One Law for All's International Women's Day was resounding successNearly 600 people joined the One Law for All anti-racist rally against
Sharia and religious-based laws in Britain and elsewhere and in defence of
citizenship and universal rights in Trafalgar Square and marched towards Red
Lion Square in London. Hundreds then joined our public meeting to discuss
and debate Sharia, Sexual Apartheid and Women's Rights. Our protest was met
with widespread support and left many feeling inspired and invigorated. It
was also covered by the mainstream media, including BBC Radio 4, BBC 5Live,
BBC Wales, and the Times.
The rally of several hundred heard a number of speakers denouncing the
policy of accommodation and appeasement of the political Islamic movement. A
C Grayling in his speech said: 'Once you start fragmenting society, once you
start allowing different groups in society to apply different standards, you
get very profound injustices and it is almost always women who suffer these
injustices. We have to fight hard to keep one law for everybody.'
Parisa who was refused a divorce from a violent husband said: 'Ten years of
my life is gone because of Sharia law. I want to stop it. Please help to
stop it. It is not fair. I had a good uncle who helped me to escape but what
about others who don't have a chance to run away. I saw that many, many
times.'
Terry Sanderson, the president of the National Secular Society, said: 'We do
not need another legal system running in parallel... Sharia is creeping into
our legal system and society and we must stop it in its tracks and now!'
Fariborz Pooya, head of the Iranian Secular Society, said 'the introduction
of Sharia is a betrayal of thousands of women and children and leaves them
at the mercy of Islamist groups.'
After listening to a number of speeches, including from Sargul Ahmad, Jalil
Jalili, Shiva Mahbobi, Reza Moradi, Maryam Namazie, Saeed Parto, Sohaila
Sharifi and Bahram Soroush the crowd then marched through Strand and Kings
Way to Red Lion Square with demands to end Sharia law in the UK and
elsewhere. At Conway Hall, they heard live music from the group, Raised
Voices, then joined a public meeting and heard a panel of distinguished
speakers discuss Sharia Law, Sexual Apartheid and Women's Rights. The
meeting was chaired by Sohaila Sharifi (Central Council of Equal Rights Now
- Organisation against Women's Discrimination in Iran). Speakers included
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (Journalist and British Muslims for Secular Democracy
Chair), Naser Khader (Democratic Muslims Founder), Kenan Malik (Writer and
Broadcaster); Yasaman Molazadeh (One Law for All Legal Coordinator); Maryam
Namazie (Equal Rights Now - Organisation against Women's Discrimination in
Iran, One Law for All and Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain Spokesperson),
Pragna Patel (Southall Black Sisters and Women Against Fundamentalism
founding member), Fariborz Pooya (Iranian Secular Society and Council of
Ex-Muslims of Britain Chair), and Carla Revere (Lawyers' Secular Society
Chair). Sargul Ahmad (International Campaign against Civil Law in Kurdistan
Iraq head) also spoke about the situation in Iraq under Sharia and the need
for international solidarity.
March 7 was One Law for All's first warning to the British government and
the political Islamic movement. As Maryam Namazie said on the day: "We won't
stand idly by whilst the British government relegates a huge segment of our
society to sham courts and regressive rules and appeases the Islamists here
or elsewhere. And we will bring the political Islamic movement to its knees
in Britain in much the same way that people are doing in Iran and
elsewhere." She added: "We will keep growing in numbers and strength until
we get rid of Sharia councils and religious tribunal's altogether."
To see footage and photos of the rally, march and public meeting, click
here:
http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/eventPages/March7-2009.htmlTo donate to our organisation, sign the petition and find out more, visit
our website:
www.onelawforall.org.uk or contact:
BM Box 2387
London WC1N 3XX, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 7719166731
onelawforall@gmail.com
Topic: London Demo Today