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Liberal responses to the Paris killings are fuelling a cycle fromwhich both the right and the terrorists will gain, argues John Rees

Therecanrarelyhavebeenatimewhenfreedomofspeechhasbeensowidelyproclaimedandsolittleunderstood.Ofcourseeveryoneclaims,andnonemorehonestlythantheleft,todefendfreedomofspeech.Butinfact,oncloserexamination,almostnoonebelievesinunlimitedfreespeech,certainlynotthoseestablishmentvoicesmostloudlyproclaimingitrightnow.

The limits of liberalismJanuary11,2015 WrittenbyJohnRees PublishedinAnalysis

'CharlieHebdo'solidarityprotestinNewYork'sUnionSquare.PhotobyPeteVoelker

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Thegovernmentdonotbelieve,forinstance,infreespeechfor'hatepreachers'.Indeedtheydonotevenbelievethatthedueprocessoflawshouldbeappliedtothem.Thegovernmentbelievesindeportationandtrialswithnojury.PreviousgovernmentsinternedIrishRepublicanswithouttrialandbannedGerryAdamsfromspeakingontheBBC.NoristheFrenchgovernmentinfavourofawomen'srighttoexpressherselfbywearingaburka,illegalinFrance.NordoesitsupporttherighttoprotestinfavourofPalestine,bannedforaperiodlastsummerinFrance.OrtherightofMuslimstoprayinthestreet,nowillegalinFrance.TheTorygovernmentheredoesnotevenbelievethattradeunionsshouldbeallowedtheunfetteredrighttostrike.

Butneitherdoestheleftbelieveintheunlimitedrighttofreespeech.Manyontheleftdonotbelievethatfascistshavetherighttofreespeech,forinstance.Thisparadoxpointstothefactthatthedefenceoffreedomofspeechhasalwaystobeaccompaniedbythesequestions:whosefreedomofspeech?Tosaywhat?Inwhatcontext?Andforwhatpurpose?

Thisthoughtisembodiedintheoldrhetoriciansdevice:whenisitpermissibletoshout'Fire!'.TodosointhemiddleofSalisburyplainmaybeeccentric,butitisharmless.Todosoinahousewherethereisafiremaysavelives.Todosoinacrowdedcinemawhenthereisnofiremaycausethelossoflife.Thefirsttwoexamplesaredefensible,thethirdshouldbeimpermissible.

A little historical context

Historicalcontextisjustasimportant.Freedomofspeech(andprintingandorganisation,withoutwhichfreedomofspeechisneutered)effectivelyenteredhistoryintheEnglishandFrenchrevolutionsin,respectively,the17 and18 centuries.Importantly,intheEnglishRevolution,itwasestablishedtoanimportantdegreetoachievereligioustoleration(thoughnotforCatholicsupportersofRoyalism).Freedomofspeechwerethewatchwordsoftheoppressedandexcluded,oftherevolutionaries,againstthearistocraticelite.Itwasestablishedbytheuseofrevolutionaryforceandthesubsequentsuppressionofcounterrevolution~notafactbeingrecalledbytoday'sadvocatesoflibert,galit,fraternit.

Thosewhoclaimthattherevolutionestablishedunlimitedfreedomofspeechandmilitantsecularismsimplydontknowtheirhistory.Articles10and11oftheDeclarationoftheRightsofManandoftheCitizenread:Nooneshallbedisquietedonaccountofhisopinions,includinghisreligiousviews,providedtheirmanifestationdoesnotdisturbthepublicorderestablishedbylawandthatthefreecommunicationofideasandopinionstobeoneofthemostpreciousoftherightsofman.Everycitizenmaythereforespeak,write,andprintwithfreedom,butshallberesponsibleforsuchabusesofthisfreedomasshallbedefinedbylaw.SoinfacttheDeclarationdefendedreligioustolerationandlimitedtheabuseoffreedomofspeechbylaw.

Sincetheirrevolutionarypointoforiginin1789thenewrulersofthemodernworldhaveusedthe

th th

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sloganoffreedomofspeechbut,insofarastheywereable,deniedittothenewclassoftheexcluded,theworkingclass,andtheoppressedandtonewgenerationsofradicals.

That'swhythereisnostraightlineofdescentfromtheFrenchRevolutiontotheFrenchstatetoday.Today'sFrenchstateisasmuchtheproductofthecounterrevolutionasoftherevolution,ofthecrushingoftheParisCommune,ofthefilthyandcontinuinghistoryofFrenchcolonialism,oftheDreyfusaffair,ofVichycollaborationwiththeNazis,ofthebarelydemocraticstateofDeGaulle,andofmodernpersecutionofMuslims.ItisagainstallthisthattheFrenchlefthashadtofightthe'inheritorsoftheFrenchrevolution'todefendthefreedomsproclaimedin1789.

