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| The Atlantic Affairs Security. Ideologies. Multiculturalism. |
Letter: Confront Islamic totalitarianism worldwide
By Salman Rushdie, Irshad Manji, et al
Posted: March 12, 2006
We, writers, journalists, intellectuals, call for resistance to religious
totalitarianism and for the promotion of freedom, equal opportunity and
secular values for all.
The recent events, which occurred after the publication of drawings of
Muhammed in European newspapers, have revealed the necessity of the
struggle for these universal values.
This struggle will not be won by arms, but in the ideological field. It is not a
clash of civilisations nor an antagonism of West and East that we are
witnessing, but a global struggle that confronts democrats and theocrats.
Like all totalitarianisms, Islamism is nurtured by fears and frustrations. The
hate preachers bet on these feelings in order to form battalions destined to
impose a liberticidal and unegalitarian world. But we clearly and firmly
state: nothing, not even despair, justifies the choice of obscurantism,
totalitarianism and hatred. Islamism is a reactionary ideology which kills
equality, freedom and secularism wherever it is present. Its success can
only lead to a world of domination: man's domination of woman, the
Islamists' domination of all the others. To counter this, we must assure
universal rights to oppressed or discriminated people.
We reject 'cultural relativism', which consists in accepting that men and
women of Muslim culture should be deprived of the right to equality,
freedom and secular values in the name of respect for cultures and
traditions. We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being
accused of "Islamophobia", an unfortunate concept which confuses
criticism of Islam as a religion with stigmatisation of its believers.
We plead for the universality of freedom of expression, so that a critical
spirit may be exercised on all continents, against all abuses and all
dogmas.
We appeal to democrats and free spirits of all countries that our century
should be one of Enlightenment, not of obscurantism.
12 signatures
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Chahla Chafiq
Caroline Fourest
Bernard-Henri Lévy
Irshad Manji
Mehdi Mozaffari
Maryam Namazie
Taslima Nasreen
Salman Rushdie
Antoine Sfeir
Philippe Val
Ibn Warraq
### ### ###
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, of Somalian origin, is a member of Dutch Parliament,
member of the liberal party VVD and writter of the film Submission which
caused the assassination of Theo Van Gogh in november 2004. She lives
under police protection.
Chahla Chafiq
Chahla Chafiq, is a novelist and an essayist of Iranian origin, exiled in
France.
Caroline Fourest
Essayist, winner of National prize of laicité in 2005, editor in chief of
Prochoix, a pro-Choice journal based in France, .
Bernard-Henri Lévy
French philosopher, born in Algeria, engaged against all the XXth century
'ism's, and most recently, the author of American Vertigo.
Irshad Manji
Irshad Manji is a Fellow at Yale University and the internationally
best-selling author of The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for
Reform in Her Faith.
Mehdi Mozaffari
Mehdi Mozaffari, professor of Iranian origin, exiled in Denmark, author of
several articles and books on Islam and Islamism such as: Authority in
Islam: From Muhammad to Khomeini, Fatwa: Violence and Discourtesy
and Glaobalization and Civilizations.
Maryam Namazie
Writer, TV International English producer; Director of the Worker-communist
Party of Iran's International Relations; and 2005 winner of the National
Secular Society's Secularist of the Year award.
Taslima Nasreen
Journalist, novelist and poet, Taslima Nasreen attained global attention
when fundamentalist Muslim clerics lead a violent campaign for killing her
and a prize was set for her head in response to her books and articles.
Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie is the author of nine novels, including Midnight's
Children, The Satanic Verses and, most recently, Shalimar the Clown. An
Honorary Professor in the Humanities at M.I.T., and the president of PEN
American Center.
Philippe Val
Director of publication of Charlie Hebdo (Leftwing French newspaper who
republished the controversial cartoons on prophet Muhammad).
Ibn Warraq
Ibn Warraq , author notably of Why I am Not a Muslim; Leaving Islam :
Apostates Speak Out ; and The Origins of the Koran, is at present Research
Fellow at a New York Institute conducting philological and historical
research into the Origins of Islam and its Holy Book.
Antoine Sfeir
Born in Lebanon, chose French nationality to live in 'laïc' (real secular)
country. Director of Les cahiers de l'Orient who has published several
reference books on Islamism such as Les réseaux d'Allah (2001) et Liberté,
égalité, Islam : la République face au communautarisme (2005).
