Secularism

Debate: What secularism really means

Some points on Maria Exall’s article in Solidarity 3/76. What is secularism ? First of all, it is freedom of conscience. A secular state is one which doesn’t try to impose any kind of religious or political or philosophical thought. It is not “tolerance” or “equality between religions”, it is law guaranteeing the right of all to be religious in one way or another, or to be agnostic, or to be atheist — and the right to change your mind whenever you want! In a secular society the state doesn’t worry about what people are thinking, except when it poses a threat to someone : ie when a man is...

Debate & Discussion: Yes, separate religion and state!

Much of Maria Exall’s article, “Secularism and religion in a global age” (Solidarity 3-77) was concerned with filling some of the gaps in Soldarity’s coverage of religion and politics — for instance she outlines how trends within Christianity (as well as within Islam) seek to counter and provide an alternative to the “modern world”. On that level much of what she said was fair enough. Elsewhere Maria says she wants to question prevailing wisdom. However on some of her points she fails to draw conclusions, or state clearly what she herself is for. I’d like to address two of the points she...

Secularism and Religion in a global age

Recently there have been many discussions in Solidarity and on the left in general on political matters with a religious theme. Issues such as the ban on the veil in French schools, the extension of faith based education and social care in the UK, the protection from discrimination in goods and services on the basis of belief or non belief in the Equalities Bill, the proposed religious hate laws — all these call for an understanding about the relationship between religion and politics. By Maria Exall In these debates assumptions have been made about the nature of contemporary secularism and...

Neither Washington nor London, but... er... anywhere? Why the SWP's anti-imperialism is sterile (2005)

The 1950s movie The Wild One is about a motorcycle “rebel” gang, led by Marlon Brando, invading a small American town and frightening the natives. Someone asks the Brando character: “And what are you rebelling against?” Famously, he replies: “What’ve you got?” The film was, for decades, banned in Britain. That may have been to protect impressionable British Marxists, especially the SWP, from mistaking the Brando character’s philosophy — whatever it is, I’m against it — for a serviceable political programme. It is now the core and only approach of the SWP. Look at Chris Harman’s review of the...

What is secularism?

Throughout the world, political religion or religious politics is being revived. In the United States Christian fundamentalists want to end the traditional separation of church and state. These fundamentalists have mass support. In the Middle East and North Africa Muslim “fundamentalism” is also strong. Often known as political Islam, this movement varies in nature from country to country. “Islamists” always aim to set up what they would term authentic “Islamic states”. They want society to be organised according to the principles of a dogmatic and sometimes cruel reading of Islam. Britain is...

Respect says: "Secularism is Islamophobic."

The conference of the Galloway/SWP coalition Respect (30-31 October, in London) voted down a motion to “declare that Respect is a secular organisation”. The motion, drafted by the longstanding and well-respected anti-racist activist Dave Landau, was very moderately worded. However, Socialist Worker editor Chris Bambery declared that it was “Islamophobic”. The motion’s only specific expression of hostility to a particular religion was its call for disestablishment of the Church of England. But Bambery said that in 30-odd years of activity he had never before seen a motion to a left organisation...

"Secularism is Islamophobic", says Respect

The conference of the Galloway/ SWP coalition Respect (30-31 October, in London) has voted down a motion to "declare that Respect is a secular organisation". The motion, drafted by the longstanding and well-respected anti-racist activist Dave Landau, was very moderately worded. However, Socialist Worker editor Chris Bambery declared that it was "Islamophobic". The motion's only specific expression of hostility to a particular religion was its call for disestablishment of the Church of England. But Bambery said that in 30-odd years of activity he had never before seen a motion to a left...

Solidarity and secularism

This is the seventeenth year Ideas for Freedom has taken place. The event is a forum for free and open socialist debate and discussion. Ideas for Freedom is an opportunity for socialists and activists to take stock of the political situation, debate differences, and to meet like-minded people. This year we will highlight solidarity with the emerging new Iraqi workers' movement, and the political ferment in the British trade union movement opened up by New Labour's expulsion of the RMT and the moves for a new Labour Representation Committee. Alex Gordon (RMT) and Billy Hayes (CWU) in a forum on...

Mauritian socialists campaign for secularism

Comrades who read French may be interested to look at this link , where one of the Lalit comrades, Rajni Lallah, defends secularism in a debate in the mainstream press of Mauritius. To judge from Lalit's website, secularism is one of their bigger campaigning issues at present, and evidently they are seen by the mainstream press in Mauritius as the most vocal proponents of secularism. The population of Mauritius is estimated to be Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%. The ethnic make-up is estimated as Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%...

In defence of secularism: Religion must be pushed back

In defence of secularism Religion must be pushed back Speech made by Azar Majedi in the 5th February meeting in France in defence of secularism I am delighted to witness the growth of an active secular movement, to see that secularism is gaining momentum and is parting with its silent and marginal position in the society. We need another strong and formidable force like the French revolution to push back religion into private sphere where it rightfully belongs. Religion and religious movements have gained too much power and influence in the past decades. Political Islam has gained political...

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