The Canberra Times badly edits a letter of mine in todays paper. It was response to an article which the CT removes the initial references to. canberratimes.au/comment/ct-letters/freedom-of-expression-must-be-upheld-in-wake-of-charlie-hebdo-attacks-20150114-12o6g7.html French Islamophobes Large sections of French society are deeply Islamophobic and Charlie Hebdo, like much of the moderate Left and even many in the revolutionary Left in France, share this trait. It is often disguised as a defence of laicite, the separation of the state from religion. Rather than defending the oppressed (including many Muslims) in French society, much of the Left has joined in their oppression, as the support of the Left for the ban on conspicuous religious attire in public schools (ie the hijab, but not the cross) and wearing face coverings in public attests. It is no accident that this systemic Islamophobia, which Charlie Hebdo feeds and reinforces, sees the leader of the fascist Front National No.1 in the polls for the presidency. Indeed, it is likely that the main beneficiary of the terrorist attack will be these fascists, unless the radical Left can build a strong anti-racist movement. Given much of the French Lefts capitulation to Islamophobia, this is unlikely. Birch also appeals to French values. The real values of the French ruling class and its politicians are brutal racism, imperialism and war. Any appeal to these vicious, violent values, even cloaked in terms of freedom of speech or with platitudes about liberty, equality and fraternity, will not improve French society. Such an appeal will only further enforce the power of the racists, Islamophobes and fascists.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 20:57:52 +0000
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