The Wellington Palestine Group
The Marxist/Muslim alliance is not new, it has been brewing since the 1920s.
Even in New Zealand it has been a feature of the local radical scene since at least the early '80s.
Probably the longest lived leftist/Islamic solidarity group in NZ has been the Wellington Palestine Group.
Militantly anti Israel and pro-"Palestine" , the WPG has been pushing the Marxist-Leninist line on Middle Eastern affairs for at least a quarter of a century.
Prominent members during that time have included;
Alick Shaw In 1982, the future deputy mayor of Wellington was a member of the Workers Communist League and the Wellington Palestine Group. Shaw spoke at a forum organised by the Maoist Victoria University Progrressive Students Association on the "Day of Land" on the Palestinian struggle.
Shirleen Casey Named in a 1981 Security Intelligence report as a probable member of the Workers Communist League and a member of the Wellington Palestine support group.
In 1987 Casey visited the Palestinian Union of Womens Committees and the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees. In August 1988 she attended the 4th Palestine Conference at Te Rau-Oriwa Marae, Christchurch.
Eileen Cassidy Named in a 1981 Security Intelligence report as a probable member of the Workers Communist League and a member of Wellington Palestine support group. Her daughter Lindy was a confirmed member of the WCL's predecessor, the Wellington Marxist-Leninist Organisation.
In August 1990 Cassidy wrote two articles in the SUP's "Tribune", one on the WPG and one entitled "Israel fuels war in the Horn of Africa."
On 26th April 2000, this ad appeared in a wellington publication - "something to celebrate? Israeli diplomats have invited NZ politicians and various 'notables' to celebrate the 53rd anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. The Wellington Palestine Support Group and other 'notables' will be presenting an alternative viewpoint, join them from 12 noon to 2pm, outside the James Cook Centra Hotel, 153 The Terrace. For more information contact Eileen Cassidy, tel.... "
Jan Farr A confirmed member of WPG in the early '90s. In the late 80s, Farr was a member of the pro-Soviet Socialist Unity Party's Central Committee and Commission on Peace and Solidarity. She also edited the party's newspaper "Tribune" from the early '80s until 1993.
In October 1990 Oct 8, Farr an wrote article in Tribune "Why Did Mike Moore turn down PLO offer?", on the Gulf crisis. "The United States has been sabre rattling since the crisis began. It says much for Saddam Hussein's restraint that we are not now involved in a full scale chemical war in the Middle East."
Nadia El Maroufi An Invercargill raised Palestinian. El Maroufi was educated at Otago and Canterbury universities where she was active in Palestinian solidarity work.
She spent some time in Palestine supporting the cause and during the late '90s was active in the WPG.
Serena Moran In 1997, Moran was one 75 people arrested after a student protest in the grounds of parliament. In September 2000 she was one of 8 Wellingtonians arrested at an anti capitalism protest in Cuba Street.
In 2006 she was a confirmed member of the WPG.
Tali Williams In 1998 Williams was on the executive of the Marxist controlled UNITE union. She was also active in the National Youth Network, the junior wing of Sue Bradford's People's Network.
In September 2000, Williams was one of 8 Wellingtonians arrested at an anti capitalism protest in Cuba Street.
Lately she has been a trustee of Sue Bradford's Kotare Marxist training school situated near Wellsford.
In March this year, Williams, representing the WPG spoke at a demonstration in Wellington where she linked the situations in Palestine and in Iraq.
Omar Khamoun A Wellington taxi-driver and WPG spokesman.
In April this year he signed a Socialist Worker organised statement, condemning the stereotyping of Muslims in NZ.
He claims to be a cousin of Hassan Kemmoun allegedly a member of the Marxist North African organisation Party for Democracy and Socialism (PADS).
Even in New Zealand it has been a feature of the local radical scene since at least the early '80s.
Probably the longest lived leftist/Islamic solidarity group in NZ has been the Wellington Palestine Group.
Militantly anti Israel and pro-"Palestine" , the WPG has been pushing the Marxist-Leninist line on Middle Eastern affairs for at least a quarter of a century.
Prominent members during that time have included;
Alick Shaw In 1982, the future deputy mayor of Wellington was a member of the Workers Communist League and the Wellington Palestine Group. Shaw spoke at a forum organised by the Maoist Victoria University Progrressive Students Association on the "Day of Land" on the Palestinian struggle.
Shirleen Casey Named in a 1981 Security Intelligence report as a probable member of the Workers Communist League and a member of the Wellington Palestine support group.
In 1987 Casey visited the Palestinian Union of Womens Committees and the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees. In August 1988 she attended the 4th Palestine Conference at Te Rau-Oriwa Marae, Christchurch.
Eileen Cassidy Named in a 1981 Security Intelligence report as a probable member of the Workers Communist League and a member of Wellington Palestine support group. Her daughter Lindy was a confirmed member of the WCL's predecessor, the Wellington Marxist-Leninist Organisation.
