We must create a Strong Progressive Front against Islamic Reaction

Interview with Nahid Riyazi

Question: In recent years you have been very active in Denmark in exposing the crimes of the Islamic Republic of Iran and other Islamic groups and their inhuman laws. What effect has this had on Danish society and what has been the reaction of the Danish government and Islamic groups?

Nahid Riyazi: Our constant struggle against reactionary Islamic groups, from Imams of mosques to Islamic Parties such as Hezb-al-Tahrir and others who prescribe the maintenance of Islamic culture for society and immigrant communities, and also our criticism and constant opposition to cultural relativism have resulted in the creation of a new front in Danish society, among other developments. In the last few years, I have written tens of articles in the newspapers. One of my articles has become part of the course work at universities and up till now I have been contacted by several students doing research on the issue. In seminars, speeches and debates on the radio, television and print media, I have insisted time and time again on universal rights and freedoms. Now, it has become such that my criticism has been openly accepted by leaders of women's and left organisations in Denmark. I can now say that the numbers of people who support us are many, but as Mansoor Hekmat has said, we need many likeminded people. Just several weeks ago, I spoke at the summer camp of the People's Socialist Party of Denmark; my speech was received warmly.

Through our criticism and struggle against 'left' groups that think they are respecting immigrants and refugees with their silence vis-à-vis the most reactionary forces among immigrants, i.e. the Islamic groups, we have shown that their silence is an insult to refugee and immigrant citizens and benefits the most fascistic groups. We have brought secularism to the forefront of society and have invited everyone to join. We have repeatedly exposed the dimensions of Islamic fascism from the crimes committed by this movement internationally including stoning, amputations, executions and denial of freedom from human beings in Iran, Afghanistan, the Sudan, etc. to honour killings and forced marriages and the brainwashing of children in Islamic schools in the very heart of Europe.

Islamic forces have tried extremely hard to introduce themselves as the representative of all immigrants and to deny the existence of any secular, non-religious and atheist groups among immigrants. The dominant culture and policy in the government, media, left and the intellectual environment has been that immigrants and refugees are religious 'creatures' and their representatives are the Mullah or any other inhuman reactionary who has no sense of humanity and civilisation. For a long time, Islamic groups had full access to tribunes and would demand the building of mosques, Islamic schools and Islamic cultural centres, etc. on behalf of all immigrants and were taken seriously in society. Today, there are not many who are not aware of the secular and non-religious force that demands the separation of religion from education and all laws and rights pertaining to immigrant citizens. This is the result of our critique, expositions, our timely interventions, our demonstrations and protests against Islamic groups. We witnessed one of the specific results of these struggles recently in Denmark. On 4 September, for the first time, we and more that 18 groups, women's organisations, political parties, and trade unions organised a demonstration against Islamic groups and parties and also Islamic schools and Islamic stoning laws. This was a victory for us and our movement. This was an important step in that a section of society declared its position vis-à-vis Islamic reaction; that was unprecedented.

Question: Recently the Danish News Agency interviewed you and this was reflected in many of the Danish media. What was the issue at hand and what was the reason for such widespread coverage?

Nahid Riyazi: The issue was the Danish government's position on the confirmation of Ameneh Lawal's stoning sentence in Nigeria. The Danish government, which has the presidency of the European Union, declared that it was better for Denmark to refrain from condemning this ruling. They argued that this would be better for Ameneh Lawal! I immediately issued a press release and exposed the policy of the Danish government and European Parliament. In the press release I wrote that any position of the Danish government must be seen within the context of its developing and expanding relations with the regime of stoning in Iran. The Danish government does not want to protest against the stoning of Ameneh Lawal since if it does so, it could not justify to the people its warm relationship with the Islamic regime of Iran, which has sentenced at least four women to death by stoning; condemning the stoning in Nigeria would be disconcerting for the Islamic regime in Iran. This received widespread coverage in the Danish media and received much attention. Protests against the Danish government in this regard were so strong that it was forced to issue a statement 'expressing its concern about the stoning decree against Ameneh' at once. Although this was not exactly a condemnation of her stoning, it was nonetheless a retreat.

Question: In your opinion, what are the steps to be taken to push back Islamic groups in Denmark and ensure that the Danish and other similar governments adhere to the demands of progressive people in these societies and protect women and children in Islamic families vis-à-vis the pressures and inhuman Islamic cultural practices?

Nahid Riyazi: We must continue to build a powerful front against Islamic reaction. We must bring genuine secularism and advocacy of freedom once again to the fore. We must bring an end to the retreat from achieving complete equality and cut off nationalism and religion's intervention in citizen's lives. We must impel governments to maintain equal rights for all citizens. Just because a child is born in an Islamic family, we must not allow them to leave the child's education, fate, health and freedom to Islamic groups and their parents and evade any societal responsibility in safeguarding the child's physical and mental health and freedom. At the same time, we must seriously oppose religious and traditional backwardness and bring society into this battle. We must not allow governments to excuse themselves from defending the rights of women and children by reference to 'it's their own culture' and 'it's their own religion' and leave for example a little girl alone to deal with huge issues and problems such as veiling, forced marriage, honour worshiping, etc.

In the end, I would like to add that all my activities and that of other comrades are only part of an unceasing and consistent struggle for equality which was heralded by Mansoor Hekmat, who steered this with such great clarity and unprecedented sharpness and turned it into a powerful weapon in our hands. Today we use this weapon in our challenges, struggles and activities and can see its results. I owe him all my learning.

The above is a translation of an interview conducted in Persian in International Weekly number 123 dated 23 September 2002.

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