In this interview, Mussa’ab Bashir described the current situation in Gaza as “the worst round of aggression” since 1948. He highlighted the difficulties faced by Gazans, including psychological trauma, poverty, and high youth unemployment. Bashir also elaborated on internal struggles against corruption within the Hamas regime and the lack of a representative working-class organization. He advocated for a democratic socialist state to solve the Palestinian issue, emphasizing the necessity of a representative body that protects the interests of the working class.
Mainstream media misrepresents Geert Wilders’ far-right victory in the Netherlands as anti-Islam instead of racist. Rather than promoting a united society, media establishments encourage a fictitious “us versus them” narrative. This narrative benefits liberal-lefts, who ignore authoritarian and ultra right-wing Islamic groups. Meanwhile, right-wing trends in the Middle East exploit this situation to spread anti-western ideas, being mistaken for anti-colonialist forces. This misrepresentation traps society in an ideological divide, often painting opposition against political movements as a form of racism.
The current protests call the nations to a new social contract in the relations between them, which can potentially cause fundamental changes in the policies of the governments. This new contractualism requires governments to force Israel to accept international resolutions through the application of pressure (including the implementation of international laws, economic sanctions, cutting off political relations, etc.) in order to comply with the rights and justice of the Palestinians.
In the pursuit of justice and empathy for the Palestinian people, a significant discrepancy distinguishes Iranian leftists from progressive and peace-loving groups in the Western world. This contrast emerges from our profound understanding of Islam and Islamism, which is manifested as a “populist movement” and a governing authority. This comprehension has developed in response to the predominance of the Shiite theocracy.
