27.06.2007

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Steve Cook reports on the latest news from the Hands Off the People of Iran campaign

Among the elected politicians who have declared their support for the Hands Off the People of Iran campaign in the last week are Caroline Lucas, Green Party MEP for South East England, Rune Lund, member of the Danish parliament representing the Red-Green Alliance, and Tim Morris, a Green member of the Tasmanian state parliament in Australia. Another new supporter is leftwing rock star Les Carter - formerly of the band, Carter USM.

New signatories from the trade union movement include Oupa Komane, deputy general secretary of the South African National Union of Mineworkers, and Prakashnee Govender, policy researcher with the Congress of South African Trade Unions. In the UK, Ramsgate branch secretary for train drivers’ union Aslef, David Bull, has given his backing to the campaign, as has Tony Greenstein, secretary of Brighton and Hove TUC Unemployed Workers’ Centre.

Hopi’s two-pronged message - no to imperialist attack, no to the theocratic regime - has clearly resonated in South Africa, as a number of progressive academics from that country have signed up this week. These include anthropologist professor Piet Erasmus (University of the Free State) and political scientists professor Peter Vale (Rhodes University) and professor Bill Freund (University of KwaZulu-Natal).

In India, support has come from philosopher professor Nirmalangshu Mukherji (University of Delhi), health economist and historian professor Mohan Rao (Jawaharlal Nehru University) and radiation physicist Dr MM Musthafa (University of Calicut). The noted Hungarian Marxist writer and psychologist professor Laszlo Garai (University of Szeged) has also signed up.

The latest Hopi supporters in Britain include anthropologist professor Alan Macfarlane (University of Cambridge), industrial relations analyst professor John McIlroy (Keele University), sociologist professor Madeleine Leonard (Queen’s University Belfast), archaeologist Dr Anne Macklin (University of Leeds) and cultural critics Dr Ben Harker (University of Salford), Dr Clare Finburgh and Dr Shohini Chaudhuri (both University of Essex).

If you would like to join Hopi’s growing list of supporters, you can sign up via the campaign website at www.hopoi.org or email your name, position/affiliation and contact details to office@hopoi.info.

Other ways you can support the campaign include:

ll organise a local launch meeting;

ll persuade your trade union branch or organisation to support Hopi;

ll add a hyperlink to www.hopoi.org on your personal or organisation’s website;

ll write about the campaign on your blog;

ll make a financial contribution to support the development of the campaign and help cover its running costs.

If you are interested in organising a local event for Hopi, the campaign team can supply speakers and advise on how best to publicise it.

Don’t hesitate to call us on 07738 828540 or email office@hopoi.info.