Peter Tatchell condemns Islamists and the Metropolitan Police

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Tuesday March 28, 2006 14:56

by pat c

The fifth annual Peter Tatchell Human Rights Fund meeting was held in London on 20 March despite the pulling out of the guest speaker, liberal Islamic theologian, Sheikh Dr Muhammad Yusuf due to death threats from Islamists.

Instead the main speaker was the Iranian born secularist and feminist Maryam Namazie. She called for an end to “political Islam” and what she described as its inhuman treatment of women, children and members of the LGBT community. She criticised her home country Iran for policy of public executions, citing the law which states the size of the stones used to kill women who have committed adultery. “The stone can not be so small that it does not cause pain, but not to large that it hastens their death. It must be just the right size to cause a slow, painful death.”

In a vocal attack on the leader of the Muslim Council of Britain, Sir Iqbal Sacraniem, she said: “He may be a 'Sir' but he is still a proponent of political Islam, the fascism of today.” Reacting to public charges of Islamaphobia, she asked: “how can it be Islamophobic to say that people should be able to live a 21st century life?”

Peter Tatchell expressed his disappointment at the absence of Dr Yusuf: “I was looking forward to giving a platform to a liberal Islamic clergyman. Sheikh Yusuf is afraid of very serious retribution to him and the ones that he loves. The threats came from people who are members of so called moderate, mainstream Muslim organisations. This shows the scale of the threat from even these moderate groups.

“When there is no space for liberal progressive views in the Muslim community then alarm bells must start ringing. For me the fact that Sheikh Yusuf is not here means that we must redouble our efforts. Human rights must be for all not just for some.

“I get death threats all the time, a couple this week but I haven't had the time to tell the police about them- and there's no point. The police refuse to act. When I've reported death threats in the past, nothing ever happens.”

“We get the same police inaction, when other members of OutRage! and gay Muslims get death threats. One day someone is going to get seriously attacked, maybe even killed. Remember that the Met are doing nothing to protect us.”

The human rights campaigner also expressed dismay at the treatment of LGBT people in prisons: “Whilst there are good prison officers and even some good prisons, there are many prison officers whose political views seem to be akin to the BNP and they appear to be letting their politics effect the way that they conduct themselves. Too many prisoners are being abused with impunity, most of them are being victimised because they are black, gay or Muslim and those who are all three.”

(This is a rewrite of a Pink News piece. More details about the Peter Tatchell Human Rights Fund and the meeting above and other activities can be found at the links below.)

http://www.tatchellrightsfund.org/

http://www.petertatchell.net/

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Comments (5 of 5)

Oh look

by Pete

Tue Mar 28, 2006 16:00

If you sellotape stuff about women right to Islamophboic cartoons you can get away with it no matter who you are.

Sellotape the answer to everything

pete

Tue Mar 28, 2006 16:19

this woman is an iranian feminist, Maryam Namazie. She knows the reality of having to fight the mullahs. thanks for the photo. Theres nothing islamophobic about it. its islamistophobic. You might also notice that the poster with the cartoon is published by the Communist Youth Organistion, an Iranian revolutionary group. But what would they know about it?

its a pity that the swp and their sidekicks have given up on democracy, freedom of speech, womens rights and gay rights. i think that all female and gay swp members who think islam is so great should go and live in an islamic country for 6 months. that might change their attitude.

What Gives?

by Tank Girl

Tue Mar 28, 2006 16:26

Whats wrong with Peter Tatchell having a go at Islamists and the cops? The other speaker Maryam just got stuck into the male Islamist clerics who want to keep women in the Dark Ages. I cannot for the life of me understand why Pete or anybody else would want to attack real fighters like Maryam and Peter Tatchell.

Peter Tatchell can be overbearing and has a bit of an ego (the charity is named after him) but so have most males and even a few females! Criticise that if you want but his politics here are great, he confronts the State, Religion and the Police.

Extremist Muslims must accept our values.

by Tom

Tue Mar 28, 2006 17:52

I am an atheist and have convinced that all religions are superstitious nonsense.
If I am asked to defend my opinions by a religious person I will
But I do not consider that I have duty to preach in places of worship in order to make religious people see the light.
I believe Muslims or members of any other religions have the freedom to worship and practice as they please but only if their worship and practice interfere with the rights and freedoms of others.
In Ireland Muslims must obey Irish laws - they must respect the rights and freedoms of non Muslims, homosexuals, women and laws against cruelty to animals.
What I find particular horrific is the ritual circumcision of male infants by Muslim and Jewish parents - circumcision in my opinion should only be preformed for strict medical reasons - I do not believe parents have the right to mutilate their children on the basis of backward superstitions. These procedures should be only preformed on informed adults over the age of 18 - if they are stupid enought to want them.
Extremist Muslims want nothing less than the establishment of a world Islamic state and are prepared to use any means to achieve that goal - by entering politics or using violence or both.
Religion has no place in Irish politics or public life - the Catholic church should have no control over our public schools or universities nor public policy in education or health - neither should Muslims.

Tom's right

by Me

Wed Mar 29, 2006 09:24

About circumcision. If I founded a religion that cut the ear lobes off its infants without anaesthetic, I'd be in jail but lop off part of their genitals and it's fine and dandy. Crazy world. People get more worked up about docking dogs tails (also wrong) that they do about mutilating babies.

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Peter Tatchell condemns Islamists and the Metropolitan Police

Comments (5 of 5)