Sowhoinourworldreallystandsinneedoffreedomofspeechandwhoisabusingthesloganoffreedomofspeechinordertodefendtheirownpowerandwealth?Whohaspowerandwhodoesnot?

CertainlyEurope'sMuslimcommunitiesareamongtheleastpowerful.Theyare,ofcourse,someMuslimswhoarebothwhiteandwealthy.Someevenhavetokenpositionsingovernment.Butthevastmajorityarepoor,frequentlythepoorest,brownskinnedanddiscriminatedagainst.

ThestockneoracistargumentisthatMuslimscannotbevictimsofracismbecauseIslamisareligionnotanethniccategory.Andmanyliberalsgoalongwiththis,claimingtheyarecriticalofreligiousviewsnotofaperson'srace.ButinfactreligionactsasaproxyforraceinthiscasesincemostMuslimsinEuropearenonwhite.Ofcourse,inothercountrieswheretheMuslim'sareinpowerandhavetheleversofthestateintheirhandsitisadifferentmatter.CopticChristiansaretheoppressedminorityinEgypt,KurdsinTurkey,andsoon.InSunniSaudiArabiaShiasareoppressed,justas,firstProtestantsthenCatholics,wereoncediscriminatedagainstinEngland.

AndontopofthedomesticdiscriminationandpovertyMuslimsinEuropehaveseentheirrelativesandfriends,theircoreligionistsandfellownationalsmurderedinindustrialquantitiesbyWesternmilitaryinterventioninAfghanistan,Iraq,Libya,Syria,Yemen,Somaliaandothersplaces.Andthosearejustthecountriesmostaffectedbythewaronterror,nevermindthelongerandevenbloodierhistoryofWesterncolonialism.Andwhilethekillinggoeson,thereligionoftheseverysamepeopleisthenblamedasthecauseofconflictsinwhichtheyaremostnumerousvictims.

AndhowcouldanyoneinthesecommunitieshavethepowertoanswerRupertMurdochrecentstatementthatallMuslimsaretoblameforthe'cancer'ofterrorism?Whatglobalnewsnetworkcantheysetinmotiontoreply?Thetruthisthat'freedomofspeech'isnotalevelplayingfield,itismuchmoreavailabletothestateandtherichthantothepoorandtheoppressed.

Liberalsneverseemtogetthis.Theyneverseemtoseethatallabstractequalrightsare

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underminedbyeconomicandsocialinequality.AsAnatoleFranceputit:'Initsmajesticequality,thelawforbidsrichandpooraliketosleepunderbridges,beginthestreetsandstealloavesofbread'.

Andsothisishowweshouldevaluateclaimstobeservingfreedomofspeech:arethoseclaimingthisrightactingtomagnifythevoiceofthevoiceless...ortoservethosewhowishtokeepthemsilent.CharlieHebdo'sracistcaricaturesofMuslims,nomatterwhattheythoughttheyweredoing,servedthosewhowishtokeeptheoppressedmarginalised.

InresponsetothekillingsatCharlieHebdosomeonthelefthavegoneontocrossthelinebetweenabsolutecondemnationofthekillingstosupportthecontentofthemagazine,arguingthattheyarepartofthesecularisttraditionsinFrance.

ButthissecularistLaiciteview,althoughitmayhaveitsrootsinthebourgeoisrevolutions'oppositiontoreligion,hasacompletelyothermeaninginmodernFrance.ItispartoftheideologythatseekstosuppressreligiousbeliefamongMuslimsandotherimmigrants.ItservestobindthepopulationideologicallytotheFrenchstate.

But,replysomeontheleft,especiallywouldbeMarxists,weareatheistsand,liketheliberalsecularists,enemiesofreligion.NothingcouldbeacrudercaricatureofMarxism.ItistruethataMarxist,likeLaplacewhenaskedbyNapoleonwhyhedidnothaveaplaceforGodinhissystem,canreply'Ihavenoneedforthathypothesis.'ButthatisonlythestartoftheproblembecauseMarxistsarematerialistsbeforeweareatheists.Weunderstandthatreligionwillnotbeabolishedbyrationalistargumentorsecularistrantsagainstreligion,alaRichardDawkins.

Marx and religion

ForMarxreligiousbeliefwasareactiontooppressionandalienation:Religioussufferingis,atoneandthesametime,theexpressionofrealsufferingandaprotestagainstrealsuffering.Religionisthesighoftheoppressedcreature,theheartofaheartlessworld,andthesoulofsoullessconditions.Forthisreason,asJamesMeadwayhasargued,therewillbenomomentofsecularistconversionbeforetherevolutionafterwhichthemassesgomarchingforwardtovictory.ItwasforpreciselythisillusionthatMarxattackedtheYoungHegelians.Therevolution,andeverystrugglebeforeit,willbemadebyaworkersfrommanydifferentfaithsandnone.

