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Does Derry believe Muslim women have a right to wear the veil? Wednesday 18th 8.00 p.m. Linnen Hall Bar, Linnen Hall Street, Derry

Wednesday 18th October 2006

The controversy currently rocking politics will be the subject of a meeting in Derry tonight (Wednesday) at 8pm . The meeting, in the Linen Hall Bar in Linenhall Street, has been organised by the local branch of the Socialist Workers' Party.

The speaker will be Barbara Muldoon, an immigration specialist with a Belfast law firm and a leading member of the Anti-Racism Network.

In a statement the SWP says: "In the past two weeks we have witnessed some of the most virulent racist remarks imaginable about Islamic religious beliefs.

"The worst example was Jack Straw's outburst in relation to women who wear the veil. Of course it was no surprise that it is Muslim women's dress that Jack Straw takes such exception to. Jack Straw played a key role in the so called war on terror, that has anti Muslim propaganda as one of its key components.

"Now another Minister, Phil Woolas, has publicly called for the sacking of a classroom assistant for wearing the veil when men were in the room.

"It is not a question of whether we approve of women wearing the veil. It is a question of their right to make this decision for themselves, and of the context in which Straw and others launch attacks on them.

"New Labour has promoted Islamophobia as the ideological framework for legitimising the murder of innocent men, women and children in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and the Lebanon. They have systematically painted Muslims as reactionary fundamentalists and potential terrorists in order to try to justify Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, the killing of Charles de Menezes, the shooting of Muslims in their own home, internment without trial and a long list of human rights abuses that Muslims have been subjected to.

"Straw's remarks gave the green light for every jumped-up racist to make similar remarks. The Daily Express is now running a 'ban the veil campaign.' Last Sunday's papers were full of the most disgusting anti Muslim comments, with one paper suggesting that if they (Muslims) didn't like it they could 'go home' - so blinded by prejudice they forgot that the majority of Muslims living in Britain are British and are therefore home..

"The SWP invites all who wish to discuss the issue and the ideas underlying the issue to come along to the Linen Hall on Wednesday evening and participate in the meeting."





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