicated process with many ebbs and flows. The overthrow of Mubarak, Ben Ali and Gannouchi marks the end of the first stages, but the Revolution has not yet succeeded in completely overthrowing the old regime, while the latter has not yet succeeded in re-establishing control.
The Arab Revolution - Manifesto of the International Marxist Tendency. Part Two: Democratic demands
In the first instance the demands of the Revolution are democratic. Of course! After 30 years of a brutal dictatorship the youth long for freedom. Naturally, their desire for democracy can be abused by bourgeois politicians who are only interested in their future careers in a "democratic" parliament. But we are obliged to take up the democratic demands and give them a sharply revolutionary content. This will inevitably lead on to the demand for an even more fundamental change in society.
The Arab Revolution: Manifesto of the International Marxist Tendency
The recent revolutions in Algeria and Sudan show that none of the contradictions facing workers, youth and the poor, that led to the wave of Arab revolutions starting in 2011, have been resolved. We republish this manifesto (written by the IMT during the first wave of those movements), explaining the tasks of the Arab Revolution, which are every bit as pressing and relevant today.
[Audio] Alan Woods on the Arab Revolution
Alan Woods speaking at a recent meeting of the International Marxist Tendency on the question of the Arab Revolution.
Iraq about to join the Arab revolution?
The wave of revolution that started in Tunisia is now also reaching Iraq, where the Kurdish areas had already flared up last week. But the protests are not limited to these areas. On Friday an anti-government rally named the Day of Rage, was organised in Baghdad and other cities with thousands taking part.
The Arab revolution knows no frontiers
After the Tunisian people overthrew Ben Ali we were told by so-called expert analysts that the revolution would not spread to Egypt. After it did just that these experts weren't so sure any more about what could happen next. Already there had been powerful movements in Jordan and the Yemen, as well as big protests in Algeria and other countries. Now Libya and Bahrain are joining the queue, as is Iraq, while the Yemen is flaring up again.
Alan Woods speaking to the ULU Marxist Society on the topic of the Arab Revolution on the day the working class decisevly began to enter the scene of the Egyptian revolution.
The insurrection in Tunisia and the future of the Arab Revolution
The marvellous revolutionary movement of the Tunisian workers and youth is an inspiration and an example to the whole world. For more than one week Tunisia has been living through a revolution of epic dimensions. The mass uprising in Tunisia has ended in the overthrow of the hated dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali after 23 years in power.
Arab leaders attempt to stem revolutionary crisis in the Middle East
Yossi Schwartz and Fred Weston
The recent Arab summit (May 22-23) ended with Tunisian President Zain al-Abidin bin announcing that the Arab leaders had adopted a 13-point programme that is to be applied to their countries. Its aim is to promote "political reform". The same plan will be presented to the G8 summit next month, no doubt for their approval.
The Arab leaders say they are determined to pursue and intensify the process of political, economic, social and educational reforms. Why have they suddenly
[Ted Grant] Hands Off The Lebanon
Political and social unrest against Lebanese President Chamoun's pro-Western policy and his support for imperialist intervention in the 1956 Suez war against Egypt triggered civil war in Lebanon and forced US direct intervention in the country in July 1958 to save Chamoun. Ted Grant based his analysis on the class interests at stake in this war while even greater convulsions were being prepared in the Middle East.