Category Archives: Secular

Free speech for Islamophobes – National Secular Society

Posted on by Bob Pitt

After Norwegian evangelical Christian preacher Runar Søgaard delivered a sermon in Stockholm in which he attacked Islam, describing the Prophet as “a confused paedophile”, the media was quick to find a Muslim extremist prepared to issue a death threat against him.

However, the head of Sweden’s council of imams, Hassan Moussa, said although the comments “injure millions of Muslims all over the world”, they must not lead to violence like the murder last year of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh. “We assure all honest Swedes that the tragic developments we witnessed in Holland will not take place here,” Moussa wrote in Expressen newspaper. “Those who cast stones against us will not get stoned in return. We beg those who threatened Søgaard, in the name of Islam, to let Swedish law judge between him and us. Do not under any circumstances take the law into your own hands.” But the Muslim community is suing the preacher for hate crimes. “See you in court, Runar,” Moussa wrote.

And how does Terry Sanderson of the National Secular Society report this? Under the headline “Swedish Muslims repudiate violence against anti-Muslim bigot”, perhaps? No, under the headline “No free speech for Islamophobes, say Islamists in Sweden”.

NSS Newsline, 8 May 2005

‘The hypocrisy of Islam’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“Islam means peace and love and Muslims only want to be left alone to practice their beliefs – in peace. This is one of the greatest lies of the last century but many Muslims continue to say it, over and over, like a mantra, perhaps more to convince themselves than the rest of the world.”

FaithFreedom.org, 26 April 2005

Elsewhere on this revolting right-wing site an article can be found on Islam and women. It begins:

“The situation of women living in Islam-stricken societies and under Islamic laws is the outrage of the 21st century. Burqa-clad and veiled women and girls, beheadings, stoning to death, floggings, child sexual abuse in the name of marriage and sexual apartheid are only the most brutal and visible aspects of women’s rightlessness and third class status in the Middle East.

“Apologists for Islam state that the situation of women in Iran and in Islam-stricken countries is human folly; they say that Islamic rules and laws practiced in the Middle East are not following the true precepts of Islam. They state that we must separate Islam from the practice of Islamic governments and movements. In fact, however, the brutality and violence meted out against women and girls in nothing other than Islam itself.”

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USA and political Islam are two sides of one coin (says crazed sectarian)

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Another classic of left Islamophobia from Maryam Namazie of the Worker Communist Party of Iran:

“It is political Islam that hangs the likes of sweet 16-year-old Atefeh Rajabi for ‘acts incompatible with chastity’ in city centres, stones Maryam Ayoubi for adultery, throws acid in the faces of those who refuse to veil, beheads prostitutes, and legally permits sexual apartheid and misogyny.

“All of you will have become uncomfortably familiar with this right-wing reactionary political movement from September 11 onwards when it went about its business as usual but this time outside its zone of influence and power. Political Islam and its ruling class would also turn this world into another Iraq if it could.

“This vile movement may make many claims as the USA does in order to legitimise its barbarity – from people’s liberation to democracy to rights – but they are only claims to dupe and legitimise. It cares as much for the liberation of the people of Palestine and Iraq as the USA does – not more, not less.

“Both will indiscriminately maim and slaughter the very people they claim to defend. One will behead Westerners feigning defence of women prisoners in Iraq with one hand whilst killing Iraqi women who refuse to veil with another. The other will feign a defence of rights through indiscriminate bombings whilst its soldiers’ boots are trampling over tortured naked bodies.”

Iranian.com, 26 April 2005

As usual, no distinctions are made between different tendencies within the broad category of “political Islam”, some of which are of course democratic-reformist in character, and an equals sign is placed between the world’s major imperialist power and the likes of Al-Qaida. I think most of us know which is the main threat to world peace. Evidently the WPI doesn’t.

Maddening mullahs let young Muslims down (claims Muriel Gray)

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“… there were no theological surprises for those familiar with the principles of Islam, as naturally everything the young folk fancied doing, singing, dancing, even drawing human figures upon which a textile student required to sketch fashion designs, was simply forbidden. Why even ask?”

Muriel Gray watches Sharia TV.

Sunday Herald, 24 April 2005

The National Secular Society approvingly quotes the standfirst stating that “Islam is its own worst enemy in these times of street violence, race hatred and political malevolence”.

NSS Newsflash, 25 April 2005

Secularism test for French citizenship

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Immigrants applying for French citizenship will have first to take a “secularism test” before being naturalized.

The exam is recommended by a new Guide for Rights and Duties of French Citizenship, which has been drawn up by the Ministry of Integration. “It outlines the values that shaped up our country,” the Minister of Integration Nelly Olin told Le Monde Tuesday, April 12.