In August 1990 Cassidy wrote two articles in the SUP's "Tribune", one on the WPG and one entitled "Israel fuels war in the Horn of Africa."
On 26th April 2000, this ad appeared in a wellington publication - "something to celebrate? Israeli diplomats have invited NZ politicians and various 'notables' to celebrate the 53rd anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. The Wellington Palestine Support Group and other 'notables' will be presenting an alternative viewpoint, join them from 12 noon to 2pm, outside the James Cook Centra Hotel, 153 The Terrace. For more information contact Eileen Cassidy, tel.... "
Jan Farr A confirmed member of WPG in the early '90s. In the late 80s, Farr was a member of the pro-Soviet Socialist Unity Party's Central Committee and Commission on Peace and Solidarity. She also edited the party's newspaper "Tribune" from the early '80s until 1993.
In October 1990 Oct 8, Farr an wrote article in Tribune "Why Did Mike Moore turn down PLO offer?", on the Gulf crisis. "The United States has been sabre rattling since the crisis began. It says much for Saddam Hussein's restraint that we are not now involved in a full scale chemical war in the Middle East."
Nadia El Maroufi An Invercargill raised Palestinian. El Maroufi was educated at Otago and Canterbury universities where she was active in Palestinian solidarity work.
She spent some time in Palestine supporting the cause and during the late '90s was active in the WPG.
Serena Moran In 1997, Moran was one 75 people arrested after a student protest in the grounds of parliament. In September 2000 she was one of 8 Wellingtonians arrested at an anti capitalism protest in Cuba Street.
In 2006 she was a confirmed member of the WPG.
Tali Williams In 1998 Williams was on the executive of the Marxist controlled UNITE union. She was also active in the National Youth Network, the junior wing of Sue Bradford's People's Network.
In September 2000, Williams was one of 8 Wellingtonians arrested at an anti capitalism protest in Cuba Street.
Lately she has been a trustee of Sue Bradford's Kotare Marxist training school situated near Wellsford.
In March this year, Williams, representing the WPG spoke at a demonstration in Wellington where she linked the situations in Palestine and in Iraq.
Omar Khamoun A Wellington taxi-driver and WPG spokesman.
In April this year he signed a Socialist Worker organised statement, condemning the stereotyping of Muslims in NZ.
He claims to be a cousin of Hassan Kemmoun allegedly a member of the Marxist North African organisation Party for Democracy and Socialism (PADS).
posted by Trevor Loudon at
5/21/2007 07:58:00 PM
19 Comments:
Yay guilt by association ! I wonder if I were to find Rodney Hide (who might fairly be called a libertarian agreeing with someone of a social democratic bent on an issue, say secularism (or several such as reperesentation without property qualifications, equal rights for gay and lesbian couples, right to die ) , then I could typify his belief according to those of the person he was agreeing with.
Am I being unfair in my belief that thats wh you're doing here ?
Yes you are.
Trev as you know I'm a bit of a leftie. Also as you know I'm a big supporter of the East Timorese and West Papuan causes. The majority of people in these two areas are Christian. Am I part of the Leftist/Christian alliance?
Woops my comment is probably somewhat more pertinent to the Don Carlson article than this one. Still point stands that people can agree on one or a number of issues despite coming from very different political backgrounds.
Not sure what you mean by Muslim/Marxist alliance, do you mean an alliance between left-wing groups and all adherents of Islam or do you mean political Islamists ?
Co-operation between left wing groups and political Islamists, is I suspect limited to some small areas of agreement, such as opposition to aspects of Western foreign policy in the Middle East, many political Islamists would disagree with leftists on issues of civil and political rights /responsabilities for example.
As for Muslims as a whole, I'd say many of them have a position on the Israel / Palestine issue but one can't possibly hope to capture the range of political beliefs of a huge (global) community in any meaningful form.
The Euston manifesto provides some interesting critical commentary on this point, if you're interested.
Cameron and Fergus
My main points are this.
Marxist-Leninists have always acknowledged religion as a powerful and divisive force and have infiltrated and manipulated Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism etc since the 1920s.
In modern times, variants of Liberation Theology have subverted all the world's main religions, particularly in the "third world".
The Muslim/Marxist alliance operates on several fronts-through Lib Theol groups like the Taliban and Muslim Brotherhood to communist intelligence support to Fatah, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda etc, to Trotskyist and M-L support for street level Islamic radicals in virtually every western country.
In short, radical Islam is a "front" for Marxism-Leninism just as Catholic Lib Theol is a front for Moscow, beijing and Havana-not Rome.
Now back to "State of Origin".
Kiaora Whanau !
Hey, this "naming" is cool.
Don Carson.....Alick Shaw.....two strong figures in exciting, colourful, 70s Wellington. And heaps of guts both of them.
In middle class terms those boys have done well.....I guess it is possible to lose "The Stain". George Rosenberg would be an example Trev ?
