06.06.2007
Academics and trade unionists sign up
Steve Cooke on the latest news and signatories of Hands Off the People of Iran
Word of the positive reception given in Britain and Ireland to the Hands Off the People of Iran campaign (Hopi) has started to spread overseas, as a succession of activists in the United States, Canada and Australia have declared their support.
Among the latest signatories from the US are international law expert professor Richard Falk (Princeton University), radical educationalist professor Bill Ayers (University of Illinois), Marxist cultural critic professor Dana Cloud (University of Texas) and professor George Wolfe, a musicologist and also director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at Ball State University.
All of the above enjoy the status of being among the "101 most dangerous academics in America", according to a book published last year by rightwing columnist David Horowitz. Hopi is grateful to Mr Horowitz for providing such a handy list of progressive thinkers.
Canada-based Egyptian poet Iman Mersal also signed up this week, along with University of Alberta professors linguist George Kirchner and philosopher Martin Tweedle.
In Australia, the campaign has been endorsed by biological anthropologist professor Colin Groves, philosopher Dr Fiona Jenkins and international relations specialist Dr Michael McKinley (all Australian National University), plus linguist Dr Carmel Cloran (University of Wollongong) and philosopher Dr Steve Matthews (Charles Sturt University).
Criminologist professors Phil Scraton (Queen's University Belfast) and Colin Thain (Ulster) join the growing list of supporters, as do former PLO representative and political scientist Dr Karma Nabulsi (Oxford), professor of design Guy Julier (Leeds Metropolitan) and Marxist historian professor John Newsinger (Bath Spa).
Jenny Jones AM signed up on behalf of the Green Party group in the London assembly, while two councillors from Stockton-on-Tees, Maurice Frankland (Labour) and David Harrington (independent) also confirmed their support for Hopi.
Among the trade unionists who became signatories this week were University and College Union London regional organiser Mary Cooper, UCU Edge Hill branch secretary Marianne Quick, TGWU branch 1/460 chair Andrew Coates (Ipswich) and Piers Elias, international officer for Unison's Stockton-on-Tees branch.
If you would like to join the list of supporters, you can sign up via Hopi's website at www.hopoi.org or email your name, position/affiliation and contact details to office@hopoi.info.
Other things you can do to help spread the word include adding a hyperlink to Hopi on your personal or organisation's website, writing about the campaign on your blog, getting your trade union branch to support Hopi or organising a local launch meeting (Hopi can help with supplying speakers).