Forum Message

Topic: the plot thickens ...
Posted by: Claudia Jachtmann
Date/Time: 27/09/15 20:29:00

'Passion for Freedom isn’t western but universal

By MaryamNamaziePublished: September 23, 201
   
Passion for Freedom Art Festival is in its 7th year this week. The Art Competition was initially begun by One Law for All to promote  secular and universal values, one law for all, and equal rights for all citizens.

For two years now, however, One Law for All is no longer associated with the festival after it took positions that were opposed to that of the organisation’s.
In November 2013, organisers introduced Tommy Robinson, former head of the far-Right English Defence League, as a special guest at a panel discussing a film Silent Conquest, which won an award at the festival.
The film placed collective blame on Muslims who were deemed to be “conquering” Europe.
Our then Spokesperson, Anne Marie Waters, was at the discussion but did not dispute the film nor Robinson’s introduction despite our organisation’s very clear position against the far-Right.
Waters was asked to resign that same month.

In 2014, One Law for All Spokesperson, Maryam Namazie, who had spoken at every art festival since its inception did not attend the event and informed organisers that One Law for All would no longer be working with Passion for Freedom.
In 2014, the festival, which professed to be non-political, was sponsored by the Israeli embassy, amongst others.

These changes in politics began to take hold after the festival was taken over by volunteers Agnieszka Kolek and Mariana Fox. 
Their perspective is similar to the far-Right point of view that sees “Muslims” as a homogeneous community “conquering” western societies.
In fact, “Muslims” or those labelled as such include progressive and anti-Islamist believers and non-believers. Those deemed “Muslims” are often the first victims of Islamism and at the frontlines of resistance to it. Moreover, this point of view supports – without question – the Israeli state at the expense of the Israeli and Palestinian people.

In their latest letter sent in September 2015, Passion for Freedom speaks of  “freedom for our Western societies” as if freedom is for the West alone and not a universal concept fought for and defended the world over.

Freedom is always the freedom of dissenters (as Rosa Luxemburg has said) – and those dissenters include many “Muslims” and non-Westerners.  Whilst Passion for Freedom uses films and art by non-Western artists who face great risks, they push a clash of civilisations narrative (in their defence of “our Western societies”) which effectively undermines the very artists being showcased.

One Law for All is outraged that an art competition it started and which was meant to unite humanity via art against the religious-Right is morphing into a tool of the Christian-Right.'

http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/passion-for-freedom-isnt-western-but=-universal/


Entire Thread
TopicDate PostedPosted By
Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 11:11:00 Alastair Banton
   Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 11:21:00 Paul Wright
      Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 11:28:00 Alastair Banton
   Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 11:28:00 Stuart Kerr
      Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 11:29:00 Alastair Banton
   Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 11:37:00 Francis Rowe
   Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 11:37:00 Carl Wynne
      Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 11:44:00 Russell Pearson
         Re:Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 11:45:00 Paul Wright
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 11:49:00 Michael Brown
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 11:50:00 Paul Wright
   Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 11:54:00 Paul Wright
      Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 13:27:00 Russell Pearson
      Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 13:28:00 Claudia Jachtmann
         Re:Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 13:44:00 Michael Brown
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 14:00:00 Donna Fraser
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 14:08:00 Alastair Banton
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 15:15:00 Donna Fraser
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 15:44:00 Colin Jordan
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Ludicrous censorship27/09/15 16:02:00 Russell Pearson
                        Is this actually censorship?27/09/15 16:18:00 Francis Rowe
                           Re:Is this actually censorship?27/09/15 16:50:00 Stuart Kerr
                              Re:Re:Is this actually censorship?27/09/15 16:55:00 Alastair Banton
                                 Re:Re:Re:Is this actually censorship?27/09/15 17:52:00 Russell Pearson
                                    Re:Re:Re:Re:Is this actually censorship?27/09/15 18:19:00 Carl Wynne
                                       the plot thickens ...27/09/15 20:29:00 Claudia Jachtmann
                                          Re:the plot thickens ...27/09/15 21:01:00 Claudia Jachtmann
                                             Re:Re:the plot thickens ...28/09/15 08:48:00 Felicity Caborn
                                                Re:Re:Re:the gravy thickens ...28/09/15 09:17:00 Russell Pearson
                                                   Re:Re:Re:Re:the gravy thickens ...28/09/15 11:33:00 Alastair Banton
                                                      Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:the gravy thickens ...28/09/15 11:49:00 Paul Corcoran
                                                         Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:the gravy thickens ...28/09/15 13:36:00 Cllr Sam Hearn
                                                            Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:the gravy thickens ...28/09/15 13:44:00 Carl Wynne
                                                               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:the gravy thickens ...28/09/15 13:50:00 bobby osborne
         Re:Re:Re:Warwick Uni backs down29/09/15 15:55:00 Alastair Banton
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Warwick Uni backs down29/09/15 17:50:00 Claudia Jachtmann
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Warwick Uni backs down30/09/15 07:55:00 Francis Rowe
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Warwick Student Uni backs down30/09/15 09:54:00 Russell Pearson
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Warwick Student Uni backs down30/09/15 11:23:00 Cllr Sam Hearn
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Warwick Student Uni backs down30/09/15 12:42:00 Alastair Banton
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Warwick Student Uni backs down30/09/15 13:00:00 Cllr Sam Hearn

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