Pressure to be built on US and its allies for going to war
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Jan 19, IRNA -- Condemning use of power by the US against other countries, Chandra Muzaffar at the World Social Forum said on Sunday that pressure needs to be built on the US and its allies for going to war, local press reported here on Monday. Muzaffar of Malaysia while speaking in a session on "Militarism, War and Peace" in Mumbai said, "Focussing on specific issues, mobilization of masses should be done by creating public opinion against war." In the session chaired by Nguyen Binh (Vietnam), had international peace activists Abduk Amir al Rekaby (Iraq), Dennis Brutus (South Africa), Keun Soo Hong (South Korea) and Beverley Keene (Argentina). Abdul Amir Rebaky of Iraq said, that major current in the Arab world is struggle through non-violence and that the image created of them being violent and aggressive is not true. Rebaky said, mere demonstration is not enough to stop the powerful from using power on others for personal interest and a "real strategy" is needed to influence the powerful. South Africa`s Dennis Brutus said though demonstrations were not producing the desired results, if the same is continued results would certainly come in future. Keun Soo Hong said the change of base of the US forces in South Korea is merely a change in strategy to achieve its goal rather than keeping the two Koreas from going on war. In another conference entitled "wars against women and women against war", Booker prize winner and human rights activist Arundhati Roy on Sunday lashed out at western imperial powers for using "corrupted version of feminism" to justify war. "According to corporate media the feminist face of 21st century appears to be of Tony Blair and George W Bush," she said. Referring to the global war against women, she said in many countries peace is synonymous with war where people are fighting for survival, thanks to developmental projects. Saher Saba, a women`s activist from Afghanistan, urged the audience to publicize the plight of Afghan women. Under a large red banner stating, "There`s no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people," a coalition of anti- war organizations discussed US occupation of Iraq as well as problems of Palestine and Afghanistan. The five-day WSF meet kicks off in Mumbai, mega polis of more than 13 million people of diverse socio-economic, cultural and political backgrounds on Friday night with a participation of more than 100,000 people gathered at the NESCO grounds in Goregaon. The WSF event features at least 1,200 seminars, 20 conferences and meetings. 2160/210 End
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