[Marxism] Re: Islamist's Campaign for Veiling and"freedom,"

["Tom O'Lincoln" <suarsos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I don't normally reply to hysterical diatribes, but this person does
reflect many of the ideas we have to deal with, so I thought it was worth
doing so this time:

>>The Islamists are running this campaign under the rubric of ?personal
freedom, secularism, and protection of people?s privacy.?  But, they are
lying for they never stood for these principles<<

What matters most is the rights of the broad Muslim community, most of whom
aren?t Islamists in any case.

>> when Islamic atrocities occur on a daily basis in Islamic stricken
countries both where the Islamists are in power or in opposition<<

?Islamic stricken?? Islam is not a heart attack, it's the religion of a
large part of humanity. As for atrocities, the worst come from George Bush
and his Zionist friends.

>>Talibanite brothers ? turned Afghanistan into a mediaeval, inhumane, and
barbarian society

As if Afghanistan had been a modern society before the Taliban; as if the
warlords who ruled before and after the Taliban were not a vicious crowd of
misogynist cut-throats.

>>If dressing is a private and personal matter as the Islamists assert, why
is it that it only applies to ?Moslem women? who want to wear hejab?  What
about women who do not want to?  Can they wear what they like?<<

Of course, and we defend BOTH.

>>Let them show to the world when and where they opposed child raping and
molestation.<<

When did you stop beating your wife? But as it happens, the Taliban began
their rise by acting against these very things. Go and do some reading.

>>We should not forget the religious Right and the Operation Rescue gangs<<

Very true. We defended freedom of choice then. So we should now.

>>Banning hejab and other religious insignia in public schools has nothing
to do with banning hejab in the society<<

As if schools were not part of society.

>>or limiting freedom of religion.   Religious manifestations in schools,
whether imposed by the government or religious industry, must be
prohibited<<

Prohibiting religious manifestations has nothing to do with freedom of
religion?

>>it is an important step toward protecting children from religious
proselytizing and coercion<<

Banning hijab protects them from ?coercion?? Apart from being itself
contradictory, this forgets that banning hijab will force many Muslim girls
into Islamic schools, where they will be subjected to much worse religious
proselytizing and coercion.

>>Religious recruitment, teaching, and clothing for children must be banned
altogether, not only in public, but also in private school<<

Sounds good in the abstract. But in practice this is not directed against
the Catholic Church, only against Islam.

>>Children are not the property of their parents.<<

Neither are they the property of the state.

>>They are human beings who have certain rights that must not be violated,
including the right to live free of religious manipulation<<

But not the right to freedom of dress?

>>Religion and god must be separated from the state completely and
unequivocally<<

Yes, and that?s why we should oppose the state repressing the Muslim
religion.

>>public officials should be prohibited from symbolizing any religion at
work and in government buildings and offices.<<

More "freedom". At this rate, I?d have to go round my office telling people
to stop wearing crosses around their necks. But of course this isn?t really
about crosses, is it? It?s about Islam, the religion of the downtrodden in
France.

>>Freedom of clothing for private adult individuals must be protected as
long as it does not hamper or impede their mobility and safety as well as
the well-being of others in workplace and other public spaces.<<

Of course this contradicts everything that went before. How does hijab
hamper mobility, safety, or the well-being of others? And why only ?adult?,
didn?t you tell us that children have rights?

>>The Islamist campaign against the French Government?s decision to ban
veiling and other religious insignia from public schools is an open and
flagrant attack on freedom<<

Twisted logic of an all-too-familiar kind. Opposing an onslaught on the
status quo by means of legal protest becomes an ?attack on freedom?. War is
peace, hate is love, freedom is slavery.

>>Progressive humanity must stand up to Islamists ?  These reactionary
dangerous gangs must be stopped now.  Tomorrow or the day after might be
too late.<<

Pleased to meet you. I always wondered who wrote the speeches for George
Bush.

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