With the turmoil going on in the Middle East today there is a danger of thinking that Judaism and Islam provide fundamental threats to the very basis of a free and open society. Clearly there are those of both religions that advocate a future world based upon fundamental principles. Zionists seek a state based primarily for Jews and those advocating an Islamic state fight for a state based on Sharia law where non-believers are not tolerated. But this is not true of everyone and maybe not true of most. In 2006 Muslim journalists, writers, filmmakers and activists banded together to form a new organisation aimed at influencing the media to move beyond easy and simplistic portrayal of Muslims and build on issues relevant to British Muslims today. Called Muslims for Secular Democracy, the lobbying group is being headed by the journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and supported by others such as Ghayasuddin Siddique of the Muslim Parliament, playright Nasreen Rehman and Sharq magazine editor Reem Maghrebi. The organisation says it supports a clear separation between religion and the state and wants to make democratic engagement its primary concern. Also there is a long tradition among prominent Jewish figures of opposing a Zionist state, and who have found themselves, like Isaac Asimov, in the odd position of not being a Zionist. From Albert Einstein to Noam Chomsky, there are many famous Jews who have opposed Zionism. For example in last week’s demonstration against the atrocities in Gaza many Jews joined that demonstration and these included, the Jewish Bloc, The International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, Jews for Justice for Palestinians and Jews Against the war on Gaza. We have to be careful not to attack a religion because there is fundamentalists who would take us back to another age but work with religious progressives to develop an inclusive society that respects and champions diversity. A secular state has to champion religion even if many secularists are not religious and to work with those in the religious communities that want freedom for those of all religions and none.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 05:33:30 +0000
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