Anti-fascists fete Sacranie
OutRage! News Service | 14.02.2006 18:15 | Anti-racism | Gender | Social Struggles | London | World
The UAF would not invite as a speaker someone who said that black people are immoral, harmful and spread disease, or who vilified Jewish people as offensive, immoral and repugnant. Why, then, are they giving a platform to Sir Iqbal Sacranie, a bigot who says these things about gays and lesbians?"
Anti-fascists fete Sacranie
Sir Iqbal Sacaranie to address union-sponsored conference
Muslim leader echoes homophobia of the BNP
The Trades Union Congress and five leading trade unions are sponsoring an anti-BNP conference this Saturday in London, featuring right-wing homophobe, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, whose views on homosexuality parallel the anti-gay hatred of the BNP.
"As well as actively campaigning to maintain homophobic laws like Section 28, Sir Iqbal last month publicly denounced lesbians and gay men, saying they were immoral, harmful and spread disease," said Peter Tatchell of OutRage!, the campaign for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights.
"Sir Iqbal is leader of the anti-gay Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).
"Resorting to inflammatory language barely distinguishable from the homophobic tirades of the neo-Nazi BNP, the MCB website demonises same-sex relationships as 'offensive', 'immoral' and 'repugnant'.
"The UAF would not invite as a speaker someone who said that black people are immoral, harmful and spread disease, or who vilified Jewish people as offensive, immoral and repugnant. Why, then, are they giving a platform to a bigot who says these things about gays and lesbians?" queried Mr Tatchell.
"By hosting Sir Iqbal, the UAF is siding with a homophobe against gay Muslims and the wider gay community. The invitation to Sir Iqbal is a sad betrayal of liberal, non-homophobic Muslims.
"Sir Iqbal's homophobic views, and the MCB's opposition to gay equality, echo the prejudice and discrimination of the BNP.
"Unite Against Fascism would not collude with racists or anti-Semites. It should not collude with homophobes either," added Mr Tatchell.
Saturday's Unite Against Fascism conference is sponsored by the South East Region of the TUC, Unison, Amicus, PCS, CWU, NATFHE and the National Assembly Against Racism.
In a letter of protest sent to the Unite Against Fascism conference organisers, OutRage! wrote:
"We want a broad alliance against the BNP. We support an alliance with the Muslim community. But we do not believe it appropriate for an anti-fascist movement to build alliances with homophobic hate-mongerers like Sir Iqbal and the MCB. We urge an alliance with liberal and left Muslims.
"We urge you to withdraw your invitation to Sir Iqbal and the MCB, and instead invite a progressive Muslim speaker, such as Ziauddin Sardar, Sheikh Dr Muhammad Yusuf or Munira Mirza.
"The MCB is not a liberal, progressive organisation. It represents only conservative, reactionary opinion. It is not a suitable partner organisation for the movement against fascism.
"On every gay human rights issue, the MCB has actively campaigned in favour of discrimination. It opposed an equal age of consent, legal rights for same-sex couples and the outlawing of homophobic discrimination in the workplace. The MCB also backed the retention of Section 28 and a ban on gay couples fostering or adopting children.
"One of the reasons the MCB refuses to participate in Holocaust Memorial Day is because it objects to the ceremony including a commemoration of what it dismisses as 'the so-called gay genocide.' The MCB appears to regard the murder of gay people in Nazi death camps as unworthy of remembrance.
"This year's Festival of Muslim Cultures is being funded by the Home Office and the British Council. Its aim is to showcase the diversity and richness of Muslim communities. The MCB has succeeded in demanding that the festival excludes lesbian and gay Muslims," said OutRage!'s letter to the UAF.
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A copy of OutRage!'s full letter to UAF follows below.
10 February 2006
Dear Unite Against Fascism,
Sir Iqbal Sacaranie and the UAF conference
We welcome and support the Unite Against Fascism (UAF) conference on 18 February. The rise of the BNP must be resisted and all communities under attack from the far right should be defended.
We are very disturbed to learn that Sir Iqbal Sacranie, leader of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), is scheduled to speak at the UAF conference at the TUC headquarters in London.
We stand in solidarity with the Muslim community, against anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination.
However we are concerned that Sir Iqbal and the MCB are inciting prejudice and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
As well as actively campaigning to maintain discriminatory anti-gay laws, like Section 28, in January this year, on BBC radio, Sir Iqbal publicly denounced lesbians and gay men, saying they were immoral, harmful and spread disease.
Resorting to inflammatory language barely distinguishable from the homophobic tirades of the neo-Nazi BNP, the MCB website demonises same-sex relationships as "offensive", "immoral" and "repugnant".
The UAF would not invite as a conference speaker someone who said that black people are immoral, harmful and spread disease, or who vilified Jewish people as offensive, immoral and repugnant. Why, then, are you giving a platform to a homophobe who says these things about gays and lesbians?
