Britain: Kurdish community backs Corbyn

September 2, 2016
Issue 
Corbyn speaks at a rally supporting besieged Kobane
Jeremy Corbyn speaks at a rally supporting besieged Kobanê. London, October 19, 2014.

Britain's socialist Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is campaigning for re-election as party leader in the face of sustained hostility from the right wing of Labour and the corporate media.

Despite often extreme bureaucratic restrictions from the party establishment, which have denied tens of thousands of members the right to vote, polls indicate Corbyn should win easily.

In an August 24 statement, Kurdish community groups in Britain explain why they support Corbyn — as Labour leader and next prime minister. The statement below is reprinted from the Peace in Kurdistan Campaign.

* * *

The Kurdish community has known Jeremy Corbyn over many years, during which time he has earned our profound respect for his honesty, decency and unshakeable commitment to the values of peace, justice and equal rights that we all share.

Jeremy's record speaks for itself. He is a rare MP who is prepared to stand up for his principles, which are founded on social justice and international solidarity.

He has never drawn any distinction between fighting injustice in this country and expressing support with people struggling for justice abroad.

He is a champion of all oppressed peoples and consistently stands on the side of those resisting oppression around the world, whether that be in South Africa, Latin America, Palestine or Kurdistan.

Jeremy has always been a determined internationalist implacably opposed equally to dictatorship and to waging war.

He has always courageously spoken out against the foreign policy record of Britain and other big powers which have meddled in countries abroad with disastrous results simply to further their own vested interests irrespective of the impact on local populations.

Through his decades-long activities in anti-imperialist organisations such as Liberation and the anti-war movement, Stop the War Coalition and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Jeremy has shown whose side he is on.

He has always been ready to support the rights of oppressed peoples everywhere, not just in principle but also in practice, by raising issues in Parliament, signing parliamentary motions, putting questions to ministers, hosting and chairing public meetings, engaging in discussions with political representatives of the Kurds and raising policy matters with parliamentary committees.

His support has been invaluable and his solidarity actions have given us confidence that we have real friends at the heart of British politics.

As an MP with a North London constituency where many of us live, Jeremy has ensured that he has represented all sections of society; he has taken up individual cases and always treated all of his constituents with deepest respect.

He has demonstrated a keen interest and knowledge of the politics of our region and Kurdish culture; he has spoken at countless events such as Newroz (Kurdish new year celebrations), and has even taken part in delegations to Kurdistan.

Jeremy Corbyn has done more than enough to justify our support and he deserves to be re-elected as leader of the Labour Party with an increased majority.

We have every confidence that in Jeremy Corbyn we have a genuine friend who takes our cause seriously. We urge Labour Party members to unite behind him and work together for a Labour government.

The prospect of a British government headed by Jeremy Corbyn offers real hope for all people, including Kurdish people, both here and in Kurdistan.

Solidarity is instinctive with Jeremy Corbyn. Peace and justice for all are among his basic values. It is now time for the Kurdish community to show its solidarity with Jeremy as he campaigns to remain leader of his party and seeks to reshape it to win an election on a progressive program, which has social justice, equality and internationalism as its defining values.

Jeremy always stands up for us. We now want to stand with him. In Jeremy Corbyn we have a leader of the people who will always stand by the people and we give him our full solidarity.

Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) UK; Kurdish People's Assembly UK; Roj Women's Association; Kurdish Community Centre Haringey; Halkevi Kurdish Turkish Community Centre; Kurdish Youth Association; Peace in Kurdistan Campaign.

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