March for Free Expression Report

by Dan Dangler - caucus of cosmic absurdists Mon Mar 27, 2006 22:46

Excellent well resourced anti-islamophobia site here http://www.islamophobia-watch.com/

More leninology (Blog by British SWPer) here at http://www.islamophobia-watch.com/

by John - Islamophobia watch Ireland Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:16

Alternative report link should read http://leninology.blogspot.com/2006/03/behead-those-who....html

by pat c Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:36

This is yet another example of the British SWPs Misogyny and Homophobia. The Leninology SWP reporters hatred of Peter Tatchell and Maryam Namazie of the OWFI (he describes her as being in menacing black and white) is literally palpable. He mocks the fact that Tatchell has received death threats from islamofascists.

Now the SWP are opposed to Free Speech and support the right of ISlamofascists to censor the media. If the Catholic church wanted to have cartoons banned would the SWP be supporting them?

Read the truth about the Islamofascists. Read about the work of the The Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI):

"The recent controversy over some caricatures of Mohammed gave the Islamists an opportunity to wage a hysterical protest internationally. In many cases, this took a violent form and was clearly aimed at silencing those who dared to even portray Mohammed.In these demonstrations - across the world and in London, the very heart of Europe - many of the banners on show were emblazoned with shameful slogans. These included - “Those who insult Islam must be beheaded” and “Freedom go to hell” plus various other fatwa’s and threats against cartoonists and others who have the temerity to “insult” Islam.

This is not the first time these forces have attacked people’s rights in the Middle East and Europe. Many writers, singers, even barbers and doctors have been targeted in the last 30 years let alone the enslavement of women in the Middle East under the pretext of the defence of the ‘honour’ of Islam. The furore over these caricatures is simply an excuse to stage another worldwide campaign to attack the right of freedom of expression. They want to turn Europe into yet another battlefield for their foul ideas. "

At a People Before Profit Meeting to celebrate International Womens Day the following appeal by the OWFI was supported unanimously by the attendance (including all Irish SWP members present):

"The war and the occupation of Iraq by the US and UK have opened the way for reactionary forces in Iraqi society to impose a constitution based on Islamic Sharia and other forms of religious-tribal law. We the undersigned organizations and individuals condemn the introduction of religious law. We demand freedom and equality for Iraqi women and support their Struggle for a democratic, secular and egalitarian constitution."

Do the independent members of PB4P support this attack by the British SWP on the OWFI? Do the Irish SWP support the attack on the OWFI? Do they think that death threats against Peter Tatchell are a joking matter?

by Against Prejudice - swp Tue Mar 28, 2006 13:03

Hi Pat

Your usual hysterical nonsense and deliberate innaccuracies cannot hide your islamophobic agenda.

Here is an article from the last issue of the britsih swp's magagazine written by a lebanese socialist and gay rights activist, The article is called

Gay Rights: Who are the Real Enemies of Liberation?

and the link is

http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenu...=9662

on what the swp thinks of Islam in general try Chris Harman's long and detailed article 'the prophet and the proletariat' at

http://www.marxists.de/religion/harman/index.htm

The Irish SWP's atemant on the racist cartoons beloved of Pat is here

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/74125

Articles on SWP's opposition to the attack on muslim women and the banning of the hijab here
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=569

by pat c Tue Mar 28, 2006 13:56

Why do you take the side of Mullahs against Women and Gays? Why are you attacking the Iraqi and Iranian Women who quite clearly say the CARTOONS ARE NOT RACIST?

If wearing the Hijab is such a good idea, then why dont female SWP Members wear it? The SWP have held pro hijab demos here in the Dublin. Its in the Indymedia Archives. Stalins Airbrush doe not apply to Indymedia.

I notice the SWP member above does not dissociate himself from the anti-Woman attacks on the OWFI by his British SWP comrade above. I suppose he also thinks that death threats against Gay Activist are a joking matter?

by pat c Tue Mar 28, 2006 14:07

Its not safe for a Liberal Muslim to speak in favour of Gay Rights anymore. At least not in Britain. I wonder if the SWP will stand up to the Islamofascists in this case?

"Liberal Islamic scholar forced to pull out of gay rights speech by Muslim leaders

Peter Tatchell said: "Support for a liberal, progressive Islam is an urgent priority"

20-March-2006
Benjamin Cohen

The liberal Islamic theologian, Sheikh Dr Muhammad Yusuf, has been pressured to pull out of a lecture he was due to give tonight in London to raise funds for the gay rights activist Peter Tatchell, following protests and warnings by Muslim leaders.

Dr Yusuf was due to call for an "Islamic Reformation" to an audience primarily made up of gay men and women. The engagement has allegedly provoked the wrath of senior Islamic clerics, who warned they could not guarantee his safety if the lecture went ahead."