By hosting Sir Iqbal, the UAF is siding with a homophobe against gay Muslims – and the wider gay community. Your invitation to Sir Iqbal is also a sad betrayal of liberal, non-homophobic Muslims.
You would never host a bigoted Jewish or Christian leader. And if you did, we would call, with equal vigour, for them to be disinvited.
We want a broad alliance against the BNP. We support an alliance with the Muslim community. But we do not believe it appropriate for an anti-fascist movement to build alliances with homophobic hate-mongerers like Sir Iqbal and the MCB. We urge an alliance with liberal and left Muslims.
We urge you to withdraw your invitation to Sir Iqbal and the MCB, and instead invite a progressive Muslim speaker, such as Ziauddin Sardar, Sheikh Dr Muhammad Yusuf or Munira Mirza.
Sir Iqbal's views are not an isolated aberration. They are widely shared within the MCB. Another prominent MCB leader, Dr Abdul Majid Katme, was quoted by Muslim writer Anissa Helie as telling a UK conference: "Lesbianism is spreading like fire in society. We must vaccinate our children against this curse."
The MCB is not a liberal, progressive organisation. It represents only conservative, reactionary opinion. It is not a suitable partner organisation for the movement against fascism.
On every gay human rights issue, the MCB has actively campaigned in favour of discrimination. It opposed an equal age of consent, legal rights for same-sex couples and the outlawing of homophobic discrimination in the workplace. The MCB also backed the retention of Section 28 and a ban on gay couples fostering or adopting children.
The MCB works together with right-wing Christian fundamentalist groups to promote discrimination against lesbians and gay men.
Sir Iqbal has for many years led the MCB's homophobic attacks on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities.
He put his name to an MCB news release condemning the repeal of Section 28 as "giving legitimacy to so-called 'gay families' and 'gay marriage' through the back door," and paving the way for councils to "spend public money on homosexual youth groups, homosexual youth workers, and homosexual festivals."
One of the reasons the MCB refuses to participate in Holocaust Memorial Day is because it objects to the ceremony including a commemoration of what it dismisses as "the so-called gay genocide." The MCB appears to regard the murder of gay people in Nazi death camps as unworthy of remembrance.
This year's Festival of Muslim Cultures is being funded by the Home Office and the British Council. Its aim is to showcase the diversity and richness of Muslim communities. The MCB has succeeded in demanding that the festival excludes lesbian and gay Muslims.
Sir Iqbal's homophobic views, and the MCB's opposition to LGBT equality, echo the bigotry and discrimination of the BNP.
Unite Against Fascism would not collude with racists or anti-Semites. It should not collude with homophobes either.
Yours in solidarity!
Imam Mahmoud Ayaz, Araon Saeed (Muslim Affairs spokesperson of OutRage!), Adnan Ali (founder of the UK gay Muslim group, Al-Fatiha), Ali Hili (Iraqi gay Muslim refugee), Ramzi Isalam (Algerian gay Muslim refugee), Peter Tatchell (campaign coordinator, OutRage)
Sir Iqbal Sacaranie to address union-sponsored conference
Muslim leader echoes homophobia of the BNP
The Trades Union Congress and five leading trade unions are sponsoring an anti-BNP conference this Saturday in London, featuring right-wing homophobe, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, whose views on homosexuality parallel the anti-gay hatred of the BNP.
"As well as actively campaigning to maintain homophobic laws like Section 28, Sir Iqbal last month publicly denounced lesbians and gay men, saying they were immoral, harmful and spread disease," said Peter Tatchell of OutRage!, the campaign for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights.
"Sir Iqbal is leader of the anti-gay Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).
"Resorting to inflammatory language barely distinguishable from the homophobic tirades of the neo-Nazi BNP, the MCB website demonises same-sex relationships as 'offensive', 'immoral' and 'repugnant'.
"The UAF would not invite as a speaker someone who said that black people are immoral, harmful and spread disease, or who vilified Jewish people as offensive, immoral and repugnant. Why, then, are they giving a platform to a bigot who says these things about gays and lesbians?" queried Mr Tatchell.
"By hosting Sir Iqbal, the UAF is siding with a homophobe against gay Muslims and the wider gay community. The invitation to Sir Iqbal is a sad betrayal of liberal, non-homophobic Muslims.
"Sir Iqbal's homophobic views, and the MCB's opposition to gay equality, echo the prejudice and discrimination of the BNP.
"Unite Against Fascism would not collude with racists or anti-Semites. It should not collude with homophobes either," added Mr Tatchell.
Saturday's Unite Against Fascism conference is sponsored by the South East Region of the TUC, Unison, Amicus, PCS, CWU, NATFHE and the National Assembly Against Racism.
