Skip to main content

London meet says RSS, Islamic State, Taliban, European far-right "using religion for political supremacy"

Mariam Namazie, Iranian campaigner, addressing the conference
By Our Representative
A two-day International Conference on the Religious Right, Secularism and Civil Rights held in London on October 11-12, 2014, has bracketed Hindutva, with particular reference to “Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) in India”, as one of the many important far-right groups across the globe who are “using religion for political supremacy”. Likely to raise many an eyebrow, especially in India, where the RSS has direct support from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the conference said, “This rise (or far-right) is a direct consequence of neo-conservatism and neo-liberalism and the social policies of communalism and cultural relativism.”
What is particularly likely to raise controversy is that the manifesto, adopted at the conference, puts Hindutva (RSS) with such far-right bodies like “the Islamic State (formerly ISIS), the Saudi regime, the Christian-Right in the US and Europe, Bodu Bala Sena in Sri Lanka, Haredim in Israel, AQMI and MUJAO in Mali, Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Salvation Front in Algeria”. It says, “These are some of the most prominent examples of the far-right movements cropping up across the globe.”
Calling on people everywhere to form a International Front for Secularism and strengthen a human alternative to the religious-right, those who participated included Bangladeshi-born writer Taslima Nasrin, who has just been allowed to continue living in India, Indian labour historian Dilip Simeon, Southall Black Sisters director Pragna Patel, philosopher AC Grayling, Aliyah Saleem who spent six years in an Islamic school in Britain, prominent French writer Caroline Fourest, Pakistani-born human rights activist Kiran Opal; Iranian writer-journalist and documentary filmmaker Lila Ghobady, and others.
The manifesto says that in the worldview of these far-right organizations, “universalism, secularism and citizenship rights have been abandoned and segregation of societies and ‘communities’ based on ethnicity, religion and culture have become the norm.” It adds, “For many decades now, people in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and the diaspora have been the first victims but also on the frontlines of resistance against the religious-right (whether religious states, organisations and movements) and in defence of secularism and universal rights, often at great risk to their lives”.
The manifesto calls upon “people everywhere to stand with us to establish an international front against the religious-right and for secularism”, demanding “complete separation of religion from the state”, insisting secularism should be a “fundamental right”. It said, there should be a “separation of religion from public policy, including the educational system, health care and scientific research”, with “freedom of religion and atheism and freedom to criticise religions”.
Underling that belief religion should be “a private affair”, the manifesto indirectly favours the proponents of common civic code in India when it wants the “abolition of religious laws in the family, civil and criminal codes”, adding, there should be “an end to discrimination against and persecution of LGBT, religious minorities, women, freethinkers, ex-Muslims, and others.”
A statement issued by the conference organizers said, “A broad coalition of secularists, including believers, free-thinkers, agnostics and atheists assembled from the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and the diaspora at the unprecedented and historic gathering to discuss resistance against the repression and violence of ISIS and other manifestations of the religious-right, including in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Israel, Libya, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Turkey, Tunisia and Yemen. They also discussed the urgent need to defend secularism, universal values and citizenship rights.”
The conference was convened by Algerian sociologist Marieme Helie Lucas and Iranian-born campaigner Maryam Namazie, adopted the Manifesto for Secularism, highlighting “the voices of the many persecuted and exiled, the long standing resistance against the religious-right and the depth and strength of the demand for secularism all over the world despite grave risks. It also set the stage for the development of a broad international front for secularism to challenge the religious-right, racism and all forms of bigotry”.

Comments

Mark Golding said…
Religious dogma has its counterparts in the ideological dogma of secular power groups operating in every nation that have far-left leaning social and political theories.
Intolerance is fermented by extremists in every persuasion of ideas.
The goal should be to identify extremism, not religious dogma, and to create a benchmark for criminalizing the instance of political extremism in both liberal and conservative Governments, secular and religious.
I regard the Western Oligarchy run by UK, European and US administtations as the most terrifying of all forms of nationalism in the world because of its economic stranglehold globally and its ability to create war economies that are capable of creating World Wars.
The focus should be on the Oligarchic nature of the Industrialised West. Not on Islamic fundamentalism or terror.
I argue for the Criminalisation of All Military Regimes in every country on this planet and for the immediate destruction of all weapons manufacturing as a pre-requisite for political progress of any kind to take place towards creating a moratorium on defining the meaning and purpose of secular government/society.
Capitalism needs redefining as a social function more and economic function less.
Religion is embedded in the history of Empire making, and the making of a successful Western Hegemony - soooo many political theorists overlook this fact and fail to point an accusing finger at their own history..