The guide, unveiled by Olin Monday, says applicants should provide clear answers to questions like “can the French reveal religious symbols at workplace?, “Do you consider men and women equal?” and “what are the colors of the French flag?” Mastering the French language is also a citizenship must.

Booklets on the French culture and the three basic values of liberty, equality and freedom are available for applicants before answering the questions. They provide thorough information about the history of secularism in France and controversial issues that made headlines recently.

The new document puts into effect amendments made by former interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy to the law of citizenship and residency issued November 26, 2003. It is the result of efforts made by the integration and interior ministries, and the supreme council for integration.

The guide underlines that religious symbols are banned at public institutions, particularly at schools and hospitals.

Islam Online, 12 April 2005

Hijab ban, but half-mast flags for Pope: Chirac’s ‘selective secularism’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“The French government ordered yesterday that flags on all public buildings be flown at half mast for the death of the Pope yesterday and was immediately accused of breaching the country’s secular principles…. France is so concerned about separating church and state that last year it passed a law banning Islamic headscarves and other signs of religious faith from public schools…. France’s main teachers’ union, Unsa, said the government was being ‘selectively secular’ in asking headteachers to lower school flags.”

Guardian, 5 April 2005

See also “Marseille city workers given time off for Pope”, AFP, 5 April 2005

Tatchell hails religious opposition to oppression

Posted on by Bob Pitt

In a statement that surprised those of us who know him as a secularist opposed to the intrusion of religion into politics, Peter Tatchell of Outrage! said yesterday: “While I normally have little sympathy for Islam, the Muslim Association of Britain has taken a courageous, defiant stand against the invasion and occupation of Iraq.”

Outrage! press release, 31 March 2005

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It’s all French to Livingstone

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Letter in Morning Star, 2 April 2005

I know that Yasmin Qureshi came to Paris on behalf of her boss, the Mayor of London (Morning Star, March 23), but I don’t know why she bothered to cross the Channel.

Convinced, like Mayor Livingstone, that the one-hundred-year-old ban on the wearing of religious clothing or symbols in state schools is a bad thing, she only talked, as far as one can deduce from her article, with those who share the same point of view.

But the law insisting on strict secularity in schools and public agencies has the support of the large majority of French people.

And before this is dismissed as an indication of racism amongst the French, it should be understood that the law is supported by a majority of French Muslims, many of whom, particularly women, are the most fervent supporters of secular education.

It seems clear that Ms Qureshi didn’t find it worth her while to talk to anyone from the French Socialist Party, the trade unions, anti-racist organisations, to teachers, representatives of parent-teacher organisations, or from French women’s organisations, in particular Ni Putes Ni Soumises, all of which overwhelmingly back the law.

If she had, she probably wouldn’t have agreed with them, but she would at least have understood the reasoning of French progressives, and have been able to explain in her article the cultural and historical differences which lead French anti-racists and feminists to regard the stance of those like Ken Livingstone as ignorant and reactionary.

Her visit would also have been more useful to mutual understanding if she had talked not only to those close to Tariq Ramadan, hardly representative of French Muslims, but to the Rector of the Paris Mosque, or from the French Council of Muslims, who, though unhappy with the law, advised students to comply with it.

If so, readers might in future be spared the shrill, confused, but smug article by her boss (Morning Star, March 19) which verges on xenophobia in its regard of the French.

The London approach is neither the only nor necessarily the best way to encourage and celebrate multiculturalism.

Peter Duffy
Choisy le Roi, France

‘Are you Islamophobic? Web witch-hunt in full swing’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“A new website has been set up solely to monitor the rather vague concept of ‘Islamophobia’. Considering upstanding New Humanist contributors and allies such as Nick Cohen, Polly Toynbee and Peter Tatchell have already fallen foul of these self-appointed watchers, chances are you, as an NH reader, are probably on the verge of being accused of being an Islamophobe. Any. Minute. Now.”

Panic breaks out among liberal secularists:

New Humanist, 29 March 2005

And we’ve attracted the attention of Jihad Watch, too. One contributor who couldn’t get the link to Islamophobia Watch to work asks: “Is it possible it has been shut down as a jihadist hate site already?” Sorry, ‘fraid not.

Jihad Watch, 27 March 2005

Government is ‘pandering to homophobic Muslims’ – Outrage

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Protection from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation has been excluded from five key provisions of the government’s new Equality Bill, the gay rights group Outrage! complains. According to Outrage! spokesperson Brett Lock, the government is “pandering to homophobic Muslims by excluding gay rights”.

Outrage! press release, 31 March 2005

So, nothing to do with pandering to anti-gay prejudice in Christianity or any other religion then, Brett – just Muslims?

For the Sunday Times article on which the Outrage! allegations are based, see here.

For Daniel Pipes’ response, see here.