In a letter of protest sent to the Unite Against Fascism conference organisers, OutRage! wrote:
"We want a broad alliance against the BNP. We support an alliance with the Muslim community. But we do not believe it appropriate for an anti-fascist movement to build alliances with homophobic hate-mongerers like Sir Iqbal and the MCB. We urge an alliance with liberal and left Muslims.
"We urge you to withdraw your invitation to Sir Iqbal and the MCB, and instead invite a progressive Muslim speaker, such as Ziauddin Sardar, Sheikh Dr Muhammad Yusuf or Munira Mirza.
"The MCB is not a liberal, progressive organisation. It represents only conservative, reactionary opinion. It is not a suitable partner organisation for the movement against fascism.
"On every gay human rights issue, the MCB has actively campaigned in favour of discrimination. It opposed an equal age of consent, legal rights for same-sex couples and the outlawing of homophobic discrimination in the workplace. The MCB also backed the retention of Section 28 and a ban on gay couples fostering or adopting children.
"One of the reasons the MCB refuses to participate in Holocaust Memorial Day is because it objects to the ceremony including a commemoration of what it dismisses as 'the so-called gay genocide.' The MCB appears to regard the murder of gay people in Nazi death camps as unworthy of remembrance.
"This year's Festival of Muslim Cultures is being funded by the Home Office and the British Council. Its aim is to showcase the diversity and richness of Muslim communities. The MCB has succeeded in demanding that the festival excludes lesbian and gay Muslims," said OutRage!'s letter to the UAF.
-----------------
A copy of OutRage!'s full letter to UAF follows below.
10 February 2006
Dear Unite Against Fascism,
Sir Iqbal Sacaranie and the UAF conference
We welcome and support the Unite Against Fascism (UAF) conference on 18 February. The rise of the BNP must be resisted and all communities under attack from the far right should be defended.
We are very disturbed to learn that Sir Iqbal Sacranie, leader of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), is scheduled to speak at the UAF conference at the TUC headquarters in London.
We stand in solidarity with the Muslim community, against anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination.
However we are concerned that Sir Iqbal and the MCB are inciting prejudice and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
As well as actively campaigning to maintain discriminatory anti-gay laws, like Section 28, in January this year, on BBC radio, Sir Iqbal publicly denounced lesbians and gay men, saying they were immoral, harmful and spread disease.
Resorting to inflammatory language barely distinguishable from the homophobic tirades of the neo-Nazi BNP, the MCB website demonises same-sex relationships as "offensive", "immoral" and "repugnant".
The UAF would not invite as a conference speaker someone who said that black people are immoral, harmful and spread disease, or who vilified Jewish people as offensive, immoral and repugnant. Why, then, are you giving a platform to a homophobe who says these things about gays and lesbians?
By hosting Sir Iqbal, the UAF is siding with a homophobe against gay Muslims – and the wider gay community. Your invitation to Sir Iqbal is also a sad betrayal of liberal, non-homophobic Muslims.
You would never host a bigoted Jewish or Christian leader. And if you did, we would call, with equal vigour, for them to be disinvited.
We want a broad alliance against the BNP. We support an alliance with the Muslim community. But we do not believe it appropriate for an anti-fascist movement to build alliances with homophobic hate-mongerers like Sir Iqbal and the MCB. We urge an alliance with liberal and left Muslims.
We urge you to withdraw your invitation to Sir Iqbal and the MCB, and instead invite a progressive Muslim speaker, such as Ziauddin Sardar, Sheikh Dr Muhammad Yusuf or Munira Mirza.
Sir Iqbal's views are not an isolated aberration. They are widely shared within the MCB. Another prominent MCB leader, Dr Abdul Majid Katme, was quoted by Muslim writer Anissa Helie as telling a UK conference: "Lesbianism is spreading like fire in society. We must vaccinate our children against this curse."
The MCB is not a liberal, progressive organisation. It represents only conservative, reactionary opinion. It is not a suitable partner organisation for the movement against fascism.
On every gay human rights issue, the MCB has actively campaigned in favour of discrimination. It opposed an equal age of consent, legal rights for same-sex couples and the outlawing of homophobic discrimination in the workplace. The MCB also backed the retention of Section 28 and a ban on gay couples fostering or adopting children.
The MCB works together with right-wing Christian fundamentalist groups to promote discrimination against lesbians and gay men.
Sir Iqbal has for many years led the MCB's homophobic attacks on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities.
He put his name to an MCB news release condemning the repeal of Section 28 as "giving legitimacy to so-called 'gay families' and 'gay marriage' through the back door," and paving the way for councils to "spend public money on homosexual youth groups, homosexual youth workers, and homosexual festivals."
One of the reasons the MCB refuses to participate in Holocaust Memorial Day is because it objects to the ceremony including a commemoration of what it dismisses as "the so-called gay genocide." The MCB appears to regard the murder of gay people in Nazi death camps as unworthy of remembrance.
