with universal beliefs?. Yes religion & nationalism have been often bloodthirsty, but basic statements like this even if very true arent helping the cause for direct democracy that serious anarchist theorists have always aimed for. Also the corporate media have given us often an even worse image than Islam or refugees or even nazis repeatedly calling disaster or genocides anarchy when they have not one link to it.
We cant allow ourselves to go for any simple sterotyping, we need to go for a more uniersalist approach with groups that support our ideal like quakers & Universal sufis,
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Sufism
These groups are organised experts in fighting intolerance so check them out, this is a bloc that many would want to join, dont put them off with basic scarey phrases
As far as nationalism goes in its known guise yes its bloofthirsty though in context of sport & part of a international communnity a regional then national identity is important, just as we need truelly democratic assemblies in each as Bakunin proposed inRevolutionary Catechism.

NO BRAINER!

and I am very glad that people have organised this. But I very much hope that this is not used to drive divisions between anarchists and Muslims. The point must be to express solidarity with the people of Gaza and support for their resistance to Israeli aggression, not to highlight differences and criticise religious practices. You may not believe that religion and nationalism can, in the end, deliver real freedom, and I tend to agree. But I think that point can wait until people are no longer being bombed and starved.

I may not want to support Hamas, but then I dont live in Gaza. As an anarchist it is not my role to force my ideas on others, but to support their own self determination.

UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FAIL.................. everybody to the streets

As anarchist who will be at the demo I have no problem with Muslim or Christians or Jews. What I do have a problem with are those nationalist gangs like Hamas/Islamic Jihad/Fatah and States like Israel - those are the ones we do not support.

But at the end of the day, there will be many there who are promoting Religion and the Anarchist Block should stand for Anti-religion and Anti-nationalism.

No Gods No Masters - Solidarity with the People of Gaza and South Israel

what the hell? get your facts straight before you start creating mythical mental illnesses, oh wait isn't that what they did with gays and lesbians? oh wait, isn't that what you're supposed to stand against? pretty weak calling other people's belief's mental illness.

my interpretation of:
"The Israeli State again shows the extreme violence which state power is capable of when backed by an insecure, scared and fearful population. This collective mental illness, presented as public consensus on military action "
is not that it is calling beliefs of a people mental illness. Rather the fact that many people are so insecure and scared that they would give their support to miltary action aimed at largely at a civilian population with targets including schools, aid convoys and refugee camps mental illness.
Not great phrasing but not something i would nessacarilly disagree with either... supporting the death and injury of 100's of innocent people because of fear and hatred, that doesnt sound healthy to me.

Nobody will be running the bloc, it doesn't work like that. Join if you want, don't if you won't. If you're an anarchist, anti-authoritarian, curious anti-capitalist; join us, religious or not.

Nationalism inherently generates hatred because it IS a fundamental ideology in itself, as an arm of fascism. However, religion does not bring about death, only fundamentalists advocate such ideas. As people 'could' take this the wrong way, thinking it implies religious holocausts are the fault of the victims, because of their belief, which is obviously false. I certainly know that this isn't the implication, but I imagine some people may suspect this.

Despite this, I oppose religion and nationalism as does the average anarchist, but as somebody mentioned above, its about waiting for the right moment to bring about a non-militant opposition to non-fundamental religion, this infact is the only non-violent path to atheism. As I imagine a fair few religious anarchists will be looking to unite (as have I) in a non-fundamentalist approach to target religious fundamentalism. Until then, why not only target fundamental religious beliefs, with other non-fundamental believers, a lot saner no? Increase the strength on the real evil? Its not like its going to be inciting fundamentalism in other religions if its the very thing that is being opposed, goes without saying.

By all means criticise religion and its dominant, hierarchical aspects within society, but maybe a banner in a crowd of majoritively religious sympathisers isn't the best opportunity?

As for any National Anarchists making an appearance, expect slaps, BIG time. This is the obvious difference between it all, we will attack nationalists, but not religious people. As in fairness, to militantly advocate atheism as an anti-religion fundamentalist approach, is purely hypocritical. Keep fundamentalism out of religion, and keep up the criticism towards it. I think I've gone round in a few circles but I think I make my opinion clear enough. The irony is, atheists/anarchists won't stop religious people joining, so there really isn't a problem. Then again, I may be completely wrong and there may be no religious interest in the bloc so it infact would of benefited further from a "No Gods, No Masters" stance. Who knows.

"Lets face it, doesn't really matter!" Yes


What about a militant reponse to fundamentalist religions!

You sound like a closet Christian!

Religion + Anarchism = hypocrisy

No brainer for you perhaps. Quite a few Quakers don't believe in God and some Ba'Hais might surprise you with their spiritual beliefs as well.

If the slaughter in Gaza appalls you then individually do what you can to stop it. March if that is all you can do. This is not a solidarity call between our own political and spiritual divisions, this is a solidarity call for the innocents under IDF bombardment.

Save the petty philosophical arguments for next month please.