DEFAMING THE HITCH
LABOUR councillors are blocking plans to honour campaigning journalist Christopher Hitchens with a statue, with one of them branding the late writer as a “pro-war Islamophobe”.
http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2012/oct/labour-politician-threatens-quit-if-bust-%E2%80%98pro-war%E2%80%99-journalist-christopher-hitchens-goe
An Open Letter to Councillor Awale Olad
I read your exchange of
E-mails with the British Humanist Society in the Camden New Journal, I quote;
“I don’t mean to speak ill of the dead but I would
resign before I’d ever support the bust of a pro-war Islamophobe,” he wrote.
Now I do not know how
familiar you are with the work of Christopher Hitchens, but the remarks above
suggest very little familiarity, indeed these remarks suggest ignorance of his
writings. Christopher always used to say that as soon as the opponent in a
debate slips into, as you obviously so easily do, the ad hominem, the argument
is as good as won. Vulgar abuse and misrepresentation are not argument. It now
seems to be standard form to accuse anyone who attacks the teaching of Islam as
an ‘Islamaphobe[1],’ this
is supposed to serve two purposes, one to shut down all argument and two place the accuser on the high moral
ground. It is in fact the waving of the flag of defeat, though often backed up
by the threat of physical violence. Ever since the Rushdie affair we have had to get
used to dialogue along the lines of ‘respect our religion or take the
consequences.’ This is the language of The Mob, though also of course the
language of the three great monotheisms across the centuries. Christianity has
lost both the power and the ‘moral’ will to execute heretics and apostates,
only Islam continues to practise these charming rites.
Christopher took on all
these practices far more articulately than I ever could and debated the
believers in Christianity, Judaism and Islam in open debate, though only
practitioners of the latter religion sent him death threats.
As to Christopher’s stance
on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan , his position throughout was a moral one. Unlike
the majority of the ‘anti war’ crowd he knew something of the reality of
Saddam’s regime, and he stood in solidarity with the people of Iraq in general and the people of Kurdistan in particular. He also took the quaint few, once
common on the left, that principles of equality between the sexes, free speech and
human rights were universal. He also held the curious notion that young girls
should be allowed to go to school without the threat of being murdered or
having acid thrown in their faces. He thought these things worth fighting for
and I for one find my self in agreement with him. War monger is the cheapest
and nastiest of defamations, were those who fought against fascism war mongers?
As to speaking ill of the
dead Christopher would not care, though he might say, could you please dispense
with the pious throat clearing. He would,
I suspect like to be remembered in Red Lion Square , scene of so much historic oratory from the once great
left in this country, including past giants of the Labour Party. However these
decisions are now left in the hands of little men, some might say puffed up
pygmies, who tread in the ashes of a once great tradition of liberty, free
speech and the celebration of human values.
If by chance this monument
should be erected do resign by all means, I think you will find, to your
astonishment, that Camden continues to function without you.
Please note I will be
placing this correspondence as an open letter on my blog http://alextalbot.blogspot.co.uk/
and you do, of course, have the right of reply.
[1] A phobia is defined as follows, ‘A persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous’ (OED). Whatever Christopher’s objections to Islam, and indeed to all religions, they were far from irrational. As to whether the teachings of Islam are dangerous or not that surely belongs in the realm of public debate. Though I know from experience that as soon as you attempt to engage in such a debate you are accused of being an Islamaphobe; curiously circular this process don’t you think?
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