Month: July 2013

Secularism à la française and Islamophobia

27th July 2013 Socialist Action 0

Book review by Najete Michell

La Laicite Falsifiée [State Secularism Falsified] by Jean Beauberot

The question of what is known as ‘laïcité’ has raised passions in French politics for more than a decade.

It was in the name of ‘laïcité’ that laws were passed first prohibiting the hijab in schools, then the niqab in the street. Both led to increased Islamophobia. And now this is extending to the consideration of new laws prohibiting children’s nannies and mothers accompanying their children on school trips from wearing the hijab.

Why the right is attacking the unions

18th July 2013 Socialist Action 0

By Jane West

The conflict that erupted between UNITE and the Labour leadership over the union’s decision to sponsor a range of candidates in the current round of Parliamentary has provoked a new round of assault on the union link with Labour.

The decision by Ed Miliband to take the opportunity of the spat to push through changes to the unions’ affiliation to the Party has been cheered on by the Blairites and the right-wing media, for whom an ‘opt-in’ ballot and the elimination of the unions’ 50 per cent of the vote in the London Mayoral selection are just initial steps.

Jean-Luc Melenchon on the coup in Egypt

12th July 2013 Socialist Action 0

We publish below the comments of Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the French Parti de Gauche, on the coup in Egypt. The original text can be found here.

Socialist Action strongly agrees with his judgement that this was a coup, that it was a rightist coup and that those forces that have welcomed the coup – or failed to recognise it as a coup – are profoundly wrong and store up grave errors of approach for the future.