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The Author's Preface from the book Ethiopia: A Cultural History. First published in 1955, Sylvia Pankhurst's Ethiopia: A Cultural History was a formidable undertaking for the author. At the time of the publication of this book, Sylvia Pankhurst was already established as a renowned activist, an antifascist and something of a political force in her own right. Already an accomplished artist and writer, Sylvia demonstrated her expertise as both historian and anthropologist through her work on this volume.
Throughout this extensive historical and cultural survey, Sylvia Pankhurst writes with incredible detail and clarity, demonstrating both her passion for the subject as well as the depth and breadth of her knowledge regarding the language, literature, music, and religions of the Ethiopian people.
With the kind permission of the text's copyright holder Dr. Richard Pankhurst, who assisted in the compilation of the original publication of Ethiopia, the Marxists Internet Archive is pleased to offer transcriptions of four chapters from this rare book.
The fist chapter published by MIA is the book's "Author's Preface" in which Sylvia Pankhurst provides extensive notes and reflections from her travels throughout Ethiopia during her research for the book. Included in this section are Sylvia's overview of the contents of the book, as well as details regarding her personal interviews with Ethiopian artisans, historians and cultural experts. Sylvia also discusses the various contributions of prominent Ethiopians to this project, including some reflections on her collaboration with the legendary Emperor Haile Selassie I.
All text drawn from the 1959 printing of this work. Additional chapters are forthcoming. [Thanks to Richard Pankhurst and Mike Bessler]
"If you are born a worker in Iran, you will remain a worker for the rest of your life."
-- Roza Javan
The above sentence was the first statement I had ever read by champion of workers' and women's rightsRoza Javan. I first read of Roza in an article entitled "With the hard disk full of socialism" which was featured on the web site "In Defence of Marxism" a while back. The original authors of the piece (from the Swedish magazine Arbetaren) wrote vividly of Roza's dedication to the workers' movement, beginning with her account of her father's struggles under the Khomeni regime:
When Roza was nine years old, her father was sacked from the factory in which he had worked for eight years.
"He had refused to fight in the war and he always talked back at the foreman. But when he got fired he shouted "I shall get my job back!" at the foreman. When nothing happened, he took his case to a court in the city. The judge offered him a small lump sum to compensate him, but he refused to accept any money other than his wages. After six months of struggle, he finally got his job back. Then the foreman decided that he had had enough and quit."
Roza Javan continues to talk about her father and says that he always used to come home and curse the company. Since the company was owned by the state, his curses would also be directed against the state and the "Imam" which was Khomeini's honorary nickname.
"When I heard him swear, I used to tear out pages from my notebook and use them to make leaflets bearing the slogan "marg bar Jomhourie Islamie Iran": down with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Then I would put them under the neighbours' doors, ring the doorbell and run away. I have been political since I was a child. Here in Iran, children of the poor always talk about politics in school and at home, watch and follow the news and try to read the newspapers."
Roza's account of the dark days of her childhood and her early radicalization are told with such passion that the article's authors suggested she possessed "more energy and charisma than anybody else we met in Iran." Indeed, her incredible story of struggle and activism in the face of severe repression and any number of socio-political barriers is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Roza Javan's story is now included in the new book Iran on the Brink: Rising Workers and Threats of War by Andreas Malm and Shora Esmailian. I have not had the opportunity to read the book yet, but Louis Proyect has included a two-part review of the book on his incomparable blog "The Unrepentant Marxist" (Part One | Part Two). While I have not gotten around to ordering my copy of Iran on the Brink just yet, someone was kind enough to share excerpts from the work which chronicle Roza's continued struggle against Political Islam and the repression of women and workers:
At home, by her bed, she gingerly lays out the books she has been able to buy: Capital in Farsi, Mandel's Introduction to Marxist Economic Theory, a bulky volume on the history of the Tudeh party. They are in mint condition:
They were so expensive I don't dare to make any notes in them. I use a notepad instead, and reading Marx is very difficult, so I do what I used to do in chemistry: I set up formulas. When I had first become a socialist, I wanted to get the message out, I wanted all my student mates to know. I touted the books, scribbled slogans in the toilets, pasted a picture of Marx on my folder so it would be clearly visible for anyone passing by in the corridor... until my mentor told me: “Are you mad? Don't you know that being a socialist carries the death punishment in Iran? Are you not aware that the regime executed thousands of Leftists in the 1980s?' I decided to be more discreet."
