Solidarity
Peter Tatchell wants to know.
Why is much of the left and the liberal media ignoring the struggle for democracy and women’s rights in Iran?…Sunday’s demonstration was the latest in a series. It was called in solidarity with five women activists who are on trial after they staged a peaceful rally last June against Islamic laws that discriminate against women – in particular the sexist laws on polygamy and child custody. The five activists in the dock are Nusheen Ahmadi Khorasani, Parvin Ardalan, Sussan Tahmasebi, Shahla Entesari and Fariba Davoodi Mohajer. For holding a peaceful protest, they are charged with endangering national security, propaganda against the state, and taking part in an illegal gathering…The liberal western media – including The Guardian – has mostly failed to report these women’s protests and their bloody suppression. The left, too, ignores the heroic struggle of the women of Iran. Misogyny and police brutality are not okay in Britain, but apparently acceptable in Tehran. Why the double standards?
Why indeed? Absence of mind? Distance? More pressing concerns? Or something more sinister.
There are several interesting comments there too, worth sorting through the usual CisF deluge. This one for instance –
I work in human rights advocacy and have become appalled at the manner in which elements across the entire spectrum of the left have become hostile to universal human rights. Those who condemn homophobia in Saudi Arabia are silenced, those who speak out for Muslims who convert to Christianity and face prison or death are condemned, those who challenge violently misogynistic laws and practices in Pakistan or Afghanistsan are dismissed. The ethical core of the left is being rotted by moral relativism. It is a woeful and tragic spectacle.
I’m not sure it is exactly moral relativism, at least not in a broad sense. It’s more like geographico-politico relativism, or that combined with a mistaken idea of politeness – it’s not good manners to criticize other countries or cultures – even if segments of those countries are busy campaigning against manifest gross injustice and would love our solidarity and support.
There’s also a fair amount of sinister nonsense (or sinister balls, as they used to call it around the NS) about Maryam Namazie, and ‘the mainstream organisations of British Muslims’ meaning the MCB, and all this does is encourage fascists and racists – in short, sinister balls of the kind that demonstrates exactly the kind of stupidity Tatchell is asking about. Know the enemy.
Errf. I had the misfortune of contributing a few comments to that thread. It seemed like an uphill battle against distraction after distraction. Some people seemingly saying anything they thought might successfully change the subject. So yeah, sinister. And cynical.
It so often does seem like that at CisF. But one goes on trying…
Good for Tatchell.
Of course, anyone who dares to criticize islam is automatically a racist Western capitalist are they not?
Utterly disgusting, and good for Tatchell … (again)
Which brings me to John Gormley’s speech.
“The Taoiseach’s claim that he had raised human rights issues on his trip to Saudi Arabia amounts to nothing more than Fianna Fáil spin. There is no evidence from his public pronouncements on this visit that human rights issues have been raised with the Saudi authorities by the Government.
“Indeed, in his last speech in Saudi Arabia, at an Enterprise Ireland Business Breakfast, the Taoiseach welcomed what he termed the Saudi’s ’progressive, stable and business-friendly environment for building long-term trade’.
Sorry, OB, I such a mess of last post.
Bertie made me do it!
The country’s main human rights group, the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, recorded nearly 900 cases of rape last year, about half of them gang rapes, but said it believed many cases went unreported. The group said at least 565 women were killed last year by men acting, they said, to preserve the honour of their families.
Very interesting, Marie-Therese. Also very depressing.
That business about raising human rights in private is great – yes of course when no one was looking or taping or taking notes, and everyone should take your word for it. Good ploy.
Ditto good for Tachell,its nice to see that sanity still exists whithin the British left!I get so tired of guilty white liberals who will excuse barbarism as long as it is perpertrated by non whites.
Richard, yeah, but there are some depressing (if predictable) responses to his post.
A malign combination of feminism and imperialism is apparently what’s driving the Neocon (Liberal or otherwise) agenda to invade Iran.
Spartist f@ckwits.
My fear is Nick is that these depressing voices will help Iran in its quest for nukes,and then its open season on Israel!
Hear Hear Chris!allthough massive bombing might be a better option than invasion?
Right – and invasions always do such a bang-up job of restoring human rights, don’t they.
Jeez; get a grip. Solidarity with feminists and human rights activists is not the same thing as and does not entail desire for or advocacy of invasion or massive bombing. Get a grip.