https://themilitant.com/2019/03/23/no-to-attacks-on-muslims-mosques-in-new-zealand/
Statement of Communist League in New Zealand
No to attacks on Muslims, mosques in New Zealand!
Protest NZ rulers’ efforts to restrict political rights!
Vol. 83/No. 13
April 1, 2019
March 16 march in Melbourne, Australia, protesting anti-immigrant lone
gunman’s armed assault on worshippers attending services at two mosques
in New Zealand that killed 50. March 16 march in Melbourne, Australia,
protesting anti-immigrant lone gunman’s armed assault on worshippers
attending services at two mosques in New Zealand that killed 50.
The following statement was issued March 16 by the Communist League in
New Zealand.
The Communist League condemns, in the strongest way, the rightist
shooting massacre at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch
that has left 50 dead and 50 injured. The shooting took place as
hundreds of worshipers had gathered to pray. We call on workers, farmers
and all defenders of democratic rights to condemn this brutal assault.
This and other attacks on Muslims and mosques are a working-class issue.
We must act on the principle of the workers’ movement that “an injury to
one is an injury to all.” The defence of those who are scapegoated and
victimised — be they Muslims, Jews, immigrants or others — is essential
to building political unity of the working class and acting on the basis
of solidarity with all who are exploited and oppressed.
Such attacks are an outgrowth of the political policies and actions of
the capitalist rulers and their government. Anti-Muslim prejudice is
used to justify their involvement in wars and spying by their police
agencies, not only on mosques and Muslims, but on many others.
For more than 25 years the New Zealand government has been a partner in
the endless imperialist wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. As the
worldwide capitalist economic crisis continues with no end in sight,
there will be more attacks on democratic and political rights and on
workers and our unions at home, and trade wars and shooting wars abroad.
The call by Labour and National party leaders for national unity in the
wake of the massacre is the opposite of working-class solidarity. They
seek to draw us behind the rulers’ course at home and abroad. Already
the government has signaled that it will respond to the massacre by
beefing up the powers of its spies, immigration cops and other
repressive instruments of state power. Such steps target working people
and our rights.
There is no broad expansion of rightist or fascist currents in
Australia, New Zealand, the United States or any other country today.
The owners of industry and finance don’t feel the need to turn to
fascist gangs to preserve their class rule. There is less racism, less
anti-immigrant sentiment among working people today, as immediately
shown by the expressions of solidarity by working people throughout the
country.
The Communist League pledges not only to protest this brutal assault,
but to take this issue to workers of all backgrounds.
We demand: No to attacks on Muslims and mosques. Oppose attacks on
democratic and political rights! Withdraw all New Zealand armed forces
from the Middle East and elsewhere overseas!
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In This Issue
Front Page Articles •No to attacks on Muslims, mosques in New Zealand!
•Solidarity with victims of anti-Muslim killings
•Boeing bosses’ drive for profit leads to deadly plane crashes
•SWP takes campaign to small towns, rural areas
•New York protests demand gov’t give immigrants driver’s licenses
•Syrian gov’t, Moscow step up strikes on opposition forces in Idlib province
Feature Articles •Long view of history on display at Iraqi museum
Also In This Issue •Algerian protesters say, ‘We need to get rid of the
system’
•Cuba: ‘We will defend our revolution, no matter what’
•Kentucky teachers fight state moves against union, pensions
On the Picket Line •Locked out Quebec aluminum workers reject bosses’
ultimatum
•Chicago Symphony Orchestra players strike to defend pensions
Books of the Month •‘No imperialist regime can ever conduct a just war’
25, 50 and 75 years ago
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