A Manifesto Against Islamism

Posted on February 28, 2006

Junkyard Blog gives us this graphic.
Update: Many are questioning the wording of this manefesto. Especially the part about “secular values.” I believe that the secular values they speak of are the same as we have here in America that prevents us from “establishing a religion.” We are all free to worship as we please, unlike Islamic nations, and our government is also restricted from establishing a National religion…also unlike Islam. This is a secular value of which we all believe in. Perhaps I am wrong, and will re-read this carefully. While we are a Nation founded on the principles of Christianity, no matter how much the ACLU and other groups want to erase this history, our government is of a secular nature welcoming all religions. We do not force people to be Christians here. That is what freedom is about, and while we could regard this value as a moral one, there are plenty of non-Christians that hold this value as well. Perhaps they could have worded this more accurately, but I don’t believe the intent of this manefesto was any attempt to stamp out freedom of religion through secularization. It was a call against the “totalitarianism” nature being used through Islamic extremists.

Jeff Goldstein explains my understanding much more elequantly. We were definitely on the same wavelength in our understanding.

Hat tip: Michelle Malkin and Agora
From 12 brave intellectuals at the Jyllands-Posten

MANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianism

After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new totalitarian global threat: Islamism.

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

What can one say to such a magnificently written, and clear cut message. Wake up America! We are talking about freedom here! Add my name to the list!

Others on board:
Rusty Shackleford
Atlass Shrugs
Vince Autmorire
Tim Blair
Bryan Preston
Captain’s Quarters
Small Town Veteran
A Tic In The Mind’s Eye
Anti Idiotarian Rottweiller
No-Pasaran
Eureka Iron Works
Wizbang
Bad Hair Blog
Protein Wisdom
Gateway Pundit
Bright and Early
Sister Toldjah
LomaAlta
This message needs as wide a distribution as possible. If you have posted on it, help us compile a list. Link to this post and send a trackback, and it will appear as a link below.

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Comments

5 Responses to “A Manifesto Against Islamism”

Daniel on March 1st, 2006 12:48 am

Is the “ism” at the end “Islamism” really necessary? I don’t want to nitpick (I obviously do), but Islam is a noun to begin with.
Marti on March 1st, 2006 1:18 am

Nothing like throwing fuel on the fire. Use your head. You are no better than Cindy Sheehan and just as stupid.

Unsubscribe me Jay.
zen_less on March 1st, 2006 9:29 am

“…resistance to religious totalitarianism and for the promotion of freedom, equal opportunity and secular values for all”
Hmm…sounds JUST like the ACLU’s charter! Does this apply in the US as well, or only for those you know towelhead countries? ‘Cause I sure would like to see some secular values here (Whoops, guess that makes me a traitor, huh?)
chefrad on March 1st, 2006 12:08 pm

Even the title of this piece is needlessly provocative and offensive. One would think formidable Islamic armies (weaker than the ones defeated by tiny Israel in 6 days?) were massing on the US border.
Want to shoot your mouths off? Put the Danish cartoons on sweathshirts and go for a stroll in the Green Zone.
The Pope said this was an odd way to sell free speech, “by causing grave offense to a billion people.”
Think about it.
LomaAlta on March 1st, 2006 2:01 pm

Please add me to the list.
LomaAlta