Solidarity becomes a dirty word

The Goldsmiths Feminist Society removed their statement of solidarity with Goldsmiths Isoc from Facebook but they later tweeted the tumblr version, which remains.

Goldsmiths Feminist Society stands in solidarity with Goldsmiths Islamic Society. We support them in condemning the actions of the Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society and agree that hosting known islamophobes at our university creates a climate of hatred.

We showed our support on our Facebook page by sharing ISOC’s post with a message of solidarity. Our Facebook page is designed as a space for us to communicate with our members, and their safety is our first priority, under the policies set out by our Student Union. We reserve the right to remove comments and posts that violate these terms or contribute to the marginalisation of students.

The Goldsmiths Feminist Society condemns the “actions” of the ASH Society, meaning, inviting Maryam Namazie to give a talk, and putting up posters advertising her talk (many of which were removed). What business does the Goldsmiths Feminist Society have condemning any of that? Why shouldn’t an atheist secularist humanist society invite an atheist secularist humanist activist to speak? Why is the GFS treating Maryam as some sort of horrifying contaminant?

And what on earth is this “known Islamophobe” shit? Besides a big lie put about by the Goldsmiths Isoc? Maryam does dislike Islam, but she has every right to dislike Islam, as we all do. But “Islamophobe” really (though not literally) means hater of Muslims, and that’s just a lie. Maryam’s family are Muslims; she takes great pains to distinguish between Islam and Muslims, and between Islam and Islamism.

The GFS simply bought the Goldsmiths Isoc’s account of Maryam and her talk whole cloth, and that account is a shameless lie.

This is feminism?

So the members of the GFS would be happy to be forced to wear a hijab, would they? And to be forced to sit in a section separate (and smaller and worse) than the section for the real people, the men? And to be subject to stoning should they ever marry and then fuck someone else? And to force their daughters into marriages against their will? And to discipline their daughters ferociously if they ever rebelled against wearing the hijab or marrying someone they don’t want to marry? That all sounds good to them, and feminist too?

What an insult.

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