Iraq demo: Anti-Islamist protest
OutRage News Service | 20.03.2005 11:54 | Anti-militarism | Gender | Social Struggles | London | World
OutRage! backed the call for “Britain and the US to set a timetable for the withdrawal of troops,” but it opposed calls for “Troops Out Now”; warning that “a hasty withdrawal could pave the way for the seizure of power by Saddam loyalists or Islamic fundamentalists.”
Freedom for Iraq: London anti-war demo, 19 March 2005
No foreign occupation! No Islamic State!
For a secular, democratic Iraq – Against clerical tyranny
London – 19 March 2005
Gay activist group OutRage! joined the 100,000-strong London march against the US-UK occupation of Iraq, today, Saturday 19 March 2005.
OutRage! members carried placards with the slogans: “Freedom for Iraq! No foreign occupation! No Shar’ia law!”, “No UK-US Occupation! Support real resistance: Trade Unionists, Socialists and Feminists”, and “Solidarity with Iraqi women and gays”.
OutRage! backed the call for “Britain and the US to set a timetable for the withdrawal of troops,” but it opposed calls for “Troops Out Now”; warning that “a hasty withdrawal could pave the way for the seizure of power by Saddam loyalists or Islamic fundamentalists.”
“If the Saddamites or Islamists won power, it would be disastrous for democracy, human rights and social justice in Iraq,” said OutRage! spokesperson and demo participant, Peter Tatchell.
“Trade unionists, socialists, women and gay people would suffer terrible persecution.
“Most Iraqis don’t want foreign occupation, the return of the Baathists, or the clerical tyranny of Islamist rule.
“The biggest danger to Iraqi freedom right now is the imposition of a theocratic state, along the lines of neighbouring Iran, where an estimated100 000 people have been executed since the Ayatollahs seized power in 1979.
“The Islamist parties in Iraq are pressing for the introduction of an Islamic constitution and Shar’ia law, which would result in the execution of women who have sex outside marriage, gays and apostates, he added.
“Already, there is massive repression of Iraqi women,” said OutRage! campaign coordinator Brett Lock, who also joined today’s march.
“Women who refuse to be veiled have been murdered. So-called honour killings of women are encouraged by the Islamists. Feminist campaigners have been threatened with death. A hugely popular woman singer and dancer, Hinadi, was recently assassinated by the Islamists in Basra. Gay Iraqis live in fear of execution by Islamist militants.
“We support the call by progressive Iraqis for the separation of religion from the State; and for a democratic, secular constitution that guarantees political and trade union rights, free speech and freedom of the press, and equality for women and gay people.
“OutRage! salutes the courage of Iraqis who are battling against foreign occupation, privatisation and clerical misogyny and homophobia. Their campaign for a liberal, humanitarian Iraq is heroic and inspirational,” said Mr Lock.
For a secular, democratic Iraq – Against clerical tyranny
London – 19 March 2005
Gay activist group OutRage! joined the 100,000-strong London march against the US-UK occupation of Iraq, today, Saturday 19 March 2005.
OutRage! members carried placards with the slogans: “Freedom for Iraq! No foreign occupation! No Shar’ia law!”, “No UK-US Occupation! Support real resistance: Trade Unionists, Socialists and Feminists”, and “Solidarity with Iraqi women and gays”.
OutRage! backed the call for “Britain and the US to set a timetable for the withdrawal of troops,” but it opposed calls for “Troops Out Now”; warning that “a hasty withdrawal could pave the way for the seizure of power by Saddam loyalists or Islamic fundamentalists.”
“If the Saddamites or Islamists won power, it would be disastrous for democracy, human rights and social justice in Iraq,” said OutRage! spokesperson and demo participant, Peter Tatchell.
“Trade unionists, socialists, women and gay people would suffer terrible persecution.
“Most Iraqis don’t want foreign occupation, the return of the Baathists, or the clerical tyranny of Islamist rule.
“The biggest danger to Iraqi freedom right now is the imposition of a theocratic state, along the lines of neighbouring Iran, where an estimated100 000 people have been executed since the Ayatollahs seized power in 1979.
“The Islamist parties in Iraq are pressing for the introduction of an Islamic constitution and Shar’ia law, which would result in the execution of women who have sex outside marriage, gays and apostates, he added.
“Already, there is massive repression of Iraqi women,” said OutRage! campaign coordinator Brett Lock, who also joined today’s march.
“Women who refuse to be veiled have been murdered. So-called honour killings of women are encouraged by the Islamists. Feminist campaigners have been threatened with death. A hugely popular woman singer and dancer, Hinadi, was recently assassinated by the Islamists in Basra. Gay Iraqis live in fear of execution by Islamist militants.
“We support the call by progressive Iraqis for the separation of religion from the State; and for a democratic, secular constitution that guarantees political and trade union rights, free speech and freedom of the press, and equality for women and gay people.
“OutRage! salutes the courage of Iraqis who are battling against foreign occupation, privatisation and clerical misogyny and homophobia. Their campaign for a liberal, humanitarian Iraq is heroic and inspirational,” said Mr Lock.
OutRage News Service
e-mail:
media@outrage.org.uk
Homepage:
http://www.outrage.org.uk
Comments
Hide the following 5 comments
This is a load of islamophobic right wing tosh blah blah blah
20.03.2005 15:48
the middle finger
blatantly contradictory
21.03.2005 06:32
geo
Geo-politics
21.03.2005 09:36
We have a choice which side to support and expresss solidarity with. Will it be those who want to impose a theocratic state where sharia law strips away basic civil rights, or will it be with those Iraqi democtrats, trade unionists, socialists and progressives who want a secular state?
Perhaps you naively think that those internal forces wanting to replace Saddam's regime with an Islamist government or those who want to see the Baathists return to power will be doing so using only democratic means.
But maybe you're right. Maybe it is imperialsim to oppose some Ayalolla ready to trample over the rights of women, workers, gays and political disidents than joining with Iraqi democrats who want to transform the post-Baathist, post-war Iraq.
Well, you makes your choices...
Qwerty
but...
21.03.2005 19:12
no, they explicitly oppose immediate removal of foreign troops until the situation is "stable". this is an apologia for imperialism. further, they seem to assume that this is what unionists, socialists, feminists, gays, etc want, that the US-backed government will be sympathetic to these nominally better groups. this is unlikely, especially in the case of unionists and socialists. moreover, with shi'a groups winning the elections (and not the "secularists" that outrage claims to support), there is a further contradiction of nominally supporting "democracy" but not supporting its results.
ciao.
geo
Diverse Demo
22.03.2005 06:55
Independent Left