Iraqi resistance celebrated in Brazil

A group of Brazilian activists have been campaigning in the Brazilian city of Curitiba in support of Iraqi resistance fighters.

Pictures of carnage in Iraq shown in Curitiba's square

Every Saturday, businessman Jose Gil de Almeida and Moutih Ibrahim, chairman of the Charity Brazilian-Arab Association, gather along with their supporters in the city’s main street and distribute posters displaying the actions of the Iraqi resistance.

The group organises regular writing and photography competitions in the city’s public library, the Parana, visited daily by three thousand students.

Fighting injustice

Aljazeera.net interviewed the campaigners and asked them why the Iraqi resistance was being hailed thousands of miles away from the war-ravaged country?

undefined

Curitiba’s experiment has inspired
several cities to do the same

“I am an activist who has dedicated himself to fight injustice, and I find that Iraqi people have suffered the greatest injustices for decades,” said de Almeida.

“I want to send my support to the Iraqi resistance fighters; I admire them and they have the right to fight the invaders who have occupied their country by force.”

Government pressure

Ibrahim said their campaign had attracted remarkable support from people and politicians despite political pressure.

“We want to let the general public know about the Iraqi resistance and what those heroes are doing to liberate their country.”

“But our mission is not easy although we are getting incredible support from people and politicians. We are working against the will of powerful imperialists who own giant media empires dedicated to paint a rosy picture about what is happening in Iraq,” he said.

De Almeida said many cities and organisations had started to coordinate similar campaigns.

“Similar campaigns in the city of Foz of the Iguaçu and the Association of Employees of the Post offices are also campaigning to support Iraqi resistance,” he said.

Cheap oil

De Almeida (R) and his colleagues in Iraqi resistance T-shirts
De Almeida (R) and his colleagues in Iraqi resistance T-shirts

De Almeida (R) and his colleagues 
in Iraqi resistance T-shirts

Ibrahim and de Almeida also hailed the integrity of the Iraqi people in reference to Sunni Muslim support for the Shia Muslim leader Muqtada al-Sadr.

“Iraqi fighters are teaching the world a lesson in pride. They are proving that the occupiers are telling lies and that there would be no civil war if US troops were out of the country,” said de Almeida.

Ibrahim blamed high oil prices on the US occupation of Iraq.
“When oil was in the hands of Iraqis, prices were around $20. Look at them now, Iraq’s oil [infrastructure] fell to control by US occupiers, the [price of oil] is approaching $50,” he said. 

Source: Al Jazeera