Peace is war

Jack's back. After a refreshing Easter break he's in Saudi Arabia, at a conference on Saudi-British ties, once more banging the drum against Iran. In an interview no the Today programme from Riyadh he announced (to the usual challenging questioning)that 'We are working on the basis that Iran will not meet the proposals from the Security Council on the 30 day deadline'.

Those familiar with the build up to war on Iraq will note the satisfaction with which Straw confidently predicts this outcome. First the west draws up a timetable, uses international agencies to put pressure on said regime, when it fails to comply denounces it for for 'defying the international community', and so begins another war.

Straw also said Iran is 'likely to provoke a nuclear arms race across the region.'

A bit late to worry about that I would have thought. Israel, India, Pakistan and Russia all have nuclear weapons. Iran does not and has only claimed to have enriched uranium for use in power stations _ its legal entitlement under international law.

So why should the country without weapons be accused of provoking a nuclear arms race? Puzzling.

While Jack is in Riyadh, will he be lecturing the Saudis about democracy and women's rights? I do hope so.

But it seems we'll have to wait a long time for oil rich Saudi Arabia to receive the accolade of rogue state which is reserved for the likes of Iraq, Iran and now Venezuela.

Meanwhile mere mention of 'Islamic Republic' means open season on Iran. While the 'international community' talk of peace they prepare for war. Unfortunately some of the left fall for all this. