AsiapeaceAsiapeace endorses without any reservations the campaign ‘No to Political Islam’. Indeed it is high time that all peace-loving Muslims join hands with like-minded people from other cultures in the defence and consolidation of a culture of tolerance and human rights. It is our conviction that all cultures contain negative and positive features and therefore a campaign against political Islam should be combined with a general statement against political Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and other religions. Whenever religion is brought into politics and states are wedded to religious ideologies not only the atypical minorities become its natural victims but invariably women and freethinkers from the mainstream society are also harassed and persecuted. As a voluntary electronic discussion and advocacy group concerned primarily with promoting peace and human rights in South Asia and in the wider world, we strongly oppose politicization of religion. We stand for a democratic, rational and liberal world view which is respectful of the spiritual and religious faith of all individuals. Indeed Muslims are entitled to the same freedom of religion and belief as are individuals belonging to other cultures, beliefs and philosophical convictions. This is possible if religion is separated from the state and made a private affair of individuals and communities. Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed (Personal homepage)
Moderator Asiapeace – An electronic discussion group
Ishtiaq.Ahmed@statsvet.su.se Asiapeace homepage Discussion group homepage Affiliate of Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA). Associate Professor
Department of Political Science
Stockholm University
106 91 Stockholm
SWEDEN.
| 
