Alan Thornett : Why RESPECT Should Think Again on the Religious Hatred Bill
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rights, freedoms and repression |
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Friday November 11, 2005 01:52
by John Meehan
Alan Thornett discusses a Religious Hatred Bill presently being discussed in the British Parliament -
He puts the case for opposing this measure.
This is curreltly a minority position within RESPECT :
http://www.socialistresistance.net/religioushatredbil.htm
Alan Thornett discusses a Religious Hatred Bill presently being discussed in the British Parliament -
He puts the case for opposing this measure.
This is curreltly a minority position within RESPECT :
http://www.socialistresistance.net/religioushatredbil.htm
Comments (9 of 9)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Why the ISG should think again about being the SWP's mudguard in RESPECT.
UK 4th International wake up to SWP. Oh pleez, how slow are these people.
How can you associate yourself with RESPECT? They wont even stand up for basic Liberal rights such as seperation of Church and State. Genuine Socialists should leave RESPECT to the Mullahs and the SWP.
"This is currenlty a minority position within RESPECT", we are told.
"Currently"? Is there any mechanism within RESPECT for a minority position to become a majority position? In democratic organisations, this can be achieved by debate and persuasion. But when the organisation is structured in such a way that it can only adopt policies approved by the controlling organisation, then those outside said controlling organisation are condemned to being a permanent and powerless minority.
Those few non-SWP members of RESPECT are in just such a quandary. Or can they name any cases when the SWP have outvoted themselves in RESPECT?
Last Saturday, November 19, the Guardian published an excellent feature on the proposed Blair Blasphemy law :
http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/politicsphilosophyandsociety/story/0,,1645833,00.html
The RESPECT Conference debated the issue on the same day at the camden Centre in London - the position proposed by Alan Thornett and others was defeated.
Supporters of the Blasphemy Bill included the MP George Galloway and the Socialist Workers' Party (leading members include John Rees and Lindsey German).
This must be one of the most bizarre policy decisions ever taken by an organization such as the SWP - its members and supporters should think again - very quickly!
See also a discussion on Marxist organisations, religion and politics at the International Viewpoint site :
http://212.67.202.147/%7Eivnet05/index.php3
Its time to go. Your comrades in Respect are getting nowhere. I am no fan of the SP/CWI but they would better off joining their project for building a new Workers Party than staying in Respect under the thumb of the SWP and Islamic Fundamentalists.
Follow this link to see a critical commentary on the result of the recent RESPECT Conference :
http://www.socialistresistance.net/RespectNov05conf.htm
A penny dropping. Eureka.
They are still committed to building RESPECT. How can on of the few decent Trot groups stay in coalition with the SWP and ISLAMIC Fundamentalists. Its time to go if you are to retain any self-respect.
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