War, Imperialism and Resistance in West Asia

West Asia is currently becoming the global flashpoint, with US imperialism seeking to remould the region to its liking. Israel, its closest ally in the region, is also seeking to destroy the Palestinian nation, as well as stamp out all resistance to its own apartheid policies. The catchall slogan of "War against Terror," post 9/11, is providing a cover for the aggressive designs of the US-Israeli axis. Military strikes against Iran now loom on the horizon and the UN Security Council itself is being manipulated for that purpose. To highlight the above issues and generate a wider solidarity for the people under occupation and military threat in the region, we are proposing a 3-day Conference in Delhi on 12th-14 th March 2007. The Conference would also work towards building the widest unity against imperialist forces in West Asia and also put pressure on the Governments in South Asia including India to oppose imperialist designs in the region.

For more information contact Varsha Berry
E-mail: varsharb@yahoo.com

Resolution of the conference

Speakers:

Clovis Maksoud (Arab league)

Professor of international relations, Dr Maksoud was the chief representative of the League of Arab States in 1961-66 and a good friend of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He served as the senior editor of Al Ahram newspaper and the chief editor of Al Nahar weekly from 1967-79. He was appointed as the League of Arab Nations chief representative to the United Nations in 1979, and resigned from the League in the aftermath of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. He is the author of several articles and books including "The Meaning of Non Alignment."

Kamal Majid

Is a retired Professor of Electrical Engineering at Cardiff University, UK. He is a prominent political exile from Iraq. He is a regular columnist in the Arabic media, Al Quds AL Arabi, and has published two books on Iraq and Iraq-Kurdish politics. .

Michael Warshawski (Israel)

is based in Israel. He is the Director of the Alternative Information Centre (AIS). The AIS has been an outstanding source of information about the true facts of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories andof the domestic and foreign policies of successive governments in Tel Aviv. Warshawski is an internationally known political activist and scholar.

Jamal Juma' (Palestine)

is Coordinator of the Palestinian grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign which represents several major Palestinian civil society organizations and over 60 regional popular committees throughout Occupied Palestine. He is a founding member of several support organizations including the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC), and the Palestinian Association for Cultural Exchange (PACE). He is a prolific writer, and has authored a number of widely published articles on the Wall and the struggle for Palestine. He lives in Occupied Palestine and his travel out of the area has never been easy. .

Fawaz Traboulsi (Lebanon)

is a leading Lebanese academic and public figure. He was a prominent leader of the Lebanese Left, and the founder of the Organisation for Communist Action, 1970-85. He has had a long innings in the Lebanese resistance movement. Fawwaz Traboulsi is currently a Professor of History and Politics at the Lebanese American University in Beirut, Lebanon, and a Visiting Professor in Columbia, New York. He has written extensively on history, Arab politics, social movements and popular culture. His most recent book‚ 'A History of Modern Lebanon,' was published this January.

Azmi Bishara (Israel)

is a leading Palestinian political activist and member of the Israeli Knesset. Bishara is former head of the Philosophy Department at Bir Zeit University and Senior Researcher in the Van Leer Institute, Jerusalem. He is member of the Knesset and founding member of the National Democratic Assembly (NDA), representing the Arab minority in Israel under the banner of national, democratic values. He is a strong and courageous voice in the region and the world.

Dr Ali Fayyad (Hezbollah)

Director, Consultative Centre for Studies and Documentation, Beirut University , he is a member of the Hezbollah's political bureau. He is the Hezbollah's political ideologue, and has also represented the organization at international meetings. He was handling the media, international guests and the publicity for the Hezbollah during the 39 day war in Lebanon recently. Fayyad is one of the public faces of the Hezbollah during the war, and survived by switching cars, mobile telephones and place of stay. His home in southern Lebanon was destroyed by the Israeli aircraft, and his family narrowly escaped death in Beirut where the building they were staying in was bombed. The Centre in south Beirut was completely destroyed during the war by the Israelis.

George Jabbour (Syria)

is the President of the Syrian UN Association. He is a former Presidential advisor, a Parliamentarian and a writer. He was also the member representing Asia on the Working Group on Peopleof African Descent within the UN Human Rights Council. He was a member of the Ba'ath party in Syria.

Dr Ali Saqafi (Iran)

is a professor in the Azad University, Tehran. His speciality is Islamic and political jurisprudence. He has written several books and articles, and is an expert on the theoretical aspects of the Islamic revolution.

Ali Atassi (Syria /Lebanon)

he is a student of engineering, social sciences and history and has worked for several years as a journalist. He is from Syria but lives in Beirut where he edits the cultural supplement of the al Nahar newspaper. He is a prominent figure in West Asia, and has been very active on the cultural and political front in the region.

C.M.Shafi Sami (Bangladesh)

is a renowned diplomat. He has held many top positions, including High Commissioner to India between 1995-1999 and just after that, foreign secretary of Bangladesh. In 2006 he became one of the ten advisors of the caretaker government of Bangladesh.

Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa (Pakistan)

is an independent security analyst and author of "Pakistan's Arms Procurement and Military Buildup, 1979-99.

Programme

12th March

Registration 9.00-10 AM

Inaugural Session: Overview of West Asia 10.00-11.30 AM
Chair: Seema Mustafa
Aijaz Ahmad
Fawwaz Traboulsi
Ali Fayyad
Clovis Maksoud

Lebanon 11.45-1.15 PM

Chair: Mohd. Salim
Kamal Chenoy
Ali Fayyad
Sadallah Mazraani
Fawwaz Traboulsi

Lunch 1.15-2.00

Address by Azmi Bishara 2.00-3.00 PM

Palestine 3.15-5.00 PM
Chair: Anu Chenoy
Mohsen Saleh
Jamal Juma
Michel Warschawski
Achin Vanaik

13th March

Iraq and Syria 9.45-11.45 AM
Chair: Nihal Singh
Kamal Majid
Ali Atassi
Georges Jabbour
N.Ram

Film 12.00-1.00 PM
The Gates Are Open Sometimes, Palestine
Yasmine’s Song, Palestine

Iran 2.00-3.30 PM
Chair: Girjesh Pant
Ali Saqafi
Ali Fayyad
Hamid Ansari

US and its Allies 3.45-5.00 PM
Chair: Mushirul Hassan
Speakers:
MK Bhadrakumar
Ayesha Siddiqa
Shafi Sami

14th March

Campaign Outline 9.45-10.45 AM
Chair: Prabir Purkayastha

Political Parties on West Asia 11.00-1.15 PM

Chair: SP Shukla
Speakers:
Prakash Karat
AB Bardhan
Ram Vilas Paswan
Ram Gopal Yadav,
DP Tripathi, Yerranaidu
Kamal Morarka

Films 2.00-5.00 PM
Avenge But One Of My Two
Eyes Palestine
Dead in the Water, UK