TRENDING

Importance of Bangladesh for India amidst 'growing might' of China in South Asia

By Samara Ashrat*  The basic key factor behind the geopolitical importance of Bangladesh is its geographical location. The country shares land borders with Myanmar and India. Due to its geographical position, Bangladesh is a natural link between South Asia and Southeast Asia.  The country is also a vital geopolitical ally to India, in that it has the potential to facilitate greater integration between Northeast India and Mainland India. Not only that, due to its open access to the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh has become significant to both China and the US.

Unlike other revolutionaries, Hindutva icon wrote 5 mercy petitions to British masters

By Shamsul Islam*  The Hindutva icon VD Savarkar of the RSS-BJP rulers of India submitted not one, two,or three but five mercy petitions to the British masters! Savarkarites argue: “There are no evidences to prove that Savarkar collaborated with the British for his release from jail. In fact, his appeal for release was a ruse. He was well aware of the political developments outside and wanted to be part of it. So he kept requesting for his release. But the British authorities did not trust him a bit” (YD Phadke, ‘A complex Hero’, "The Indian Expres"s, August 31, 2004)

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

'BBC film shows only tip of iceberg': Sanjiv Bhatt's daughter speaks at top US press club

By Our Representative   The United States' premier journalists' organisation, the National Press Club (NPC), has come down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for recent "attacks on journalists in India." Speaking at the screening of an episode of the BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question,” banned in India, in the club premises, NPC President Eileen O’Reilly said, “Since Modi came to power we have watched with frustration and disappointment as his regime has suppressed the rights of its citizens to a free and independent news media."

Chinese pressure? Left stateless, Rohingya crisis result of Myanmar citizenship law

By Dr Shakuntala Bhabani*  A 22-member team of Myanmar immigration officials visited Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar to verify more than 400 Rohingya refugees as part of a pilot repatriation project. Does it hold out any hope for the forcibly displaced people to return to their ancestral homes in the Rakhine state of Myanmar? Only time will tell.

China ties up with India, Bangladesh to repatriate Rohingyas; Myanmar unwilling

By Harunur Rasid*  We now have a new hope, thanks to news reports that were published in the Bangladeshi dailies recently. Myanmar has suddenly taken initiatives to repatriate Rohingyas. As part of this initiative, diplomats from eight countries posted in Yangon were flown to Rakhine last week. Among them were diplomats from Bangladesh, India and China.

40,000 Odisha adolescent girls ask CM: Why is scheme to fight malnutrition on paper?

By Our Representative  In unique a postcard campaign to combat malnutrition, aimed at providing dietary diversity, considered crucial during adolescence, especially among girls, signed by about 40,000 adolescent girls from over 10,000 villages, have reminded Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik that his government's Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG), which converged with Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman  ( POSHAN ) 2.0 in 2021, is not being implemented in the State.

Natural farming: Hamirpur leads the way to 'huge improvement' in nutrition, livelihood

By Bharat Dogra*  Santosh is a dedicated farmer who along with his wife Chunni Devi worked very hard in recent months to convert a small patch of unproductive land into a lush green, multi-layer vegetable garden. This has ensured year-round supply of organically grown vegetables to his family as well as fetched several thousand rupees in cash sales.

Over-stressed? As Naveen Patnaik turns frail, Odisha 'moves closer' to leadership crisis

By Sudhansu R Das  Not a single leader in Odisha is visible in the horizon who can replace Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He has ruled Odisha for nearly two and half decades. His father, Biju Patnaik, had built Odisha; he was a daring pilot who saved the life of Indonesia’s Prime Minister Sjahrir and President Sukarno when the Dutch army blocked their exit.