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Mapping of the Arab Left Contemporary Leftist Politics in the Arab East

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Mapping of the Arab Left Contemporary Leftist Politics in the Arab East Edited by: Jamil Hilal and Katja Hermann MAPPING OF THE ARAB LEFT Contemporary Leftist Politics in the Arab East 2014 MAPPING OF THE ARAB LEFT Contemporary Leftist Politics in the Arab East Edited by Jamil Hilal and Katja Hermann 2014 The production of this publication has been supported by the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Regional Office Palestine. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the authors and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Regional Office Palestine. Translation into English: Ubab Murad (with the exception of the text on Iraq). Turbo Design TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword .............................................................................................................6 Introduction: On the Self-definition of the Left in the Arab East ...................8 The Palestinian Left: Realities and Challenges ..............................................34 The Jordanian Left: Today’s Realities and Future Prospects .........................56 The Lebanese Left: The Possibility of the Impossible ....................................82 An Analysis of the Realities of the Syrian Left ............................................102 The Palestinian Left in Israel .........................................................................126 The Iraqi Left: Between the Shadows of the Past and New Alliances for a Secular Civic State .................................................................................148 MAPPING OF THE ARAB LEFT Contemporary Leftist Politics in the Arab East Mapping of the Arab Left: Contemporary Leftist Politics in the Arab East Foreword During times of rapid changes in the Arab world, with new political constellations in the landscape and open prospects for future changes in the region, we need to thoroughly understand political actors, programs, and options. However, when we consider the contemporary Arab Left, critical knowledge that goes beyond the level of stereotypes and slogans is difficult to find and rather scattered, especially outside the Arabic speaking milieu. It becomes even more relevant against the background of the increasing influence of neoliberal policies on the one hand and the critical role of political religion in the region on the other hand to reduce this gap, to gain a clearer understanding of compositions, constituencies, tasks, demands, goals, influences, and challenges faced by the Left. While the socio-economic and political requirements in the countries considered in this book (Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian-Arab Community in Israel) call clearly for changes and alternatives based on a genuine understanding of social justice, freedom, and equality, the Left seems currently unprepared to take on the challenge. Even more, the contemporary Arab Left is still more fragmented than unified, more often criticizing the status quo than proposing effective alternatives, a situation not much different from the status of other leftist actors, e.g. European Leftist actors.1 The goal of this mapping of leftist actors is to not only support debate of the Left in the Arab world but to also encourage alternative action. It is self-evident that any kind of “mapping” can only be a beginning, a very first step of a longer journey to be shared by many. However, hopefully this project will feed in and contribute to a larger process of re-considering and re-strengthening leftist understandings in and outside of the Arab East. In order to have a fruitful process of transnational exchange and cooperation, one must understand the similarities and differences experienced by various actors in order to properly move forward. As part of the process for understanding and presenting the Arab Left, it was necessary for RLS to reach out to local Arab scholars and experts to put together pieces on varying topics impacting the Left in the Arab world.2 Listening to voices from the Arab East invites the reader not only to learn more about political discourse in the region, but also avoids the standard 1 See Michael Brie and Cornelia Hildebrandt (eds.): Parties of the Radical Left in Europe, Analysis and Perspectives. Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Berlin: Karl Dietz Verlag 2005. 2 With the exception of the paper about the Iraqi Left. 8 Foreword Eurocentric perspective most are subjected to. To reconnect the discourse of the Left in the Arab East to the international community, and in particular to non-Arabic speaking people, the book is bilingual and presents all essays in both Arabic and English. The content of the book, including the political language of the papers, is the sole responsibility of the authors and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Regional Office Palestine. Katja Hermann Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Regional Office Palestine Ramallah, December 2013 9 Mapping of the Arab Left: Contemporary Leftist Politics in the Arab East Introduction: On the Self-definition of the Left in the Arab East * Jamil Hilal On the Meaning of the Left in the Current Arab Reality When discussing the current state of the Left in the Arab world, one must first take into consideration the impact of the Arab Spring and its transformation on the relationship between the Arab people and their governments. Such transformation requires the mobilization of the experiences and wisdom accumulated by the Left during the last decades. This book does not represent a summary of the Left’s experience. None of the participants in this booklet, despite their experience and knowledge, seek to deprive the Leftist forces, groups, and organizations from their right and duty to take part in this review and to draw the appropriate lessons. Additionally, there is a need to objectively examine the direct and indirect roles played by the Left in the recent Arab popular uprisings and to evaluate these with the aim of reviving the Left and its political, social, and cultural projects. In addition, the Left must reaffirm its intellectual autonomy after years of repression. The review should include the positions of both the communist and the non-communist Left and their relationship with the despotic regions in the area, as well as their role in confronting both imperialism and the State of Israel. The review should also include the justifications presented by certain sectors of the Left for foreign intervention. In fact, it has been proven that intervention, whether regional or international, has not been beneficial in ridding the region of despotic regimes. This has been documented by a number of papers in the present book. The Left at this stage might not aspire to be more than a compass that points to the change for a civil democratic state, and a vanguard against plans aimed at diverting the uprisings away from their original goals. The Left also acts, upon this basis, to mobilize efforts of the youth and adults for the sake of rebuilding the institutions of a new political order based on principles of freedom, equality, and social justice. At the same time, most sectors of the Left reject foreign intervention and conditions imposed by neo-liberal capitalist globalization support the Palestinian people’s liberation struggle against the 10 Introduction: On the Self-definition of the Left in the Arab East colonial policy and racial segregation of the Zionist order, and support liberation aspirations worldwide. The Left cannot but participate actively in what I call deep democracy. That is a democracy that seeks to protect and advance social, economic, and cultural rights. It is the democracy that responds to the goals of Arab popular uprisings. Deep democracy relies on the values of freedom and equality, and aims at achieving social justice based on granting equal opportunities to all citizens. It seeks the establishment of a democratic regime regardless of the potential local, regional, and international forces with their financial, economic and media capacities and influence whoever may wish to counter their initiatives. All of these things require the mobilization of the Left and other forces which have an interest in establishing a new regime which does not base itself in reactionary and conservative ideologies. The current papers involve analyses of the cases of the Left in Palestine (on both sides of “the Green Line”), Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. They refer, though through different details, to the development of the Left’s experience in these societies. They show the special experience of the Left in each of these countries according to the determinants of its political arena, to the changing social-economic structure prevailing there, and to the Left’s position vis-a-vis the cultural and intellectual trends (liberal, Islamist, leftist, pan-nationalist and a combination of some of these) which are in conflict to dominate such an arena. One source of confusion for the Left in its diagnosis of Arab regimes goes back to its one-dimensional view evaluating their stand against Israel and the USA. These movements must once again formulate policies initiated by these regimes which are destructive to the causes of the Left.1. The papers pose the question of the meaning of being leftist under the current Arab, regional, and international conditions, which is a question debated by leftist forces worldwide.2 The answer to this question might entail leftist actors making a distinction between two important levels of their activities. First, they must address issues common
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