Civilised humanity must take a stand in defence of freedom of expression, against Islamists.

international | rights, freedoms and repression | press release

Monday February 20, 2006 17:02

by Houzan Mahmoud - The Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq

houzan73 at yahoo dot co dot uk

079 56 88 3001

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.

It is vital for all decent people to be aware of the agenda behind these attacks on the rights to expression, and belief - the aim is to impose Islamic law all over the world. Political Islam is coordinating on an international level to gain momentum in a campaign against the achievements of progressive social movements who, after centuries of struggle, have won many advances for secularism. They now want to gain a privileged status under the umbrella of ‘multiculturalism’ to excuse their crimes against Muslims, people of other faiths as well as non-believers.

This reactionary campaign complements and acts to provoke further racist responses from people like Nick Griffin, the leader of British National Party, a fascist organisation that targets non-indigenous people and non-whites in the UK.

Western governments have nurtured political Islam, helped the Iranian regime come to power and then maintained Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Their hypocritical ‘tolerance’ and embrace of regressions of “cultures” under the auspices of “multiculturalism” has promoted religious divisions and raised a generation of brain-washed fanatics with identity crises that adherence to political Islam. These compromised governments cannot stop such groups and cannot silence them any further via compromise.

The only forces that can successfully stand against these attacks on human achievements are those of civilised humanity of the world. Our task is to organise a front of progressives, secularists and leftists to defend these precious achievements of humanity - including freedom of speech, expression and freedom of choice, personal rights and liberties. This must be unconditional and universal and that must also mean that Islam, like any other religion or belief system, must be prepared to be criticised, questioned and critically evaluated.

We call upon all freedom loving people, organisations and individuals to join us in this struggle to defend civil liberties and strengthen the progressive camp against the two poles of racism and Islamic fascism in Europe and worldwide.

Join our campaign.

There will be a series of activities in London and elsewhere to publicise our fight for the protection of freedom of expression.

The details of these activities will be announced soon.

-Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq-UK (OWFI)

-Middle East Centre for Women’s Rights (MECWR)

-International Federation of Iraqi Refugees (IFIR)

-International Organisation for Iranian Refugees (IOIR)

-Iranian Civil Rights Committee (Iran CRC)

-Organisation for Emancipation of Women Iran (OEWI)

For further information please contact:

Houzan Mahmoud

Email: houzan73@yahoo.co.uk

Tel: 079 56 88 3001

Tel: 079 51 433386

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Comments (15 of 15)

jim

by pat c

Thu Feb 23, 2006 16:32

these women are opposed tothe US occupation, they are alspo opposed to the islamofascists who want to set up a theocratic state. sometimes fascism marchs with the swastika and the red & black & white; other times it comes with the crescent moon & star and green of islam.

if you really think that these iraqi & iranian women are wrong then email them: tell them they have to oby the mullahs.

two and two = five point one

by jim

Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:57

Don't misuse the word fascist.

The "cilivised" people should stop bombing or stop aiding the bombing of their countries. As the Nazis coined the phase Terror on Terror. I am all for reason but to label solely muslims as the problem is to add to the problem not help solve it.

oh no they killed jesus!

by kenny

Wed Feb 22, 2006 15:50

Well I thought it was funny. & I know how to close my html tags. there are 2 million people in the audience

they killed Jesus!

The Age Of Unreason

by homer

Wed Feb 22, 2006 15:37

Y'see? You set a precedent like that set by the gutless reaction of many media companies to this hissy-fit and all the ugly, irrational, religious movements try rolling us back to before that minor cultural waypoint known as The Enlightenment!

Have we entered "The Age Of Unreason", I wonder?

Secularism, individualism, the idea of personal choice and guaranteed individual rights... there's a lot more at stake than a few cartoons. I hate to use the slippery-slope argument but comedy [particularly political or religious comedy] is always first to disappear when the ideologues are let run free while criticism is considered unlawful.

Quote:

Catholics call for South Park boycott
22/02/2006 - 12:45:31

Controversial cartoon series South Park has enraged Catholic groups after producing an episode featuring a bleeding statue of the Virgin Mary.

Church leaders in New Zealand are urging Catholics to boycott national television network C4, who intend to screen the "ugly and tasteless" episode on February 22.

Prime Minister Helen Clark admitted she had not seen the show but said it sounded "revolting", and warned the network they should reconsider the consequences of broadcasting the programme.

A letter signed by Catholic bishops asked the country's 500,000 Catholics to boycott C4 and its sister station TV3, which recently apologised for showing the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

The letter read: "Making known the extent of our offence might give them pause to consider that press freedom is not a licence to incite intolerance or to promote hated or derision based on religion, race or gender."

