Iran, No War

By Jonathan McFadden
mcfaddenj@mytjnow.com

Originally appeared in the Rock Hill Hearld

Nearly two-dozen college students and community residents clenched onto lit candles as they assembled in front of Byrnes Auditorium at Winthrop University on Saturday night to condemn any hint of possible U.S. military intervention in Iran.

Billed as a “no war in Iran” candlelight vigil, the 7 p.m. anti-war demonstration was co-sponsored by Winthrop’s College Libertarians and Socialist Student Union, and stood as one of several concerted efforts by protestors in cities across the U.S and other nations to speak against possible war with Iran.

“Peace in the Middle East…justice in the Middle East…we don’t want to fight,” said Judson Abraham, the event’s organizer and president of the Socialist Student Union.

Abraham, who delivered a speech praising the Iranian labor movement, said the possibility of the United States going to war with Iran would not be in the nation’s best interest, although it seems that the country has already provoked the conflict.

“The drums of war are beating rapidly,” said Abraham, a senior political science major.

“Republican politicians are salivating at the mouth” to attack Iran, he said, before declaring that U.S. and Israeli influence in Iran would help propel the nation back into an oppressive regime.

Several reports have insisted that Iran is harvesting nuclear energy, actions the nation’s leaders claim is a cost-effective attempt to meet the electricity needs of its people. Nevertheless, a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran had enough supplies to possibly develop nuclear weapons.

To protect against possible attack, the United States, Israel and Europe imposed economic sanctions on Iran, preventing the nation from exporting its primary natural resource, oil. In response, Iran has threatened to close off the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil hub for the world.

Faced with the possibility of losing their oil supply, American and European leaders have pressured Iran to refrain from blocking the strait and to disclose details of its nuclear program. With tensions mounting during recent negotiations, many fear that a military conflict between Iran and joint U.S., European and Israeli forces is inevitable.

For David Matos, such a scenario is “unacceptable.”

Matos, a worker with the Carolina Peace Resource Center in Columbia, said Israeli influence is what’s fanning flames of “hysteria” for an attack on Iran.

“Attacking Iran is worse than Iran getting a nuclear weapon,” Matos said. “Hypocrisy is a lousy reason to attack a region, kill people and start a war.”

Lorena Hildebrandt, a Winthrop alumna living in Rock Hill, explained that she felt lulled into complacency during what she termed “the Bush wars.” Now years later, Hildebrandt said President Barack Obama’s foreign policies are no better than his predecessor’s.

Rock Hill’s David Dingler, 58, expressed his concern that war with Iran may indeed be on the horizon.

“I just hope it doesn’t result in nuclear strikes,” he said.

Joining the fray was Bob Brown, former logistics director for the 1995 Million Man March, organizer with Chicago’s Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and founder of the Pan African Roots organization. After signing one student’s copy of the “Communist Manifesto,” Brown faced his audience and thanked them for being politically engaged and active.

Brown, also a co-founder of the Illinois Black Panther Party and current organizer for the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party, explained that the organization supports “genuine, leftist forces in Iran” while also “unconditionally and uncompromisingly” opposing the United States government, President Barack Obama included.

Brown sang the praises of socialism, saying that without socialism and justice, “there would be no peace.”

Rock Hill resident Carolyn Ballard, a Christian activist, attended the rally to pick Brown’s brains about strategizing.

Though not a fan of Brown’s socialist ideals, Ballard said she does support the Occupy Charlotte movement and the budding Occupy DNC movement. What she wanted from Brown, she said, were trips on how to nudge Occupy DNC into a peaceful, a peaceful, non-violent demonstration.

For Ballard, money and big corporations have choked the voice of democracy and given way to high unemployment and a sluggish economy. She’s also frustrated that more Christian leaders haven’t stepped up to criticize issues that “affect us all.”

 “I’m doing this for my children and grandchildren,” Ballard said.