iran
bulletin
Middle East Forum
iran bulletin began publication in 1993 as a journal of the left dealing with issues of the Middle East from a democratic, secular and socialist perspective. At the time it acted as the international organ of the Organisation of Revolutionary Workers of Iran (Rahe Kargar). The journal was always aware that the democratic movement in Iran could not expand or survive in isolation from similar movements in the Middle East and the world. From its very beginning iran bulletin opened its pages to the Iranian and non-Iranian left in order to act as an English language forum for democratic and progressive forces.
In 2003 iran bulletin became independent of ORWI (Rahe Kargar) and was renamed iran bulletin – Middle East Forum. The new journal greatly expanded its editorial board taking board members from a wide spectrum of left from the Middle East as well as European scholars interested in issues of the Middle East (see home page). iran bulletin – Middle East Forum is editorially completely independent of any present or future political organisation in Iran and the Middle East. This is essential if it is to fulfil its mission.
To reflect the broad debate on the issues threatening the democratic, secular and socialist prospects in the Middle East – defined broadly as North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Indian Subcontinent. This area has today become a flash point of struggle – suffocated on the one hand by the new imperialist aggression and on the other with various reactionary and obscurantist alternatives. In this space the voice of the left, that of the enlightenment and that of an egalitarian and participatory socialist future have been drowned. It also aims to initiate or directly intervene in various campaigns that are directed at realising these aims. One of its principal aims is the creation of a progressive Middle East Social Forum.
The editors and editorial board invite contributions to its
pages from anyone who subscribes to the ideals of the journal: democracy, secularism and participatory
socialism.
Yusef Abkhun
Haleh Afshar
Jaleh Ahmadi
Tariq Ali
Reza Allameh-Zadeh,
Aziz Al-Azmeh
Abol-Hassan Bani Sadr
Monireh Baradaran
Puran Bazargan
Noam Chomsky
George Caffentzis
Hassan Darvish
Hamid Dabashi
Mehrdad Darvishpour
Nawal El-Saadawi
Zohreh Ershadi
Bridget Fowler
Emmanuel Drorer Farjoun
Reza Ghaffari
Fred Halliday
Mostafa Hejri
Khalil Hindi
Amir Howeizi
Tony Hyman,
Pinar Ilkkaracan
James Ingals
Mohammad Jaber
Shokuh Jalali
Iraj Jennati Attaie
Pablo Kala
Mansur Khaksar
Esmail Khoi’
Shahla Lahiji
Moshé Machover
Roberto Mader
Reza Marzban
David Mather
Yassamine Mather
Moses Mayekiso
István Mészáros
Jamil Miahi
Val Moghaddam
Haideh Moghissi
Nasser Mohajer
Bagher Mo’meni
Majid Nafisi
Hamila Nisgelili
Roger Normand
Younes Parsa Bonab
John Rees
Simon Pirani
Edward Said
Adnan Salman
Assad Seif
Hammed Shahidian,
Narges Shahmanesh-Banks
Mohammad Reza Shalguni
Sheam Shestha
Parvaneh Soltani
Sohrab Yekta
Haifa Zangana
and others.
iran bulletin has also launched a number of campaigns:
n Campaign to create an international Radio Labour to exchange experiences of the labour movements in the Middle East, the Mediterranean Basin and Eastern Europe
n Against the threats of an Iran-Afghanistan conflict
n For an international grass-root tribunal to try leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran for crimes against its own people.
n Campaign in defence of the student and popular democratic movement in Iran.
n Campaign in defence of imprisoned journalists
n International Judicial Commission of Enquiry to investigate serial political murders in Iran