In the early months of 2004, word of a planned May Day demonstration in Tehran was circulating. On a blog, Roza had come across some like-minded students in her city and they decided to go....Some of her high hopes were, however, quickly dashed. Enrolling in Komiteye Hamahangi, she was challenged by men and their patronising attitudes: "'Who are you, are you a real worker?', they would say. And when I asked about the revolution they would not respond. I would ask 'What do you mean by "abolishing wage labour", what is it supposed to look like in real life? Either one works and gets some money for it, or one works and gets a bag of rice and a chicken - what is it that you want?' They didn't specify."
After her encounter with organised feminism and socialism in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Roza took up writing herself. Her computer is now filled with Marxist classics downloaded from the Farsi-language division of the Marxist Internet Archive, as well as her own short stories, essays and commentaries on subjects ranging from the Khatonabad massacre to the merits and demerits of Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi. No money to buy a printer, her eyes ache from all her onscreen work.
Probably the most remarkable consideration here is to gauge the courage of a writer and activist like Roza Javan against the relative dearth of progressive and radical leadership in the west. Imagine — amidst the looming omnipresence of the Iranian theocracy, a movement for women's equality, workers' rights, peace and socialism continues to grow.
The threat of repercussions is palpable and all too real to Iranian workers and activists. The recent arrest of Mahmood Salehi provides yet another example of the ongoing struggle within Iran. On April 9, Salehi, one of Iran's leading labor activists, was arrested "on charges of organizing May Day strikes and demonstrations" in 2006:
Salehi who was at work at the time was taken during his lunch break by armed security forces to the public prosecutor’s office regarding his bail on charges of organizing May Day strikes and demonstrations last year. Later at the public prosecutor’s office, a revised court verdict was read to him summarily sentencing him to one year imprisonment and 3 years suspended sentence.
He was immediately transferred to the city of Sanandaj prison. Clearly this is an attempt to intimidate and attack the labour movement both in Iran and internationally. Last Year Manhood Salehi was bailed under immense international pressure from trade unions, and labour and progressive organizations internationally. (full story)
What do we have in the way of such political action in the West — in America, the land of "freedom of expression" and "freedom of assembly" — in comparison the the brave women and labor leaders of Iran? Where are our May Day demonstrations and workers' movements? Where is our collective demand for peace, tolerance and equality? Where is our solidarity with such struggles in other nations? What is our excuse for our inaction and our indifference?
Our friend "K." who occasionally writes us with information regarding the workers' movement in Iran advises me that repression within the country remains stifling. Confirming reports in the Western press, K. recently shared that Iranian women are now required in many places to wear veils — veils which he describes as "stricter" than the traditional forms of these garments. Also, in addition to the fact that men are being penalized for sporting "Western" haircuts, K. shared that young men and boys are also facing penalties for wearing short sleeve shirts. And yet the movement forges ahead in Iran, growing in strength thanks to many brave Iranians.
Iranians — and the working people of the world — need more leaders like Roza Javan.
“Street graffiti in Venezuela” From South America to the Middle East and beyond, marxists.org is making a difference!
Thanks to all who contributed to this article, both directly and indirectly, including: Louis Proyect, "K.", Maarten (for the photo) and — of course — Roza Javan.
May 9 marks the anniversary of the victory of the Red Army of the USSR over the forces of German Fascism. The following excerpt from The Russian Version of World War II chronicles the last days of the fighting between the Red Army and German forces.
The Storming and Capture of Berlin
The Red Army now had the task of capturing Berlin and inflicting the final defeat on the Hitler forces. The German command gathered almost the whole of its forces for the defence of Berlin-about a million soldiers, 10,000 guns and mortars, 1,500 tanks and self-propelling weapons, and 3,300 aircraft. The area between the Oder and Berlin was completely blocked by three huge defensive fortifications. Deep anti-tank ditches, endless rows of granite blocks, hundreds of minefields barred the path to the Soviet troops. Berlin had been transformed into a tremendous fortress.
