10.05.2007

Rabbi and punk poet

More elected politicians have this week declared their support for the Hands Off the People of Iran campaign (Hopi), including Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans and Scottish National Party MSPs Sandra White and Dr Bill Wilson. In local government, councillor Fozol Miah has joined the three other Respect representatives from Tower Hamlets who have already signed up to Hopi.

Among the political organisations endorsing the campaign, the Democratic Socialist Alliance announced its affiliation to Hopi this week.

Leading human rights lawyer Michael Mansfield QC has confirmed his support for Hopi's founding statement, as have historian Mark Curtis and journalist/blogger Sunny Hundal.

Punk poet and songwriter Attila the Stockbroker also signed up, declaring: "I most certainly will support you. I loathe the Bush/Blair axis and clerical fascism with equal vigour."

And a wide range of academics have endorsed the campaign too, including philosophy professors Adrian Moore (University of Oxford), Colin McGinn (Miami), Udo Schuklenk (Glasgow Caledonian) and Steve Fuller (Warwick).

They have been joined by prominent theologians Dr Johannes Hoff and rabbi professor Dan Cohn-Sherbok (both University of Wales, Lampeter), leading criminologist professor David Wilson (University of Central England) and Middle East specialists professor Avi Shlaim (Oxford) and Dr Nadje Al-Ali (Exeter).

Steve Cooke