This year's Festival of Muslim Cultures is being funded by the Home Office and the British Council. Its aim is to showcase the diversity and richness of Muslim communities. The MCB has succeeded in demanding that the festival excludes lesbian and gay Muslims.
Sir Iqbal's homophobic views, and the MCB's opposition to LGBT equality, echo the bigotry and discrimination of the BNP.
Unite Against Fascism would not collude with racists or anti-Semites. It should not collude with homophobes either.
Yours in solidarity!
Imam Mahmoud Ayaz, Araon Saeed (Muslim Affairs spokesperson of OutRage!), Adnan Ali (founder of the UK gay Muslim group, Al-Fatiha), Ali Hili (Iraqi gay Muslim refugee), Ramzi Isalam (Algerian gay Muslim refugee), Peter Tatchell (campaign coordinator, OutRage)
OutRage! News Service
Homepage:
http://www.outrage.org.uk
Additions
Why am I labelled a "Muslim writer" by Peter Tatchell?
12.03.2007 05:14
Just wondering...why am I referred to as a "Muslim writer"?
Tell me: I'm curious! Is it because of where I was born, because of the length of my hair, because of my skin color, because of the issues I raise?
Am I referring to Tatchell as a "Church of England writer"?
I wish people examined their assumptions - labeling is not innocent. And, nope, I'm not being picky.
in solidarity,
anissa Helie
Tell me: I'm curious! Is it because of where I was born, because of the length of my hair, because of my skin color, because of the issues I raise?
Am I referring to Tatchell as a "Church of England writer"?
I wish people examined their assumptions - labeling is not innocent. And, nope, I'm not being picky.
in solidarity,
anissa Helie
Anissa Helie
e-mail:
anissa.helie@gn.apc.org
Comments
Hide the following 11 comments
Well Said
14.02.2006 20:13
Steffan
e-mail:
baboonpower@hotmail.com
Homepage:
http://extremefool.blogspot.com
Iqbal Sacranie and New Wave Islam
14.02.2006 22:29
Those second-level extremists, the Muslim Council of Britain and Muslim Association continue to spearhead the new wave of politicised Islam as it pushes it's aggressive agenda into the faces of the majority secular British public.
But I wonder if these leaders do in fact represent the interests of the invisible everday Muslim, the ordinary man without political interests. The well-meaning but naive BBC with their incessant and desperate cartoon portrayal of the moderate muslim - 'those bombers weren't the real Islam...honest!' does nobody any favours. Out of step with Joe Public the result of their 'good' intentions is, of course, a new and growing resentment against the perceived influence of the new face of Islam.
A
Agree with all the above
14.02.2006 23:36
Time the progressive movement ended its double standards towards Islam.
the middle finger
does that include
15.02.2006 10:28
well done outrage. you are totally right and they are totally wrong.
when do the bombs start falling?
state teat sucker
You can tell a person by their friends
15.02.2006 12:54
Have they ever said anything about Queer rights in "liberated" Iraq?
Not a word.
And since these idiots are trying their best to bring on a war with Iran, I wonder, what do they think will happen to gay rights in that country when the bombs start falling?
Tatchell is a hideous egomaniac with the political savvy of a doorknob.
Boycott Israeli Goods
"Our zionist friends"
15.02.2006 13:26
sceptic
"does that include our zionist friends"
15.02.2006 14:03
Just because the Islamic community is the current scapegoat for the powers that be doesn't grant Muslims with the licence to preach hatred and intolerance. The same applies to all sections of society.
the middle finger
More leftist gay-bashing
15.02.2006 14:48
To be fair to U.A.F., their conference literature (which you can download and print from their website) includes a workshop on combating homophobia (maybe Indymedia's pundits should be booked onto that) and also features on the main panel Ben Summerskill from the centrist, but very effective gay campaign group Stonewall. Even so, it's still odd that Mr Sacranie should get an invite to the event in any capacity. As the UAF literature notes, homophobia is a key platform of the far right throughout history, and gay men and women amongst the first victims of rightist movements.
Caz
To State Teat Suscker and Boycott Israeli Goods
15.02.2006 15:37
A
What about his knighthood?
15.02.2006 16:27
Why is no one bothered by the fact that the UAF, a kind of leftist front, invites someone with a knighthood to talk about anti racism? I mean, we need a real proleterian anti fascism, one that will also tackle homophobia and other forms of discrimination, actively confronting these things and making the not obvious to some connections between different forms of discrimination. These anti fascist fronts do some good work, but are like everyone else on the left, devoid of any ideas to actually change everything, and want these big names like Sir Iqbal Sacranie because they think working people are so stupid as to be impressed by someone with a title. Salman Rushdie said Blair is in trouble is Sacranie is the best he can come up with, the same can be said for UAF.
anti
Familiarise Yourself with the MCB
16.02.2006 14:05
A