Full story at the link.

by Against Prejudice - swp Tue Mar 28, 2006 14:11

Pat as you are undoubtedly aware after being a screamer for three decades or more the swp has a long and proud record of militant support of gay and women's rights.
Your obvious prejudices probably blind you to the equally obvious fact that the cartoons are undoubbtedly racist as hundreds of millions of muslim women, and the majority of the left worldwide, believe.
Islamophopia is the propaganda arm of the war on terror. That's pretty obvious too. Support for islamophopia is support for George Bush.

by Against Prejudice - swp Tue Mar 28, 2006 14:16

Pat as you are undoubtedly aware after being a screamer for three decades or more the swp has a long and proud record of militant support of gay and women's rights.
This is as true as our comrades across the middle east as it is in Ireland and Britain
Your obvious prejudices probably blind you to the equally obvious fact that the cartoons are undoubbtedly racist ,as hundreds of millions of muslim women, and the majority of the left worldwide, believe.
Have you ever spoken to muslim women and asked her why she chooses to wear the hijab? I doubt it.
Its not for socialists or anyone else to decide what people wear or what they believe. Islamophopia is the propaganda arm of the war on terror. That's pretty obvious too. Support for islamophopia is support for George Bush. If you don't get that it's pretty pointless debating with you, and I doubt if anyone takes a blind bit of notice of the ramblings you spew on the wire anyway.

by pat c Tue Mar 28, 2006 14:19

"Your obvious prejudices probably blind you to the equally obvious fact that the cartoons are undoubbtedly racist as hundreds of millions of muslim women, and the majority of the left worldwide, believe."

The cartoons are not racist. they mock islam. all religions should be mocked.

Religion is not Race.

If the Catholic Church wanted to censor the Media would you be supporting it?

"Islamophopia is the propaganda arm of the war on terror. That's pretty obvious too. Support for islamophopia is support for George Bush."

Opposing Islamic Fundamentalists is not Islamophobia. Supporting Womens rights is not Islamophobia. Supporting Gay rights is not Islamophobia.

Support for Islamic Fundamentalists is support for the stoning to death of Women and Gays in Iran.

You still havent said whether or not you believe that death threats against Peter Tatchell are a joking matter.

Why dont you have the courage of your convictions and use your real name?

by Dan Dangler - Runagate Rampant Tue Mar 28, 2006 14:43

Can a headscarf be a symbol of oppression?
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id...=2493

Islam, the US and Terrorism
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id...=1488

Imperialism is the fundamental enemy
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id...=1662

Iran- Clerics face rising challenge
http://www.swp.ie/socialistworker/2004/sw217/socialistw...htm#6

From gay liberation to pressure group politics
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id...=8414

by pat c Tue Mar 28, 2006 15:00

From the silence, I can only presume that the SWP think the death threats against Peter Tatchell are something to laugh about. Why dont the SWP support rights for Women and Gays in Iran and Iraq? Why do they call an Iranian Feminist an Islamophobe? All she has done is demand that Iranian Women should have the same rights as British Women.

by Emily Tue Mar 28, 2006 15:57

'At a People Before Profit Meeting to celebrate International Womens Day the following appeal by the OWFI was supported unanimously by the attendance (including all Irish SWP members present):'

It was certainly passed by the meeting but nothing more happened with it. I remember at the meeting SWP members were looking around at each other wondering if they should support the Iraqi womens motion. In the end they did so because they knew they would have been discredited if they opposed a Womens Rights motion at a Womens Day meeting.

But then reality dawned. Apparently Boyd Barret threw a tantrum over the motion and instructed the SWP members in PB4P that they were not to contact the Iraqi Women. (I heard this from a SWP woman who hopefully will leave) I just hope the other independent members of PB4P will now see that they are part of a Front. They will not be allowed to do anything that runs counter to the SWP line.

by Mr.T. Wed Mar 29, 2006 00:09

Islamism = Cancerous Fascism. There can be no other interpretation by a political progressive. Given a choice I will gladly choose the "tyranny" of an American imperialist fascist state over a "islamist revolutionary paradise" ruled according to the whims of some homophobic, woman hating, cave dwelling illiterate mullah.

Religious fanaticism is a form of emotional and social disease. Unlike some I don't distinguish between the flavours be it Islam, Christianity, Judaism or Scientology. While the evidence is clear that Islam's level of brutality and ignorance is miles ahead of any of its competitors, it's Islamism's political component that I most fervently object to.

The cure for the petite bourgeois disease of religious fanaticism is atheism. Lenin & Marx got most everything else wrong, but their notion that atheism must supplant religious hysteria for society to improve is dead right.

If you disagree with my analysis then you're playing a willing part in the islamofascist grand play for world domination. And if they win - which I strongly doubt - you can be certain that they will reward their gullible socialist revolutionary brothers in arms with quick painless decapitation.

by s Wed Mar 29, 2006 01:38

emily please provide evidence of the very serious things you are throwing about. Of coures, it was this "front" which set the meeting up and allowed the discussion on womens issues (i hate calling them womens issues they are everybodys issues). And by the way people in the group are allowed to disagree with the position that was taken. Thats the reson its a united front, or is the idea of a united front, which contains differing viewpoints alien to you. Do you want to deal with the arguments, or are you just hoping for something to show that the alliance is "front". IF you agree with the position that was taken then why why dont you just praise it and argue for it to be pushed forward. What constructive have you done for left unity against neo;liberalism. NOTHING. But you will do your best to destroy it in the most philistine fashion.
Infatile disorder at its best