A Racist By Any Other Name

[shaved_ape]

To tie in with the anniversary of 9/11 racist groups (organising on Facebook) have called a protest outside the central Mosque in Harrow. Groups such as 'Stop Islamisation Of Europe,' 'The England Defence League' and 'Casuals United' (rent-a-thug football hooligans) are backing the protest. They claim not to be racist as 'Islam is a religion, not a

Comments

[eracerhead]

Religion is an idea or a set of ideas. Why should it hold the same weight as race? By your argument you shouldn't be attending "Unite against Facism" because that would be persecuting facists.

[shaved_ape]

Persecuting someone because of their religion "carries the same weight" (as you put it) as persecuting someone because of their skin colour. Why should anyone have to face discrimination, violence or worse for either of these reasons?
I understand our point about persecuting someone for their reigious beliefs seemingly being the same as for the religious beliefs and from a purely philosophical point of view where all ideas have equal value your point would be correct. Fascism by its nature has to be treated seperately from this because by its nature - its very reason for existence - is to discriminate, marginalise, brutalise or worse.
I make no apology for being an anti-fascist.

[eracerhead]

[Why should anyone have to face discrimination, violence or worse for either of these reasons?]

Because religion is nothing more than an idea.

[I understand our point about persecuting someone for their reigious beliefs seemingly being the same as for the religious beliefs and from a purely philosophical point of view where all ideas have equal value your point would be correct.]

And who is to say that religious values are any better than other values?

[Fascism by its nature has to be treated seperately from this because by its nature - its very reason for existence - is to discriminate, marginalise, brutalise or worse.]

The same is true for religion.

[I make no apology for being an anti-fascist.]

And I make no apology for being anti-theist.

[shaved_ape]

In the abstract, religion is just an idea. (Im an athiest myself so its not an idea I personally subscribe to). For those that do subscribe it is more than just an idea. Im not talking about any inherent truth (or lack of it) in any religion, but one example would be as a form of cultural identity. This is especially true for immigrant peoples. Many people will identify themselves as being Jewish, Muslim or whatever as part of teir identity regarless of how little they subscribe to the idea itself. What is at stake here is peoples right to practice whatever religion they choose (or their right not to practice at all). Also, (this may be different where you live) in the UK "Muslim" has become the coded aceptible word for "Asain" or "Paki." In a liberal modern society it is easy to identify when someone is being racist when they use the old terms. When they substitute "Muslims" it is seen as more acceptable because they are ONLY attacking an idea, not a people. The fact is that in most cases the same people are the targets of the