But,ifthisistrue,thenwemustaskanotherevenmoreconcretequestion,onethatneverseemstooccurtotheabstract'Marxist'secularists:whichreligiousgroups,underwhichcircumstances,canbedrawnintoprogressivepoliticsandwhichreligiousgroupsstandforreactionarypolitics?

Amomentsthoughtrevealsthatamoresophisticatedanalysisisneededthanmeresecularisminordertoanswerthisquestion.Atdifferenttimesindifferentconditionsreligionscanplaydifferent

th

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rolespolitically.PuritanismwasarevolutionaryforceintheEnglishrevolutionofthe17 century,butnottoday.Eventhesamereligioncanplaydifferentrolesindifferentconditions.CatholicLiberationtheologyhasrecentlyplayedaprogressiveroleinLatinAmerica,buttheCatholicchurchisareactionaryforceinItaly.InIrelandthatCatholicChurchingeneralhasbeenareactionaryforce,butCatholicismhaslongbeenassociatedwithIrishRepublicanism.

ThiskindofdifferentiationneedstobeappliedtoMuslims.TheSaudiregimeisentirelyreactionary,andoneofthekeyresourcesforboththeideologyandorganisationoftheIslamicState.ItisalsoalongstandingallyoftheWesterngovernments.TheIslamicStateisareactionarycounterrevolutionaryforcewhichhasrisentoprominencebecauseofthefailureofboththewaronterrorandtheArabrevolutions.

ButtheoverwhelmingmajorityofMuslimsinEuropehavenothingtodowiththisideology.FormostMuslimsintheWesttheirreligiongenerallystressespeaceandsocialjustice.Theyareoverwhelminglypoorandworkingclass.EvenmanyofMuslimsmallbusinesspeoplearepoor,runningconcernsthatdependonthecustomoftheworkingclassMuslimsintheareaswheretheyoperate.Andtheyhavebeenopentoinvolvementinprogressivemovements,especiallytheantiwarmovement.Ofcourse,wheretheleftturnsitsbackontheminthenameofrejectingreligion,otherforces,fromthepoliticalestablishmentthroughtotheextremeIslamicists,willgainahearing.

TheKouachibrotherswhocarriedouttheattackonCharlieHebdoareaclassicexampleofthis.Theywereorphans,poor,andfromanAlgerianbackground(withallthatmeansintermsofracisminFrance,explainedbrilliantlybyRobertFisk).Theyworkedinlowpaidjobsand,oneofthem,dreamtofbecomingarapper.Theywereinvolvedincrimeanddidprisontime.Eventuallytheyfound,asmanydo,meaninginreligion.ThebrutalitiesofAbuGhraibandtheIraqwarturnedthemintoterrorists,thetoolsofareactionaryformofIslam.

Theright(andthesecularistLiberals)arekeentoblameIslamforthis.Theymistaketheformofexpressionwiththecause.MostMuslimsaren'tterroristsanddonotsupportterrorists.Butsomedo.Why?

Itsratherlikethis:imagineacrowded,lockedroom.Imaginethatsomeoneoutsidetheroomisconstantlyincreasingthetemperatureintheroom.Sometrappedintheroomwillfaintbeforeothers.Somewillpanic.Somewillremaincalm.Inoursocietythetemperaturerisesbecauseofracism,povertyandimperialwar.Somelashoutinreactionaryways,othersdonot.Butthefirstfaultlieswiththoserampingupthetemperature.Thesecondfaultlieswiththosewhocondemnallthoseintheroomratherthanformulateastrategytobreakoutoftheroom.

SlavojZizekhas,inpart,capturedthismutuallyreenforcingdynamicbetweenIslamicterrorismandliberalism:

th

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Thisistrue...butonlyatthelevelofideology.Thematerialforcesthatembodythesetwoideologiesarebynomeansequal.TotheextentthatIslamicextremismistheideologyoftinynumbersofMuslimsinEuropeithasnothingoftheforceoftheentiremedia,educationalandstateapparatusesthatsustainliberalismandtheright.EvenifweincludeentirestatesandnonstateactorsintheMiddleEast,theGulfstatesandISIS,theyareeconomicallyandmilitarilymuchweakerelementsintheworldsystemcomparedtotheUSstatemachineanditsallies.

AndZizek'ssolutionisalsoonlyabstractlycorrect:

ButiftheleftistowinthisbattleonethingthatithastodoisconstructanalternativeformofradicalpoliticswiththoseintheMuslimcommunitywhorejectracism,povertyandwar.ThereisnosensethatZizekunderstandsthis.TheonlyMuslimstowhichherefersaretheextremists.Indeedwhathehastosayonthissubjectisimbuedwithjusttheliberalattitudeshedenounces.Hearguesthatourthinkingshouldhave'nothingwhatsoevertodowiththecheaprelativisationofthecrime(themantraof"whoareweintheWest,perpetratorsofterriblemassacresintheThirdWorld,tocondemnsuchacts").IthasevenlesstodowiththepathologicalfearofmanyWesternliberalLeftiststobeguiltyofIslamophobia.ForthesefalseLeftists,anycritiqueofIslamisdenouncedasanexpressionof'WesternIslamophobia.'