For the assault on the German capital the Soviet command had concentrated 41,600 guns and 'Katyushas', 8,000 aircraft and 6,300 tanks. The attack on Berlin was made by troops commanded by Marshal Zhukov and Marshal Konev.
At dawn on 16 April the Soviet artillery directed a hurricane of fire against the enemy fortifications. Following the barrage of fire, the tanks moved forward to the attack, supported from the air by thousands of aircraft. Behind the tanks the infantry joined the attack.
The Hitlerites offered desperate resistance. Particularly fierce fighting took place on the Zeelovsky heights, where the enemy tried to launch a counter-attack. But here too the enemy's resistance was smashed. The defence put up by the German Fascist bloc was broken all along the front. On 21 April fighting was already going on in the suburbs of Berlin, and in a few days' time the troops of the 1st Byelorussian and the 1st Ukrainian fronts, meeting in the region of Potsdam, surrounded all the enemy forces in Berlin. On the River Elbe units of the 1st Ukrainian front met up with units of the 1st American Army.
The surrounded German Fascist troops continued their resistance. For ten days, fierce fighting did not cease by day or night in the streets of Berlin. Every house was brought into the battle.
On 30 April the Soviet troops who had broken through into the centre of Berlin began to storm the Reichstag building. On the night preceding 1 May two regimental sergeants of the Intelligence Corps, M. Yegorov and M. Kantariya, hoisted the Victory Banner over the Reichstag. On 2 May the Berlin garrison surrendered. Hitler committed suicide. The Soviet troops took prisoner more than 300,000 German soldiers and officers in the Berlin region. In a few days Germany acknowledged defeat. On 8 May in Berlin representatives of the German High Command signed the act of unconditional surrender. The supreme power in Germany had passed to the governments of the Allied Powers.
Saturday was Free Comic Book Day. Thomai and K. had a previous commitment, so it was up to Baby Z. and me to mark the occasion on behalf of the family. We visited Fearless Readers where they were having their twice annual 50% off sale. As usual, I picked up some good bargains, including a copy of Iron Fist #1 (signed by John Byrne, at that!) and a copy of Jonah Hex #1. I also snagged a 1952 copy of All-True Crime. I am not particularly familiar with this title, but it looks to be in the same vein as the Hillman Real Clue series that I am currently collecting. I went through the 50 cent bins as well and I picked up several copies of Rom: Spaceknight. Rom is a classic Marvel title from the 1980's and I am currently working towards obtaining the full run of the series. One of these days, I will have to write a bit about Rom, because I think it's a really good series.
Later in the day, we went up to the mall and I got a copy of the special DVD package version of "The Rise and Fall of ECW" with the "One Night Stand 06.12.05" bonus DVD. I watched a bit the same evening and I was pretty impressed. The Tazz vs. Bam Bam Bigelow match on disc 2 is phenomenal.
As great as all of that stuff was, one of the highlights of the day was driving around Dayton and listening to Iron Maiden's "Somewhere in Time" album with Baby Z. She told me she really liked the album. Her favorite songs were "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" and "Alexander the Great."
May 1st is May
Day,
which is also known as International Workers Day. This holiday is
observed in many countries and locales, in recognition of the
achievements of the working people of the
world.
May 1st also
marks the anniversary of the beginning of the 1886 nation-wide strike
in support of the eight-hour workday. In Chicago, a mass
meeting
in support of the workers' movement ended tragically with the
"Haymarket Massacre" on May 4.
“Primo Maggio, il sole dell’ Avvenire” – May First, the sun of tomorrow! as our Italian comrades so beautifully it, is here again. It links ancient traditions, these modem times, and the future. Always a people’s natural holiday, since time immemorial it was the occasion for the gathering of the of the poor and lowly for one gala day of festivity. For the last fifty-five years it has been universally recognized and cherished by workers around the world as an International Labor Holiday. It is actually the only holiday celebrated internationally. It obliterates all differences of race, creed, color, and nationality. It celebrates the brotherhood of all workers everywhere. It crosses all national boundaries, it transcends all language barriers, it ignores all religious differences. It makes sharp and clear, around the world, the impassable chasm between all workers and all exploiters. It is the day when the class struggle in its most militant significance is reaffirmed by every conscious worker.
Saturday was 
Later in the day, we went up to the mall and I got a copy of the special DVD package version of "
