UK: Women, the 'War on Terror' and Fundamentalism

2pm - 5pm at Upper Hall
University of London Union
Malet Street
London WC1E 7HY

Speakers
Pragna Patel, Southall Black Sisters
Nadje Al-Ali, Act Together: Women's Action for Iraq
Mai Ghoussoub, writer, artist and founder of Saqi Books
Chair Julia Bard, Jewish Socialists' Group

Entrance £5/£2

Women Against Fundamentalism is alarmed at the threat to and silencing of trade union, socialist, feminist, anti-racist and other progressive movements - in the mainstream as well as in Black, migrant and refugee communities - by the state's 'War on Terror'. It is alarmed, too, by the collusion of elements on the Left with fundamentalist religious leaders who are attempting to undermine rights and freedoms, including in their own communities.

These are some of the questions we think the left needs to address urgently. Do you share our concerns?

• What are the implications for freedom of expression in minority communities of religious groups emerging as their leaders and defenders?
• What is the effect of the State's encouragement (through funding and other mechanisms) of religious definitions of 'identity' and its promotion of religious institutions as representatives of minority communities?
• Should the Left's support of communities under pressure include working with religious and/or fundamentalist leaders who are themselves trying to silence secular and dissident voices and to undermine established rights and freedoms?
• Does defining the Middle East conflicts in religious terms undermine our ability to challenge the economic and political issues that underpin the wars in Iraq, Israel/Palestine and Lebanon?
• Is the coalition between key left organisations with reactionary, fundamentalist organisations enabling the Left to win people over from a narrow, religious perspective or drawing the Left into colluding with religious oppression?
• Western governments distinguish 'moderate' Muslims from 'extremist' Muslims, and promote 'non-professional' Muslims into areas of which they have no experience. Is this promotion of certain 'acceptable' Muslim groups actually fuelling fundamentalism?
• Is the 'War on Terror' putting pressure on communities to close ranks and demarcate themselves from the surrounding society? If so, what impact is this having on dissidents, women and vulnerable members of those communities?
• Can the term 'community' be rescued from self- and government-appointed community leaders to incorporate diversity, dissent and conflict?
• Can we support women's movements across the world struggling against the re-invention of religious and tribal laws, while backing the resistance by fundamentalist religious organisations to US/UK/Israeli invasion?
• How can we challenge Bush's fundamentalist Christian morality agenda - on sexuality, abortion and contraception, for example - and should we support anti imperialists who hold almost identical views on these issues?
• Is secularism a divisive 'Western' philosophy, or the only basis from which we can struggle globally for equality, democracy, civil liberties and human rights?
• How can we protect and expand secular spaces on the left?
• How should the human rights movement analyse and hold accountable terrorist and fundamentalist political groups?
• What is the impact of the growth of fundamentalism in a wide range of religions across the world - from fundamentalist Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka to fundamentalist Jewish settlers in the West Bank?
• Is there any role for identity politics in the struggle for human rights?