MSPs Address Fife Anti-War Meeting

(3rd December 2001)
Scottish parliamentarians John McAllion and Tommy Sheridan were among the speakers at an anti-war meeting in the Lochgelly Centre in Fife on Monday 3rd December. Despite the hostile weather, a good crowd turned out to hear speakers and performers from a range of backgrounds.

The meeting was chaired by Democratic Left Fife Councillor Alex Maxwell, and was addressed by Linda Graham whose son is presently doing his army training. She focused on the feelings of a mother knowing that her son could be sent to die for a cause that may not be just. She also pointed out that the average age of combatants in the world today is just thirteen.

John McAllion

John McAllion MSP spoke eloquently about the injustice of the wealthiest nation in the world bombing one of the poorest nations, and the effects of poverty and starvation on the Afghans who have been displaced from the homes because of the fighting.

Poet Alison Marshall who is a member of the Scottish Council for non-violence read one of her poems 'Together', asking the question "Is there one amongst us who is more special than the other?" The poem expressed the importance of human solidarity in standing against violence and the abuse of power regardless of the wielder.

Award winning poet Anna Crowe from St Andrews read 'Afterwards' by Edwin Muir and 'Epitaph On A Tyrant' by W.H. Auden

The meeting was addressed by Rev. John Munro of the Church of Scotland's Church & Nation Committee standing in for Rev. Alan MacDonald who was unable to attend due to a family bereavement. Rev. Munro spoke brillianly on "The myth of redemptive violence" referring to the belief that the deaths of thousands of innocent people can somehow be dealt with through the deaths of thousands more in bombing raids or by starvation.

Lochgelly High School pupil Rozina Kadar - herself an accomplished poet - read out "Operation Bushfire" by local man David Todd.

Operation Bushfire When boom slides into bust and capitalism shows some outward signs of rust it needs a war to get things going again and luckily an enemy appears and tears the heart of New York City. The pity is it's innocents that die and Yankee flags are waved on high and leaders bluster this and bluster that and planes and boats are moved strategically across the global map. And so the story is repeated once again and everywhere around the world the end result will be collective pain, the pain of death, disease and hunger, the pain of broken bodies, broken homes, the pain of widows, orphans, anguished sons and daughters. The slaughterers will justify the fruits of all this woe by mouthing slgans such as "freedom and democracy". The bust will turn to boom, the brokers cheer in every counting room, and Bush and Blair will pride themselves in thir success and head in opposite directions and start to plan - JUST HOW TO WIN THE NEXT ELECTIONS! David Todd

Uzma Ansari of the Dunfermline Muslim Women's Association brought greetings and a message of peace from the muslim community. She expressed her solidarity with the innocent victims of September 11th and their families as well as with the innocent victims of the bombing of Afghanistan.

The undoubted highlight of the evening was the musical performance of local woman Chris Myles and her singing partner Gordina McCulloch who communicated anti-war truths in a way that transcends mere speech. From "You Don't Speak For Me" written in 1988 by Judy Small to "I Didn't Raise My Son To Be A Soldier" which dates from the time of the Boer War, Chris and Gordina brought the house down while making the serious point.

YOU DON'T SPEAK FOR ME You who scribble on walls with your miniscule minds You who make midnight calls You who rattle my blinds The violence you preach is the core of your creed Well, you don't speak for me. You call yourselves patriots swastika style You feed on the fear of the ignorant child But there's no love of people or nation or land In the hatred behind your smile And you don't speak for me You don't speak for me. I've seen where you come from, I've seen where you lead It's a poisonous fruit that grows from your seed You stir up the hatred till something explodes Well, you don't speak for me. You who slaughter free creatures and then call it sport You proudly display the corpses you've shot You talk about freedom and rights and control Well, you don't speak for me. You who poison the airwaves with your Ghengis Khan views You broadcast your bias and then call it news And so say that you speak for the millions out there And deny that you're lighting a dangerous fuse Well, you don't speak for me. You don't speak for me. You don't speak for me You don't speak for my friends We've followed that line We've seen where it ends Intolerance, hatred, division, strife Well, you don't speak for me. You who march in your hundreds of thousands for peace You who work for political prisoner's release You who fight the injustice of women ignored You speak for me. You who combat apartheid wherever it's seen. You who stuggle to keep the unique forests green You who fight for the rights of all people in chains, You speak for me. You who advocate for those stricken with AIDS You who call for an end to all violent ways You who talk about just compassion and hope You speak for me Yes, you speak for me. by Judy Small

Tommy Sheridan MSP rounded the evening off with a most articulate account of the human rights abuses caused by U.K. and U.S. foreign policy - generally referring to the TWENTY countries whohave been the focus of acts of war by the U.S. since 1945 - and with particular reference to the American-led military coup in Chile which brought General Augusto Pinochet to power and which began on September 11th 1973.

Tommy also pointed out that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had said four days after the September 11th attacks that if the Taliban were to hand over Osama Bin Laden that there would be no need for further action against Afghanistan, yet now the war was being justified on the basis that it was liberating the women of Afghanistan from the oppression of the burka. Where were the United States and the U.K. five years ago when the Taliban came to power?

The meeting ended with everyone exhorted to have the courage to make their response to Bush and Blair's war on Afghanistan

"NOT IN OUR NAME !"