Democratic Palestine : 18 (ص 19)
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- عنوان
- Democratic Palestine : 18 (ص 19)
- المحتوى
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Palestinian Women’s Organization
First Congress
Despite the extremely difficult situation of the Palestinian revolution generally, Palestinian women have
continued their combined social and national struggle, to assert themselves in all fields and prove that they
are a vital factor in the process of liberation. The convening of the first conference of the Palestinian
Women’s Organization, affiliated to the PFLP, is another manifestation of women’s struggle.
The conference was held June 26-27th, under the slogan: For
developing the Palestinian Women’s Organization, enhancing
the unity of the Palestinian women’s movement within the
General Union of Palestinian Women, and participating in
reuniting the PLO on the basis of opposition to imperialism and
Zionism. Comrade Leila Khaled opened the conference. The
opening session was attended by delegations from various local,
regional and international women’s organizations.
The speech of the preparatory committee of the Palestinian
Women’s Organization (PWO) was delivered by its president,
Comrade Samira Salah. She stressed that holding the confe-
rence was in itself an achievement, and that it was the culmina-
tion of the efforts of all branches of the PWO. She outlined the
agenda of the conference as follows:
(a) discussion of the organizational report; (b) confirmation of
the program for the coming four years; (c) adopting the internal
rules and regulations; and (d) election of the general council. It
was emphasized that the PWO is the result of the need for a
broader democratic framework to encompass the increasing
number of active women, and not a product of the crisis in the
PLO and the General Union for Palestinian Women.
Other speakers at the opening session were: Comrade Widad
Hilal of the General Union of Syrian Women; Comrade Zuhur
Al Qadi of the General Secretariat of the GUPW; Comrade
Butheina of the Iraqi Women’s League; and Comrade Abu Ali
Mustafa, Deputy General Secretary of the PFLP, whose
speech is summarized below.
NO COMPLETE FREEDOM WITHOUT
FREEDOM FOR WOMEN
Comrade Abu Ali Mustafa began his speech by expressing his
deep respect and admiration for all the women who had
expended efforts for making the first conference of the PWO
possible. He also saluted the steadfast Palestinian women under
Zionist occupation and in the Zionist jails. He saluted all mili-
tant Arab women and all women in the world who struggle for
liberation, progress and democracy, who raise the banner of
peace.
Comrade Abu Ali pointed out that this first conference
should be modestly considered as the first step on a long, hard
path of struggle towards complete liberation. The PWO should
be considered as a suitable framework for women’s struggle to
achieve revolutionary goals. The revolutionary process is the
joint responsibility of both men and women. Thus, the women’s
issue Should not be dealt with apart from the overall process of
liberation. The complexity and difficulty of this responsibility
stems from the economic and social conditions, both of which
impose barriers which hinder human progress and pose real
challenges to all those who struggle for liberation.
Comrade Abu Ali pointed out how socialism has enabled
women to progress at an enormous pace, while under the
shackles of bourgeois societies women’s progress is not only
hindered, but they are considered the promoters of products if
not commodities themselves. These same distorted values are
being imported intu our region by the bourgcois regimes, threa-
eculng Our principles and everything national and wholesome.
Again, in these societies, it is women who pay the highest price-
not in cash, but in lack of freedom.
Comrade Abu Ali noted that his purpose was not to arouse
fear, but to instill awareness of the dangers of these realities, so
as to enable all to better protect our struggle and avoid illusions.
He mentioned two unsound trends which are often encountered
in dealing with the women’s question: One is the trend which
completely rejects whatever it considers unfavorable, calling for
total rebellion and immediate, comprehensive solutions. The
second is considering women’s role as something insignificant,
that women should not be included in the process of liberation;
this presupposes that the liberation process falls on the shoul-
ders of half the society only.
In contrast, the sound trend is characterized by constant
work, step-by-step, to effect the needed cultural, economic and
political changes, keeping in mind the dialectical relation bet-
ween the task of national liberation and the task of social
change. Such a view is imperative, because there is no complete
freedom for any society without freedom for women. On the
other hand, there is no such thing as a liberated woman outside
the context of a liberated, democratic, socialist society.
Moreover, the process of cultural, educational and political
development should not be limited to women, but should
involve men as well, to liberate them from limited horizons of
understanding.
Comrade Abu Ali emphasized that in the light of the great
national tasks facing us all, it is necessary to uphold the spirit of
steadfastness and resistance in order to guarantee the continuity
of the revolution. Thus, in this conference, the national issue
cannot be overlooked, because it unites us in the struggle,
requiring the efforts of both men and women. Suffering and
death have become common to us all. ‘‘Not because of any lack
of human feelings, but because we do have feelings like
everyone else, we are even more determined to struggle until
victory for our people, so that our children will live a normal life
as they deserve. We are a people destined to sacrifice and we are
convinced of the necessity of this sacrifice.”’
THE REVOLUTION WILL CONTINUE
Comrade Abu Ali emphasized that no one is under the illu-
sion that the struggle will be over in a matter of years. ‘‘Yet
without a doubt, a coming generation of our people will be vic-
torious.’’ He spoke of the reactionary regimes who are so brave
when it comes to striking the people, but so cowardly when it
comes to confronting the real enemy. These regimes fear the
spread of revolution in the region, sparked by the Palestinian
revolution. From this stems their attempt to cut the revolution
down to size, but ‘‘our people and revolution will remain a
thousand times larger than the size they cut out for us... We will
strike at all who have the illusion that if they kill the Palestinians
by the thousands, the revolution will end. This revolution will
not end as long as our women have children!’’
Comrade Abu Ali then spoke about the many attempts to
contain or liquidate the revolution. ‘‘We have no illusions at this
stage about effecting a dramatic strategic leap towards realizing
our national program completely. We are, however, able to
struggle effectively to abort enemy programs and plots, and
these efforts will necessarily accumulate to give the revolution a
positive boost forward.’’ Abu Ali referred specifically to the
Jordanian regime and the dangers posed by its continued
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- Democratic Palestine : 18
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