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This
Saturday will see the world come out in protest against the
invasion of
Iraq
. Three hundred and sixty-six days after the US- and British-led
coalition started inflicting “shock and awe” upon the Iraqi
population, the global anti-war movement is still striving for
peace.
In
Britain
the public has not forgotten the government’s lies which took
us into the highly dubious invasion. The Hutton Enquiry has been
dismissed as a whitewash, the Butler Enquiry into the quality of
intelligence has lost the support of both
UK
opposition parties, and the original advice by the Attorney
General about the legality of the war is still being kept from
public scrutiny. There is also the small matter of the much
hyped “weapons of mass destruction” which, despite
concentrated efforts, have yet to be found.
But
still, the occupation continues.
So
the world will demonstrate, at local town halls and city centers
this Friday and then gather together en masse for another march
in
London
and capital cities around the world on Saturday. Unlike the
US-led “coalition” occupying
Iraq
, the broad range of groups and individuals which make up the
anti-war movement is a coalition in the true sense. Whilst there
has always been activism by small groups, the world has seen,
after September 11, a steady increase in the scale of activity
and the diversity of those attending the public meetings, vigils
and even stalls in shopping centres. The unprecedented number of
protesters on last year’s February 15 march was estimated at
well over 1 million in
London
and millions more globally. This was literally due to its being
a family affair – all ages and all backgrounds joined
together, and for many it was their first time on a
demonstration.
Many
identify with the anti-war movement, but the three main
organizations who have made the British marches possible are the
Stop the War Coalition (STW), Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
(CND) and the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB). One would
expect STW and CND to demonstrate their opposition to the war;
they are after all the “usual suspects” in left-wing
activism. The MAB’s involvement, however, may come as a
surprise. Muslims make up only 2.7% of the population; and in an
atmosphere in which Islam is consistently misrepresented as
being extremist, British Muslims could have just kept their
objections to themselves.
The
MAB’s involvement has not come without some internal criticism
from the British Muslim community, but they have been careful to
spread their political associations across the parties, aligning
with any groups who share commonality in their goals. Sheffield
MAB member Mr. A. Bougara told me “now people are more aware
about how they are represented… so Muslims start to be more
aware, more involved and more active in creating a better
Britain
.” A good example of this is the much publicized article in
the Sunday Express newspaper by TV presenter Robert Kilroy Silk.
When “We owe Arabs nothing” was published, allegedly by
mistake, in January, there was a loud and public outcry by
Muslim groups across the country resulting in the cancelling of
Kilroy’s BBC1 TV show. When the same, albeit slightly edited,
piece appeared nine months earlier it raised merely a few
letters of objection. British Muslims are finding their voice.
The
MAB’s affiliation with the anti-war movement is a continuation
of the need felt by British Muslims to play an active role in
British society. By providing their share of logistical and
financial backing to the movement, they have also been able to
keep the issue of
Palestine
on the agenda. Despite initial fears by some coalition members
that it would divide their support, the MAB stuck to their
principles: Saturday’s official title is advertized as “End
the occupation of
Iraq
. Democracy now – Freedom for
Palestine
,” Occupation across the world is, of course, ongoing.
The
main thing British Muslims have contributed to the anti-war
movement, however, is validity. Historically there has been a
tendency of the “white well-meaning left” to champion the
powerless and oppressed without consulting or involving those
communities they seek to support. This is not to belittle people
standing up for what they believe in, but few non-Muslims,
myself included, can place the invasion of Iraq in its full
context. The same is true of
Palestine
; while we can sympathise and lobby against our government’s
involvement, unless we work actively with Muslim and Jewish
groups striving for peace and resolution, our efforts are, to a
certain extent, wasted.
So
come Saturday, thousands will rise early to travel down to the
capital, banners and flags in hand. The mainstream media will
briefly mention us, the politicians will dismiss us and many may
disagree with us. No one is naïve enough to think that any
individual action will change the world, but when voices join
together, the call for peace will become too loud to ignore.
Jon
Wright is a freelance writer and broadcaster based in Sheffield,
UK
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