The struggle against the looming threat of world war intensifies with each passing day, with every new attack. Attacks such as those by the U.S. and its fascist President Trump against Iran, without regard for the catastrophic consequences for the entire world. Despite grandiose announcements of ceasefires, that word no longer holds any value.
In Gaza, attacks on the population continue; Israel’s war of annihilation is being waged relentlessly. The war between NATO-backed Ukraine and Russia has already lasted four years, driving up the profits of the arms industry through the war machine. The death toll rises daily on all sides. International law and the right of peoples to self-determination are being trampled underfoot by the imperialist powers acting in concert. With the increasing attacks on so-called civilian targets, the suffering of the population in the war zones is intensifying. One of the most bitter consequences of these wars is that more than 700 million people worldwide are currently starving. Staff members of “Doctors Without Borders” are currently reporting that the absolute emergency rations for malnourished children in Sudan have had to be cut in half.
Mariam Abu Daqqa, Global Coordinator of the World Conference of Grassroots Women, Middle East and Near East, from Palestine, describes this as a “policy of starvation.”
She reports: “Despite the establishment of the so-called Peace Council under Trump’s leadership and the Palestinian resistance’s acceptance of the Roadmap, the occupying power and the fascist Zionist leadership rejected the Roadmap and intend to continue the genocidal war in Palestine and Lebanon, as well as their advance into Palestinian territory—70 percent of Gaza… The world is in danger and is in turmoil on all levels, especially in light of the imperialist-Zionist aggression against Iran and Venezuela, and now also against Cuba, Yemen, and Iraq… …Just as the imperialists have allied themselves against the peoples who are fighting for independence and liberation from imperialist subjugation and domination—against the exploitation of the peoples’ wealth and their enslavement—the world stands on the brink of a world war whose flames will be kindled by the peoples themselves. That is why all of us—the oppressed and exploited—must unite and fight against imperialism.” Roya, from the Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women (SMAW), issues a moving appeal to the world:
“Today, on the International Day of Struggle Against Imperialist Wars, we have gathered to sound the alarm—a powerful call to people worldwide to rise up before these wars destroy humanity and the Earth.
Look around the world. In Gaza, in Ukraine, in Iran, and in the Middle East, as well as throughout Africa, it is always the same. The war machine of imperialism is not a liberating force; it is a force of plunder and enslavement. It subjects the entire planet to devastation.
And let us not forget the victims of the migration crisis—the endless streams of displaced people—men, women, and children who have been driven from their homes by war and poverty imposed on them by the great powers.
On August 15 of this year, we marked the fifth grim anniversary of the Taliban’s seizure of power. Under Taliban rule, over eighty percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Children are dying of malnutrition. Women have been denied access to schools, universities, and jobs.
While people in Afghanistan are starving and women are suffocating under misogynistic measures, the so-called “international community” continues to pay over forty million dollars to the Taliban every week. At the same time, European countries, including Germany, are shamelessly attempting to normalize their relations with the Taliban and hand over diplomatic missions to their representatives—solely to send Afghan asylum seekers back to a country where they will certainly be imprisoned, tortured, and killed.”
Irtefaa Al-Qubati from Yemen also supports this view in her remarks.
“In connection with our remarks on the effects of wars and imperialist tensions on peoples, we note that these effects do not end at the front lines but extend into the details of people’s daily lives, especially in areas suffering from siege and blockade….”
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To All Women of the World Those who want peace must take action to eliminate the root causes of imperialist wars. We must unite with all the oppressed and exploited—against war and genocide. For an end to all wars and acts of aggression. For the right of peoples to self-determination. |
The European Coordinators of the World Conference of Grassroots Women