The battle against Sharia is against both the Islamists and the far-right

Here is today’s comment on Sharia.

Anwar Rizvi writes: I am a muslim and and i remain fundamentally opposed to shari’a law anywhere in the world. My big worry is that your campaign is being hijacked by the extreme right in this country who are planning not only to attend your demonstration but use it as an “add on” to their violent anti-muslim campaign that is already under way in many parts of britain. I have already seem several messages on facebook where extreme right wingers are urging people to attend your event. I myself wont be there because of work commitments but i just urge you to be on the guard against these racists.

Thanks for your comment Anwar. First off, if racists and fascists come they will be kicked out. Full stop. The few who tried to join our last March 7 rally were made to leave by organisers and they will be told to do so again. You can see video footage of our March 7 2009 rally and seminar here to see how well it all went off: http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/one-law-for-all-campaign-against-sharia-law-in-britains-international-womens-day/

You are right in saying that the extreme right has hijacked this issue but NOT our campaign and there is a big difference between the two. The BNP, English Defence League, Stop Islamisation of Europe and all the other big and small racist and fascist groups are using Sharia in order to promote their racist, anti-immigrant and inhumane agenda. But that is doubly why we must take centre stage. We have to come to the fore because Sharia is unjust and because we need to make sure that in the ensuing battle human rights, dignity, and humanity are upheld. All demands for change involve social movements pushing for them. That is why the world today is better in many ways than that of the Middle Ages the Islamists are trying to drag us back into. But if we stay silent because of the far-right, we shirk our responsibilities and duties. And we leave the stage open for them and the Islamists. I am sorry but I just won’t allow that.

Let me put it this way, just because the pope is opposed to the death penalty, doesn’t mean I will stop opposing it because he is regressive. Just because Iran is against the US, doesn’t mean I will start supporting the brutal US militarism. We have to start by doing what is right and we have to make sure that we show the world that we are the majority. A society in which the far-right has the upper hand is not that different than the one in which the Islamists do. So I would hope you would take off from work on November 21, that you’d encourage people to come and that in any forum where you see the far-right encouraging people to come, you would send us the links so we can go there and tell them not to bother.

This rally is just as much against them as it is against the Islamists. It is just as much about a better society for us here in Britain as in the rest of the world.