Meet the Afghanistan Socialist Association
The Freedom Socialist Party has recently received literature from Afghanistan Socialist Association (ASA) e-mail : zalmay_f@hotmail.com, an organization of activists in Afghanistan and Pakistan who are eager to exchange information with leftists around the world. We are posting some of their photos,documents and statements, slightly revised for clarity in English.
ASA's Goals:
To bring together progressive left organizations and individuals in a single strong radical party in Afghanistan.
To present an active, clearly leftist alternative in Afghanistan to counteract religious, nationalist, and capitalist ideologies.
To oppose religious fundamentalism, Islamic nationalists and anti-women parties in Afghanistan.
To support women's struggles for liberation and equalization in society.
To support anti-capitalist struggle in the region and the world.
To build active mutual relations, collaboration, and solidarity within the region and among international leftist and progressive parties, forces and individuals.
To carry out a mass socialist revolution through class struggle in Afghanistan.
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Solidarity Letter
(April, 2003)
Dear Comrades and Friends,
We extend our warm and comradely greetings and salutation to you from war-torn Afghanistan, under bloody domination of western invaders and native Islamic fundamentalists.
The Afghanistan Socialist Association (ASA), by critically examining Left Soviets and Maoist currents that were floating in a bourgeois ocean, has succeeded in unifying several groups and individuals. By selecting a shining radical way that belongs to the working class and Marxism, ASA has assured its existence and has been actively struggling for Left unity in Afghanistan for the past four years.
We believe that imperialism never grants anybody freedom and good fortune. The cause of Palestine has remained unsolved for more than half a century. The cause of Afghanistan is also unsolved. Now, the U.S. and its allies attack Iraq once again. We condemn this wild occupation by the U.S. government.
ASA also strenuously condemns the criminal regime of Saddam Hussein. We defend the democratic rights of leftist and progressive forces in Iraq to overthrow his regime and establish a government that respects democracy and observes human rights. But is U.S. rule a real alternative to Saddam's dictatorship? Surely it will impose a puppet, non-democratic regime that will be loyal to the interests of the U.S., not the native peoples.
It is the crucial task of all anti-imperialist forces and freedom loving and democratic forces around the world to resist the U.S. war against Iraq and expose the evil goals of U.S. imperialism.
At the moment, despite various conflicts, imperialist countries engage in mutual, worldwide collaboration and practical assistance. The wars in the Gulf, Yugoslavia, Palestine, Afghanistan and now Iraq again are just fresh examples. Then why shouldn't the left, progressive, and anti-imperialist parties and forces also have close relations and collaboration?
The claim of socialism and Marxism without internationalism is nothing. To get the advantage of this magnificent gathering, let us announce our complete solidarity with the socialist, anti-imperialist, anti-fundamentalist and democratic groups, organizations, parties and forces.
Down with imperialism and religious extremists!
Long live socialism and internationalism!
Afghanistan Socialist Association (ASA)
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International Solidarity Campaign for the Leftist Movement of Afghanistan (ISCLA)
In December, 2002, comrade T. Hiroshi, of IEG (Internationalism Editing Group) and the Communist Association Antiwar Political Movement Project had a short visit with Left Radical of Afghanistan (LRA) in Pakistan.
LRA, with the Japanese leftists' support, agreed to launch ISCLA, a solidarity campaign for the leftist movement of Afghanistan. We appeal to and invite support from all internationalists, leftists, progressives, democratic and anti-imperialist parties, organizations, unions and individuals all over the world--Asia, Europe, Canada, USA, Latin America, Australia.
The left movement in Afghanistan is severely repressed by imperialists and Islamic fundamentalist. On the one hand, we face wild suppression by Islamists and bourgeois fascist parties. On the other, we face grave internal problems. But despite political differences, dispersion and splits, there are immense numbers of left organizations, groups, and people that continue to actively struggle for socialism.
Because of terrorism from the imperialist countries and local Islamists, leftists in Afghanistan must work underground. Great numbers of our forces have been killed, imprisoned, and tortured. They have lost property, their families are threatened, and they face constant persecution inside Afghanistan and in neighboring countries.
The problems for Afghan leftists intensified as U.S. aggression increased. Foreign military imperialist forces, under United Nations cover, merely help yesterday's fundamentalists dominate the whole country. Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, foreign and local military forces suppress local opposition to the fundamentalist interim government. There is no difference between the Taliban/Al Qaida government and the current Karzai/ Fahim/ USA government. There is no field and no resources for leftists in the country to run their activities and challenge the imposed new situation.
We have several schools, orphanages (where the children who belong to our comrades and friends or war victims are educated and fed), educational centers, healthcare centers, and literacy and political awareness courses for adults.
However, there is no regular left magazine in the media. To spread the ideas of socialism and workers democracy, and expose the goals of imperialism, we need your help. To have fresh news reports and left viewpoints in local languages and international languages in local and international media, and affirm international relations, it is necessary to create a professional activists committee, supported by a party We need food, clothes, educational materials, medicine, printing materials and financial support.
Your assistance will strengthen the left movement of Afghanistan so that it can survive and grow and show its worth in the political environment of Afghanistan. Detailed reports will be prepared on how the assistance is used. We also invite our internationalist friends to visit our activities and see the result of their aid.
January 13, 2003
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May Day Greetings to the Freedom Socialist Party
Afghanistan Socialist Association sends heartfelt socialist regards and solidarity on the May 1st workers international day.
The imperialists are becoming more bloody and able to have control over all the world. They want to play the role of international police to expand and strengthen their politics and political and economic control of all the world, especially in the poor countries. On the other side, the working class should have cooperation among each other all around the world. The working class must be together in order to change the world system and struggle against imperialism.
Afghanistan is a country where war raged for the last 25 years. And now it is under the attack of U.S. imperialism. The country is completely destroyed and broken politically, economically and socially. Its working class is living in very hard and bad situations in neighboring countries. Its left organizations and parties are weak and feel isolated. There is no cooperation and support among left parties and organizations. Up to now, left parties struggle with very difficult security, financial and political problems. But on the other side, the Islamist and imperialist parties are so strong and have every type of facility and cooperation of fundamentalist countries and the U.S.A. and European countries.
Now is the time that the left movement must cooperate and help, and work for solidarity and internationalism.
Let us announce our complete solidarity with the Freedom Socialist Party and Radical Women on this workers international day. The Afghanistan Socialist Association appreciates your struggle and works.
Long live communism!
For unity of all the workers of the world!
Kabul, Afghanistan
April 25, 2003
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