Rick Friesen, head of TV Works, which runs C4, responded that Catholics who feel offended by the storyline should not watch the show.

Coillte

by Dr.Nightdub

Wed Feb 22, 2006 00:58

There's a very simple solution to the "pensions timebomb" - let young people from Eastern Europe, the Middle and Far East, Africa, wherever, into Europe so's they can take up whatever jobs they're (over)qualified to do. They'll be paying taxes here and sending remittances back to their native countries. Everyone's a winner babe.

message from Houzan

Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:22

I got this message from Houzan:

"Dear Pat

Thanks alot for your support it is great , we need to spread the word and let our voices heard all over the places.

Take care

Yours
Houzan"
houzan73@yahoo.co.uk

The bottom line!

by Coillte, and proud of it!

Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:09

Yes, as much as I hate writing this. Freedom of expression belongs to those who can enforce it. Our EU society is dying. Get it! Yes dying. It will keep dying until we wake up and remove the barriers that stop our young people of fertile age from having children. Replacement rate in Ireland is 2.1, our birth rate is now down to 1.8 and falling fast. The elderly society is already hitting Europe. Why do we insist on going down the road when it is littered with so many warning signs? There will be no young people to create demand or work in the factories! Where in the hell is the dividend on pension investments going to come from? Ideally, it will come from the masses of young people in the Middle East, Southern Asia etc when they are converted to material consumerism!. But that would entail us keeping our mouths shut! Demographics is the reason for the fall of the Red Indians and dare it be mentioned the reason for the rise of the republicans in the north of this isle.

not a crosspost

Mon Feb 20, 2006 18:58

on the other site it was posted by some group called workers freedom.

here it was posted by the author.

in any case this is the first example of an "islamic" womans position on the cartoons and the resulting hassle to appear here. for that reason alone i think it deserves to be left up.

surfer

Mon Feb 20, 2006 18:53

wow! you really fear women!

you cannot allow tgeir denunciation of islam see the light of day.

why not criticise the article?

mike

Mon Feb 20, 2006 18:51

"Pat C - Just because this was posted by a woman does not mean that there are no islamic men who oppose fundamentalism. On this year's gay pride march in London, there was a contingent of gay Muslim men carrying placards saying Muslim. Out and Proud."

sorry if i came across that way. i was just commenting on an article that had been written by a woman. if you have any articles by gay muslims then please publish links to them.

i know that many straight secular "islamic" males also oppose fundamentalism. unfortunately a lot of them are keeping their heads down at the moment. but i guess its better to keep your head down than to lose it.

heres something from a secular "islamic" male which is in this weeks new statesman. notice his use of the term "fascistislamic groups". i hope thats ok for him to do so.

"everytime i watch life of brian i think about writing something similar about muhammed. the story of early islam has a hilarious comic side that would be a gift to the phyton crew. i've nver written it, obviously if idid, i would be risking a fatwa."

"instead of drawing a vulgar cartoon of muhammed thus helping fascist islamic groups promote their dangerous agendas, why not draw mahmoud ahmadinejad, the lunatic walking cartoon who is currently president of iran? from now on, everytime i see life of brian i'll be thinking of writing monty phytons life of abu hamza."

by Samir el-Youssef who received the 2005 Tucholsky Award for Freedom of Speech for his writings on Palestine.

Crosspost

by Surfer

Mon Feb 20, 2006 18:48

It is irrelevant who posted it. It is also posted at http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2006/02/65148.html
and is therefore a crosspost and against indymedia guidelines.

Men oppose sexism also

by Mike

Mon Feb 20, 2006 18:36

Pat C - Just because this was posted by a woman does not mean that there are no islamic men who oppose fundamentalism. On this year's gay pride march in London, there was a contingent of gay Muslim men carrying placards saying Muslim. Out and Proud.

anon

Mon Feb 20, 2006 18:11

a bit more civilised than islamic fundamentalists. at least these women think so. why not contact them if you think they are wrong? tell them that they should obey the edicts of the mullahs.

are we so civilised?

by anon

Mon Feb 20, 2006 18:08

Congrats Sisters

Mon Feb 20, 2006 17:57

Great article. I am glad that you have the courage to stand up to Islam. Two sentences in your article strike me:

"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. "

I'm happy that women from an Islamic background have used those words, though its likely you'll be called racist here for daring to do so.

Solidarity Sisters! Keep up the struggle.

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Civilised humanity must take a stand in defence of freedom of expression, against Islamists.

Comments (15 of 15)