By Salman Rushdie, Irshad Manji, et al
Posted: March 12, 2006
We, writers, journalists, intellectuals, call for resistance to religious
totalitarianism and for the promotion of freedom, equal opportunity and
secular values for all.
The recent events, which occurred after the publication of drawings of
Muhammed in European newspapers, have revealed the necessity of the
struggle for these universal values.
This struggle will not be won by arms, but in the ideological field. It is not a
clash of civilisations nor an antagonism of West and East that we are
witnessing, but a global struggle that confronts democrats and theocrats.
Like all totalitarianisms, Islamism is nurtured by fears and frustrations. The
hate preachers bet on these feelings in order to form battalions destined to
impose a liberticidal and unegalitarian world. But we clearly and firmly
state: nothing, not even despair, justifies the choice of obscurantism,
totalitarianism and hatred. Islamism is a reactionary ideology which kills
equality, freedom and secularism wherever it is present. Its success can
only lead to a world of domination: man's domination of woman, the
Islamists' domination of all the others. To counter this, we must assure
universal rights to oppressed or discriminated people.
We reject 'cultural relativism', which consists in accepting that men and
women of Muslim culture should be deprived of the right to equality,
freedom and secular values in the name of respect for cultures and
traditions. We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being
accused of "Islamophobia", an unfortunate concept which confuses
criticism of Islam as a religion with stigmatisation of its believers.
We plead for the universality of freedom of expression, so that a critical
spirit may be exercised on all continents, against all abuses and all
dogmas.
We appeal to democrats and free spirits of all countries that our century
should be one of Enlightenment, not of obscurantism.
12 signatures
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Chahla Chafiq
Caroline Fourest
Bernard-Henri Lévy
Irshad Manji
Mehdi Mozaffari
Maryam Namazie
Taslima Nasreen
Salman Rushdie
Antoine Sfeir
Philippe Val
Ibn Warraq
### ### ###
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, of Somalian origin, is a member of Dutch Parliament,
member of the liberal party VVD and writter of the film Submission which
caused the assassination of Theo Van Gogh in november 2004. She lives
under police protection.
Chahla Chafiq
Chahla Chafiq, is a novelist and an essayist of Iranian origin, exiled in
France.
Caroline Fourest
Essayist, winner of National prize of laicité in 2005, editor in chief of
Prochoix, a pro-Choice journal based in France, .
Bernard-Henri Lévy
French philosopher, born in Algeria, engaged against all the XXth century
'ism's, and most recently, the author of American Vertigo.
Irshad Manji
Irshad Manji is a Fellow at Yale University and the internationally
best-selling author of The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for
Reform in Her Faith.
Mehdi Mozaffari
Mehdi Mozaffari, professor of Iranian origin, exiled in Denmark, author of
several articles and books on Islam and Islamism such as: Authority in
Islam: From Muhammad to Khomeini, Fatwa: Violence and Discourtesy
and Glaobalization and Civilizations.
Maryam Namazie
Writer, TV International English producer; Director of the Worker-communist
Party of Iran's International Relations; and 2005 winner of the National
Secular Society's Secularist of the Year award.
Taslima Nasreen
Journalist, novelist and poet, Taslima Nasreen attained global attention
when fundamentalist Muslim clerics lead a violent campaign for killing her
and a prize was set for her head in response to her books and articles.
Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie is the author of nine novels, including Midnight's
Children, The Satanic Verses and, most recently, Shalimar the Clown. An
Honorary Professor in the Humanities at M.I.T., and the president of PEN
American Center.
Philippe Val
Director of publication of Charlie Hebdo (Leftwing French newspaper who
republished the controversial cartoons on prophet Muhammad).
Ibn Warraq
Ibn Warraq , author notably of Why I am Not a Muslim; Leaving Islam :
Apostates Speak Out ; and The Origins of the Koran, is at present Research
Fellow at a New York Institute conducting philological and historical
research into the Origins of Islam and its Holy Book.
Antoine Sfeir
Born in Lebanon, chose French nationality to live in 'laïc' (real secular)
country. Director of Les cahiers de l'Orient who has published several
reference books on Islamism such as Les réseaux d'Allah (2001) et Liberté,
égalité, Islam : la République face au communautarisme (2005).
| (c) 2006 The Atlantic Affairs |