A Middle East Gallery of Revolt

Mark Twain wrote that Americans go to war to learn geography. But that can’t be right; we’ve had enough wars in enough places that Americans ought to know the capital city of even the smallest province of Nicaragua by now, and yet most Americans couldn’t tell you on which border Mexico or Canada reside – and we’ve been to war with both of them.

I learned geography, in part, as a political and anti-war activist. The room we used for meetings back in the day was plastered with maps, not surprisingly, of the Middle East. Before Iraq War I, there was the Tanker War in the Persian Gulf (remember that?) and that’s probably the first time I had the occasion to learn a little, and I mean a little, about Oman.

Well here we are again. Another war; this time Iraq War III, or is it V? It’s getting hard to keep count.

Last week we talked with Brad Duncan of the RF Kampfer Revolutionary Literature Archive in the first of a two-part interview (here), next week we’ll post part two. In the mean time here is a collection from the archive of items connected to the Middle East, including a number on Palestine and the revolutionary upsurges in Iran of the 1970s.

Learn your geography in solidarity comrades!

‘Portraits From The Struggle Of Palestinian Women’, General Union of Palestinian Women, printed by Palestine Information Office, Washington, D.C., 1974.

‘Iran: Flames of Revolution’, The Union of Iranian Communists, 1981.

‘In Solidarity With Palestine’, Palestine Information Office, Washington, DC, 1982.

‘The August Program’, Democratic Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, printed by Palestine Solidarity Committee, Buffalo, New York, early 1970’s.

‘Political And Armed Struggle’, Palestine National Liberation Movement Fateh, Beirut, Lebanon, early 1970’s.

‘The Women’s Role in the Palestine National Struggle’, Palestine Liberation Organization, 1975.

‘The Arab Dawn’, Canadian Arab Federation, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1978.

‘Documents of the Palestinian Resistance Movement’, Pathfinder Press, Socialist Workers Party, United States, 1971. Includes material from Fatah, Popular Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

‘In Solidarity With The Palestinian Revolution’, Iranian Student Association in U.S., Houston/Berkeley, 1975.

‘International KAR’, Organization of Iranian Peoples’ Fedaian – Majority, London, 1983. ‘Forward to the Establishment of the Working Class Party’.

‘The Patriotic Movement In The West Bank’, Palestine Liberation Organization, Beirut, Lebanon, 1975.

‘No Revolution without Women’s Liberation’, Azar Tabari, Campaign For Solidarity With Iran, London, 1979

‘Dialogue With Fateh’, Palestine National Liberation Movement (Fateh), Beirut, Lebanon, 1969.

‘Free Oman’, published and edited by F. Glubb, London, 1964. Photo caption reads “A unit of Omani resistance fighters on pistol training”.

‘FAT’H – Revolution until Victory’, Palestine National Liberation Movement, place unknown, late 1960’s.

‘Intifada – Zionism, Imperialism and Palestinian Resistance’, Phil Marshall, Book Marks, London, 1989.

Promotional card for a May Day event organized by the Confederation of Iranian Students, Chicago, [mid-1970’s].

‘Solidarity with Turkey’s Political Prisoners’, Committee for the Defense of Democratic Rights in Turkey, London, [early 2000’s].

‘Egypt – a people rising’, Abu Hashim, New Park Publications / Labour Review, London, 1953.

‘For A Free And Independent Kurdistan’ in ‘Arm The Spirit – Autonomist/Anti-Imperialist Journal’, Hamilton, Ontario, 1992.

‘Mobareze (Struggle)’, Iranian Students Association in the U.S.A., United States, 1970. First issue.

‘On Kemalism’, Ibrahim Kaypakkaya, Communist Party of Turkey (Marxist-Leninist), [place unknown], [early 1970’s]. Kayapakkaya (1949-1973) was a founding member of the CPT (M-L) and was tortured and killed by the Turkish government.

List of chants for a demonstration against the Shah of Iran, United States, [late 1970’s].

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