you say

"We’re looking to produce some anti-fascist posters, maybe a ‘naming and shaming’ of far-right council candidates, something highlighting the similarities between the BNP and Islamic Fundamentalism "

How can you name and shame the nazi's islamphobia on the one hand and at the same time then be islamicphobia. Contradiction or what.

WMA is not islamaphobic the agreement at the last meeting was simply to draw upon the similarities beteen the idiocy of the far right and islamic seperatism. It is not about bashing or attacking a group of individuals faith in a god.

Quote:How can you name and shame the nazi's islamphobia on the one hand and at the same time then be islamicphobia. Contradiction or what.End Quote

how does criticising islamic fundamentalism constitute Islamaphobia? Does it follow that criticising Zionism constitutes anti-semitism? It is entirely necessary to challenge all barriers to the emancipation of the working classes, whether they be political, economic or religious. Religous fundamentalism whether it be Christian, Jewish or whatever is as backward as far right politics and about as helpful to the class struggle as having a concrete block tied to you leg is to swimming.

Firstly, the threat of the BNP in this country does not equal the threat of religious fundmentalists, to think that they do shows lack of understanding of the nazi's. Do you honestly think that fundmentalists will ever have the chance to take control of the state and implement their policies, the BNP do have such potential.

Secondly, how do you think the BNP recruits and weilds power , they use racists propaganda and target the most vulnerable people in society. The most easy targets at the moment are the muslims, 10yrs ago it was black people, 50 years ago it was the jews.

It is counter productive to slag of the fundamentalist, all it does is reinforces racists ideas and puts the blame on muslims (put your complaint at the right address i.e. imperialism/capitalism, don't be fooled and fall into new labour's and for that matter the BNP hands. rethink

The purpose of juxtaposing islamic fundamentalism with the BNP is not simply for the purpose of attacking religous fundamentalism, though i do think that such a critique is necessary if rather uninspiring, the point is that the BNP (who are as you point out are a bigger threat than a group of a few hundred crackpot fundamentalists) are using the perceived threat of fundamentalism as a recruiting tool, they are using the fundamentalists as a brush to tarnish all muslims and asylum seekers, since the cartoon protests ive heard one or two people come out with lines such as 'i'm no racist but that griffin has a point, they should just let him go and concentrate on the terrorists' now of course such a quote is moronic, the last person to set off a bomb in london before the tube attacks was of course a member of the BNP! But there is a genuine fear of and disdain for people who preach religous fundamentalism and threaten to defend such views through means of terrorism, sure a lot of this fear has been manufactured but it still has a real basis. The BNP (although still small in numbers and clearly suffering from delusional paranoia) need to be exposed for what they are. We need to dispel the myths of both the far-right and the fundamentalists.

There is a need to point out that the BNP are as dictatorial and authoritarian as any fundamentalist group, they despise minorities, preach hatred, show disdain for a recalcitrant and organised working class, they hate anyone of a left leaning persuasion as do the fundamentalists. There are many similarities. the fight is against capitalism and is inseperable from the fight against everything that supports that system or inhibits the working classes struggle for freedom. Including racism, sexism, religous fundamentalism and many other 'isms'.

Red letter is right. At the moment, a few hundred fundamentalists are no threat. The BNP are a massive threat to black and asian people, and others. There's enough Islamophobic shit at the moment, even on boards like indymedia - don't add to it. Many people, when they see leaflets attacking 'fundamentalists', will equate that with any asian who wears traditional dress. I undertand the point you are making, that fundamentalist regimes can be as big a threat as fascist regimes, but you have to consider the effect of your propaganda right now, in UK society. Anti-fundamentalist images will be taken as being anti-muslim ones, by both muslims and non-muslims.

At the moment, when Muslims are being targeted by constant vicious racism, anyone in favour of human liberation needs to defend them.