Yet this blog routinely implies that those of the "named" who have "made-good" so to speak, who've contributed, created, and haven't raised commie insurrection, well, somehow, they're still "stained".
I want to zap that notion immediately !
While I'm here - this is for ROA whom I suspect to be a professor or something:
"...playing each other as useful idiots..." you say of those chaps you mention above.
Perhaps rather ROA it's a matter of two "useful" idiots feeling a tad threatened by the random madnesses of a "useless" idiot ?
Depends on your viewpoint Steve. By my standards all of these people have done damage to this country and the cause of freedom.
No doubt they have also done much good. By my standards however they are still on the negative side of the ledger.
Sue Bradfors, a comrade of dsome of the above, has, with her anti smacking bill done huge damage to the future of this country.
Checkout my next post on yet another WCL aligned individual, Don Clarke.
No prizes for guessing my opinion of his activities.
Don't remember him straight off Trev. Except if it's "the Boot" you're talking about. I suspect its' not 'cos he was Clark without an "e" - just like Helen.
I must say your almost "folklorish" biographies fill an older gentleman with warm reminiscenses about Wellington Trev.
Staggering through a freezing Brooklyn Heights gale, canvassing for a local MP whose kid-gloved hands remained in firm grip on the steering wheel of his Citroen.
Such Times ! Were you around then Trev ? Can't say I remember you.
Be great if you'd do an expose on that amazing, very English tearooms of yore, in Johnston Street I think it was, across from the DIC. Echoey sort of place, highly polished linoleum, black oak chairs and tables, paper doilies, EPNS teapots and hot water jugs, cups and saucers, clanging and banging so beautifully.
Excellent, made onj the premises sausage rolls. I witnessed Bill Sutch, Pat Kelly, Toby Hill, and Bill Andersen there one day, plotting away over cucumber sandwiches......you'd better check it out Trev !
This is high intelligence I'm giving you. Be wise not to tell that Ian Wishart if you don't mind. The Government could fall.
Actually, come to think of it - the ladies who worked there - they always l had names like Olga, Marina, Putintinka, Sminka......God, under my very nose !
I said "ZAP" that notion Trev - remember - Christchurch - the halcyon days of unrestrained fascist consciousness......c'mon man, you do remember.....you loved it !
You're pushing your luck more than a little there Steve.
What is this "fascist conciousness" you're on about?
You have already falsely accused Exocet of posting on a fascist blog.
Any future such accusations or insinuations, (without proof) will be deleted.
I find it difficult to understand Steve Northland's vernacular Kiwi-speak. I'm not complaining since this is a NZ blog.
Is there a Brooklyn Height's in NZ? As someone born in Brooklyn, NY this aroused my interest.
I don't know Steve's ethnicity Reid, but he is using an exagerrated form of Maori vernacular.
Northland has a very high Maori population, so maybe a lot of people speak like that up there.
I have some difficulty with it myself.
Would you rather have a blogsite where you and Mah and ROA and a miscellany of anonymous' deliver delicious backscratching to one another daily ?
And all going to bed, smugly warm. With the tin soldiers all lined up ready for tomorrow's battle ?
You guys sure can dish it out - wimps when you get it back.
It's that "character" question I've been alluding to all along really.
"Would you rather have a blogsite where you and Mah and ROA and a miscellany of anonymous' deliver delicious backscratching to one another daily ?"
Knock off the bullying Steve. You're nothing more than a liar and apologist for Palestinian terrorism.
Back on the "bullying" whine again are we Mah ? It's time you grew up.
Fact remains - IDF: 10 Palestinians: 1 - a wilful, advised policy for the destruction of the Palestinians.
ROA - he who so infelicitously brands Palestinians and those who support them, "depraved losers" - you may assume what you like - no skin off my nose. Certainly not the basis for cogent expr4ession however. Bit like Trev's pearler - "a possibility of a likelihood".
Moving on - in the interests of intellectual honesty and not looking an idiot, I suggest you cut the callow dribble about indigeneity. You've never even heard me mention it. Now be humble and true and admit that ROA.
Hey, thanks for your confirmation of IDF: 10 Palestinians: 1
Frankly I suspect your other number is a crock. Trained in "debate" by Mah were you ?
Steve, you're exposed nothing more than to be a totalitarian swine, and an apologist to Palestinian terrorism. It's certainly no surprise why you support the likes of Hugo Chavez who is turning Venezuela into a Soviet-style dictatorship and wants all the pro-Chavez parties in one large political party.
At the same time, you lecture how Zionists like me are "such horrible" people, when you condone Chavez's totalitarianism and his out reach to support Palestinian terrorists such as Hezbollah. You're nothing more than a liar and a fraud.
Another one for the ever growing list Moshe - "fraud" now. Very good ! There's some more choice names on page 540 of Collins. You should have a squiz.
I'll be amazingly literate by the end of the day, with your generous assistance Moshe but please, never, never give me "koretake".
That one is yours forever !
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