WHEN the disastrous “war on terror” began in 2001, the newly-created anti-war movement adopted two additional slogans, beyond the essential “stop the war.”
They were the defence of civil liberties and mobilisation against the danger of a racist backlash arising from the war.
Both slogans have been amply vindicated many times over in the course of the years since. And they are clearly vital again today.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has dubbed demonstrations for a ceasefire in Gaza as “hate marches” and Tory politicians are clearly trying to push the police into banning such protests and making mass arrests — despite the fact that the vast marches of the last three weekends have been almost entirely peaceful.
This extends previous Tory measures to silence overt dissent and choke off the right to demonstrate.
Their vaunted commitment to “free speech” has been shown to be bogus. It means free speech only for those who agree with the establishment narrative.
The evidence of an upsurge in racism since the start of the present round of conflict in the Middle East is also overwhelming. Anti-semitic and Islamophobic incidents are soaring on the streets.
Both types of racism must be condemned unreservedly and opposed practically by all of the left. The only distinction between the two today is that the Establishment unites in denouncing anti-semitism, where it exists and where it doesn’t.
Muslim-baiting is positively encouraged, however. A recent article in the Telegraph by Nick Timothy, former chief of staff to Theresa May, sets out the agenda — tougher laws against “extremism,” a register of imams and mosques with possible closures of the latter, shutting down TC channels and charities, a ban on wearing the burqa in public and the criminalisation of sharia law.
This is a programme of unabated Islamophobia from near the heart of the Conservative Party. We can be sure that there are ministers itching to implement it.
Freedom and community cohesion at home are always menaced by imperialist-backed wars abroad. The working-class movement needs to stand for both more than ever today, defending the rights of all and supporting Muslims and Jews threatened by resurgent racism.