I thnk that the british public (the vast majority) of them have more than two brain cells to rub together and understand the difference between practising muslims and islamic fundamentalists, like Red Letter you seem to think that attacking fundamentalist crack pots equates to being Islamophobic which is a pretty spurious claim.

Lets put it more simply.
Is the BNP trying to make political capital out of Islamic fundamentalism?
Yes
Is the BNP likely to make gains because of the perceived prevalence of Islamic Fundamentalism?
Yes
Do we support the rhetoric and politics of fundamentalism in any way?
No
Would the class struggle benefit from discrediting the hate fueled, reactionary politics of the far right and religous fundamentalism?
Yes
How can we best discredit the BNPs arguments against Islamic Fundamentalism which they are undoubtedly trying to use against all muslims?

Now the BNP are trying to push this family friendly, clean and law abidng working class image but we know that they are as power crazed, authoritarian, contrived, degenerate and reactionary as any fundamentalist group, we can shout 'nazis' and 'racists' as much as we want but it isnt going to tackle peoples , often genuine, concerns that there are small groups of people in society who would quite happily blow normal people to peices in their quest for a Sharia State. Youve got to see that while much of the media furour over 'terror' is manipulative there is still a real fear amongst average people. Now if you dont provide a reasoned critique of the Fundamentalists while challenging the BNP you are leaving a vacuum and a space for the BNP to push their filthy racist propaganda. What are you going to say to someone who is thinking of voting BNP because, for some reason they think that they will confront and stop the perceived threat of fundamentalism? Will you just point out that the BNP is racist and that its best not to criticse the crackpot, degenerate fundamentalists because you believe that some muslims may get the wrong end of the stick?!

Personally i believe that highlighting the similarities between the BNP and the likes of al Ghurabaa would be a effective way of disparaging the BNP and making people think again about offering them a 'protest vote' or even joining the party. Without pointing out the reactionary, anti-working class role of the BNP were fighting a losing battle, our critique has to be total and coherent. And i think tacklng some of the issues they attach their racist ideology to is essential to defeating them. I think the role of the muslim and asian community in defeating fascism in the guise of religous fundamentalism is imperative to defeating fascism as a whole, we cant just ignore it.

Both the BNP and the likes of al ghurabaa detest the notion of a diverse society, the BNP number two has talked of his appreciation for eugenics, some fundamentalists believe that we should all be forced to worship allah and abide by his laws. Nutt cases from both sides deny the existence of the holocaust, they both despise homosexuals, both have used terrorist acts to further their ideology, they both suport a strong, intrusive and ruthless state. Neither can stand the working classes fighting for a free society, both support rigid hierarchy and state oppresion. What is there not to detest in either one of these ideologies?

To equate religious and 'secular' fundamentalism may be possible in the broad sweep of history.
But to equate them now, as you do in the final paragraph of your post, is to inflate the fuudamentalists massively,and to draw yet more attention to a minute current amongst Britains Muslims.
The result of that will be:
(a) a fair proportion of white working class people who have little idea about the difference beteen whichever group it was you highlighted and mainstream muslims, will equate the two.
(b) you will be adding to the tendency of both the tabloids and the bnp to highlight the minority of fundamentalists nutters, which INEVITABLY leads to other muslims being tarred with the same brush.

Muslims are under ideological attack, right now, in the UK. The way to marginalise the fundamentalists is to show that radicals WILL defend them.

If you think just calling the bnp 'nazis' isn't effective fair enough, there needs to be a much more well thought out and broad strategy to undermine them, but the one you're outlining isn't it.

I appreciate what your saying and can see that if done in a crude or incoherent fashion such a campaign (it doesnt warrant being called a campaign!) could be misconstrude or interpreted in the wrong way. I just think that the BNP WILL gain votes and support from the perceived threat and that its important to show their critique as the straw man that it is. I believe that ultimately it is the asian and muslim community who will have to combat the small but dedicated elements of fanatiicism, but at the same time we shouldnt be affraid of using the BNPs targets to expose their own putrid core.