ButdenouncingthosewhopointtotheculpabilityofimperialismandthedangersofIslamophobiaisactuallytherightliberalposition(ofIanMcEwanandDavidAaronovitch)againstleftliberals,notaMarxistcritiqueofboth.StuckwithhisabstractionsZizekfailstoseethatconcretely,inthelives

'Fundamentalismisareactionafalse,mystifying,reaction,ofcourseagainstarealflawofliberalism,andthisiswhyitisagainandagaingeneratedbyliberalism...TothinkinresponsetothePariskillingsmeanstodropthesmugselfsatisfactionofapermissiveliberalandtoacceptthattheconflictbetweenliberalpermissivenessandfundamentalismisultimatelyafalseconflictaviciouscycleoftwopolesgeneratingandpresupposingeachother'.

'Lefttoitself,liberalismwillslowlyundermineitselftheonlythingthatcansaveitscorevaluesisarenewedLeft.Inorderforthiskeylegacytosurvive,liberalismneedsthebrotherlyhelpoftheradicalLeft.THISistheonlywaytodefeatfundamentalism,tosweepthegroundunderitsfeet'...'WhatMaxHorkheimerhadsaidaboutFascismandcapitalismalreadybackin1930sthosewhodonotwanttotalkcriticallyaboutcapitalismshouldalsokeepquietaboutFascismshouldalsobeappliedtotodaysfundamentalism:thosewhodonotwanttotalkcriticallyaboutliberaldemocracyshouldalsokeepquietaboutreligiousfundamentalism.'

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whosefamiliesandfriendsdiethereisindeednoequivalencebetweenthenumberskilledbyterrorismandthosewhodiefromimperialistwar.NeitheristhereanyequivalencebetweenthestateandmediasponsoredwaveofIslamophobiaandoppositiontoIslamophobia.

ThereistoomuchrelianceonidealistoppositionofconceptualformsandtoolittleMarxistmaterialistdialectic,letaloneMarxistpoliticalactivism,inZizek'sanalysis.Thisisnosurprise.Zizekisafterallmerelyaphilosopherandnotapoliticalactivist,whereasitisdefinitionalofbeingaMarxistthatoneisboth.InshortZizekmerelycounterposesideallytherevivalofthelefttothemutuallyreenforcingfailuresofliberalismandterrorism.Buthehasnoideawhatpracticalalliancesandformsofpoliticalactivityarenecessaryinordertodothis.

Infact,aswestandtoday,thesearenotdifficulttosee.Theleftmustseekallianceswithallthose,includingliberalsandMuslimswithwhomwehavedifferencesofanalysis,againstracism,warandpoverty.Thesemustbeactive,practicalmovements,nottalkingshops.Wemustsayclearlythatthemajorforcesthatareraisingthesocialtemperaturearethestate,thecorporationsandthepoliticalelite.TheIslamicextremists(andthefarright)areareactionaryproductofthiscrisis,aproductwhichworsensthecrisis,mostofallforMuslims.Westandagainstboth.Butoneoftheseenemiesismuchmorepowerful,andthereforemoreculpable,thantheother.Thatenemyistheglobalcapitalistsystemanditsstateapparatuses.

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John Rees

JohnReesisawriter,broadcasterandactivist,andisoneoftheorganisersofthePeoplesAssembly.HisbooksincludeTheAlgebraofRevolution,ImperialismandResistance,Timelines,APoliticalHistoryoftheModernWorld,ThePeople

Demand,AShortHistoryoftheArabRevolutions(withJosephDaher)andAPeoplesHistoryofLondon(withLindseyGerman).HeiscofounderoftheStoptheWarCoalition.

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DanielFactor 17hoursago"Andmanyliberalsgoalongwiththis,claimingtheyarecriticalofreligiousviewsnotofaperson'srace.ButinfactreligionactsasaproxyforraceinthiscasesincemostMuslimsinEuropearenonwhite"

Soiscriticismofreligiousviewracist?Evenreligiousviewswhicharedangerous?2

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PaulLawrenceHayes 2hoursago>DanielFactorObviouslynotbuttheauthordidn'tclaimitisandsincethehighMuslimnonwhitecorrelationisrealandthepotentialforusingreligionasaproxyisthere,itisatleastplausiblethatmanyliberals[have]insincerelyorinaccuratelyclaim[ed]nottobemotivatedbyracismwhencriticisingreligiousviews,isitnot?

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