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One Law For All Demonstration against Sharia in Britain

Supporter of the Campaign | 24.06.2010 12:38

It was a No to Racism, No to Sexism Demo against Sharia Law. It was attended by many left wing supporters, as well as muslims opposed to Islamism. For more info see www.onelawforall.org.uk

Several hundred people joined One Law for All on 20 June at Downing Street to show their opposition to Sharia and religious-based laws in Britain and elsewhere and to demand universal rights and secularism.

A new report “Sharia Law in Britain: A Threat to One Law for All and Equal Rights” ( http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/new-report-sharia-law-in-britain-a-threat-to-one-law-for-all-and-equal-rights/) was published on the day to coincide with the rally. Human rights activist Gita Sahgal said of the report: “I think it is highly significant that in Britain there has been silence where there should have been condemnation. There is active support for ‘Sharia laws’ precisely because it is limited to denying women rights in the family. No hands are being cut off, so there can’t be a problem. Unfortunately for us, senior law officers will find that human rights expert bodies often have a similar attitude. They have done little research on the impact of family laws and the denial of justice caused by parallel systems of justice. That is why the findings of this report are so important. It is such dedicated work that changes the thinking of the experts.”

She went on to say: “This campaign stands at the heart of a debate over the future of Britain. It also stands at the heart of global attempts to destroy the most basic rights, to invade liberty and to crush equality and to do this in the name of upholding and promoting human rights. We stand here today facing down forces of racism and fundamentalism as we struggle for secularism.”

The pro-Sharia Al-Muhajiroun organised a counter-demonstration to the One Law for All rally. One of their members said: “We find many of these people who call for human rights and one law. They come and they say that they want equality. But what equality do you get when one man legislates over another?” In response, One Law for All Spokesperson, Maryam Namazie, said: “The fight against Sharia law is a fight against Islamism not Muslims, immigrants and people living under Sharia here or elsewhere. So it is very apt for the Islamists to hold a counter-demonstration against our rally. This is where the real battleground lies. With a few members of the far Right English Defence League also there to showcase their bigotry, it became abundantly clear to everyone why our Campaign is fast becoming the banner carrier for universal rights, equality, and one secular law for all in this country and beyond.”

MC Fariborz Pooya of the Iranian Secular Society said: “The One Law for All Campaign has brought to centre stage an important debate about the kind of society we want to live in whilst defending the rights of everyone irrespective of religion, race, nationality…; this Campaign is truly the voice of the voiceless.”

Women’s rights campaigner Yasmin Rehman said: “We Muslims have been a part of the UK for many, many years but the generations before me did not feel the need for or call for segregation in the way that is being demanded now. At the beginning of my career as a women’s rights advocate there was no need to apply for a certificate of Khula in divorce cases. Muslim women are now being told that divorces under the English legal system are not valued or recognised without a certificate of Khula – and should they remarry without this they will be committing Zina – a ‘crime’ punishable by death in many Muslim countries. This is not a view shared by all Islamic scholars but a view that is being pushed through the Islamic councils and tribunals across the UK.”

Anna Waters of One Law for All’s Legal Team said: “Any reasonable interpretation of the Human Rights Act shows us that there are certain things that it doesn't allow - and one of the things it doesn't allow is for a woman to have an inferior or second class status when she stands before a judge in a court of law. This is exactly what is happening…”

Sue Robson of the Gay And Lesbian Humanist Association said: “This is a human rights issue. Here in the UK, it’s an egalitarian issue; it’s a feminist issue. Elsewhere in our world, the issue is life - and death.”

Gerard Phillips of the National Secular Society said that Sharia Law was “nothing less than an attack on human rights and on equality.” He went on to say: “It undermines our democracy. It must be opposed.”

The rally also heard from others including Naomi Phillips of the British Humanist Association, poets from the Anti-Injustice Movement and singer Adam Barnett.

Protestors then joined a march organised by Iran Solidarity to the embassy of the Islamic regime of Iran. Patty Debonitas of Iran Solidarity UK said: “By coming today you are showing your solidarity with the people here who are victimised under Sharia law and people in Iran who are being victimised under the state power of Sharia.” The rally was held on 20 June to mark the killing of Neda Agha-Soltan at a protest in Tehran last year and link the fight against Sharia here with that in Iran and elsewhere.

Supporter of the Campaign

Comments

Display the following 57 comments

  1. Rascists — Londoner
  2. obviously — *
  3. good — god
  4. men and women also are distinct groups — sister
  5. re troll comments? — oestre
  6. I am against anything inhumane ... in this case, Sharia — Supporter of the Campaign
  7. fair play to you — measured support from me :)
  8. Good, fuck religion — @theist
  9. pure xenophobia — observer
  10. Dear Observer — Lynn Sawyer
  11. Some reasons why I am against Sharia... — Supporter of the Campaign
  12. For more info on Sharia Law in Britain...see report from CIVITAS — Supporter of the Campaign
  13. total misunderstanding what a sharia court in the UK is — observer
  14. why was the demo help on the day marking the killing of Neda Agha-Soltan? — observer
  15. From the One Law For All website — Supporter of the Campaign
  16. This is pure racism... — Manchester Activist
  17. Does being against Islamist ideology make me a racist?? — Supporter of the Campaign
  18. Give me Strength... — jhg
  19. What is islamist? — Muslim
  20. I am against Islamism as stated in Wikipedia... — Supporter of the Campaign
  21. is this site full of muslims or what!? — sorry but there you go
  22. imperialism? — Muslim
  23. @sorry but there you go — Muslim
  24. Why Sharia courts& not beth din? Here's why according to CIVITAS — Supporter of the Campaign
  25. @John the Hat — Muslim
  26. @Supporter of the Campaign - Marriages — Muslim
  27. There will never.... — D
  28. Democracy and freedom of speech — Supporter of the Campaign
  29. About CIVITAS — Muslim
  30. @Supporter of the Campaign - Democracy and freedom of speech — Muslim
  31. @Supporter of the Campaign - Democracy and freedom of speech — Muslim
  32. Being muslim is different to being an Islamist... — Supporter of the Campaign
  33. my viewpoint — whitey
  34. @whitey — @theist
  35. Ibn Warraq and CIVITAS — Supporter of the Campaign
  36. @Supporter of the Campaign - A Muslim is a Muslim full stop. — Muslim
  37. @theist — Muslim
  38. Islamism or Secularism ... that is what is at stake here. — Supporter of the Campaign
  39. @ Muslim — anti fascist
  40. bollox — claptrap
  41. @claptrap — Muslim
  42. I want to correct an inaccuracy of mine... — Supporter of the Campaign
  43. God — claptrap
  44. @Supporter of the Campaign - that is what is at stake.. scaremongering — Muslim
  45. @claptrap — Muslim
  46. Issues as explained in the Guardian — Supporter of the Campaign
  47. In regards to Mohammed... — Supporter of the Campaign
  48. issues as commented in the Guardian: Comment is Free... — Supporter of the Campaign
  49. Delusions — Claptrap
  50. @Supporter of the Campaign - whats explained? — Muslim
  51. @Claptrap — Muslim
  52. @Supporter of the Campaign — Muslim
  53. @Muslim — @theist
  54. @theist — Muslim
  55. @Muslim — @theist
  56. @theist — Muslim
  57. @muslim — claptrap
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