Guerrilla History The Western Left's Letter "To Iranian Political Prisoners" - Dispatch
Sep 11, 2026
A critical discussion examines an open letter on Iranian political prisoners, its timing amid sanctions, bombings, and U.S. pressure, and the backlash that prompted some signatories to withdraw. The conversation challenges the letter’s “two blades of a scissors” metaphor, explores Iran’s revolutionary history and resistance to imperialism, and debates what meaningful Western solidarity should look like.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
The Letter Arrived With Economic D-Day
- Adnan Husain interprets the letter’s timing as part of an imperial psychological campaign accompanying intensified economic warfare against Iran.
- The letter appeared alongside Scott Bessent’s “Economic D-Day” announcement, potentially recruiting Western leftists into internal destabilization efforts.
Prominent Signatories Quietly Withdraw
- Several prominent signatories later removed their names after backlash and alleged confusion about how the letter would be presented.
- Robin D. G. Kelly, Rashid Khalidi, Nadia Abulhaj, Sinan Antoon, and Nesrin Al-Amin were among those reported to have withdrawn.
The Scissors Metaphor Erases Imperial Power
- Henry Hakamaki argues that the scissors metaphor falsely presents imperialist violence and Iranian repression as symmetrical forces.
- He emphasizes the disparity between U.S.-Israeli warfare, sanctions, and assassinations and Iran’s domestic repression.
