As some NUS members might know, this summer the National Executive voted to affiliate to the Stop the War coalition. I supported the affiliation, but with an amendment I submitted to make clear our disagreements with the coalition’s stance - their refusal to meaningfully support workers', students' and women’s movements fighting for democratic rights in Iraq and Iran, and the lack of criticism of the Iranian government. The amendment passed, and in our letter confirming affiliation, Dave Lewis, National Secretary, outlined the main points of disagreement:

"However, in joining, we must make clear our disagreements with aspects of Stop the War's work, particularly the refusal to meaningfully support workers', students', womens' and other progressive movements in Iraq and Iran, and the lack of criticism of the Iranian government.

"We also believe that to that to be both successful and principled, future anti-war activity must be based on positive practical support for democratic forces in the Middle East such as workers', students' and women's movements fighting against both western intervention and local reactionary movements and regimes."

I had the dubious pleasure of being an NUS delegate to Stop the War conference on Saturday 27 October, alongside George Woods of Socialist Action/Student Broad Left and Rob Owen of the Socialist Workers’ Party/Respect, and I’m sad (if unsurprised) to say that the coalition’s politics haven’t got any better.

The session on Iran featured Somaye Zadeh from Campaign Iran coming on the platform to tell us that "the lies about Iran" aren’t true. These "lies" include that the Iranian regime is undemocratic (Ahmedinejad was voted in with a large majority - never mind ballot rigging, the open exclusion of dozens of candidates and the fact that you

can only stand if you're a male Islamist!), that it’s anti-gay (despite “problems with homosexuals”, sex changes are allowed…) and that it’s oppressive to women (more women study at university than men - so never mind legal dress codes, chastity laws and the religious police).

She also cited the existence of Iran's democracy movement as proof that the regime is not so bad: roughly the equivalent of citing the Tiananmen Square protests as evidence of the democratic credentials of Chinese Stalinism!

This ridiculous apology for the Iranian government was justified on the grounds that Zadeh is an Iranian refugee herself, and that by telling the truth about Iran, anti-war activists would be playing into the hands of Western governments who may attack it.

I doubt I need to explain how disingenuous it is to conflate all criticism of the Iranian regime with a general dislike for Iran, or bigotry towards Iranian people – no left-wing anti-war activists who stand in solidarity with democratic movements in Iran are aligning themselves with any imperialist plans to attack it. We oppose both war AND the repression of Iranian workers, students and women – it’s perfectly possible, and despite the claims of some of the left, necessary, to do both.

The only people in the room willing to stand up for our comrades in Iran seemed to be the School Students Against the War, some of whom walked out in disgust when the speaker shamefully glossed over the hanging of gay men, the repression of democratic movements and the extremely limited rights of women. Hardly any of the forty or so students in the room followed suit – it’s a sad day when the line of the Blairite-led National Union of Students is to the left of the “socialists” in the Stop the War coalition.

There are people in Iran, workers, women and students like us, who are asking for our solidarity – people like Mansour Osanloo, the busworkers’ union leader detained in the brutal Evin prison in Teheran since July this year. Osanloo has been blinded in one eye after not receiving treatment since he was attack by government forces in 2005. Education Not for Sale managed to get him elected Honorary Vice President of NUS at Annual Conference 2007 – see http://itfglobal.org/solidarity/osanloo2.cfm for more solidarity actions.

ENS will continue to push inside NUS for a position opposing both war and the Iranian regime. I hope students in Stop the War coalition will consider doing the same.

Other controversial motions included a total academic, economic, sporting and cultural boycott of Israel, passed with very little opposition. I spoke against, but was heckled so much it was practically impossible to hear me. I don’t think anyone in Stop the War disputes the need to support the Palestinians, but labelling everything Israeli, including their sports teams, untouchable does nothing to make practical solidarity. In practice a boycott will only put marginal pressure on the Israeli government, and will hit those Israelis in favour of a democratic settlement at the same time.

A boycott will strengthen the sense of being under siege surrounded by enemies, which is a strong element in the power of the Israeli right, and weaken those in Israel who want a just settlement with the Palestinians. The boycott brands all Israeli Jews (or all who do not pass some prescribed political test) as beyond talking to - in Britain, a boycott-Israel movement would, inevitably, become an anti-Jewish movement, directed against those closely linked to Israelis, i.e. Jews. Witness the pickets outside Jewish-owned shops like Marks and Spencers.

What’s really needed is a positive labour movement campaign of solidarity with the Palestinians, with the Israeli peace movement, and with workers on both sides.

These aren’t popular things to say in the British left, but they’re true.

NUS has in the past taken a position against the academic boycott of Israel. The left in the NUS now needs to push for positive solidarity with the Palestinians as well, alongside opposing this basically counter-productive move.

In summary, NUS activists have a big job to do inside the Stop the War coalition – persuading it to take a stance in solidarity with students and workers, wherever they are. The need for a broad but principled anti-war movement that looks to working-class action and combines opposition to an attack on Iran with support for Iranian workers, women and students is clearer than ever.

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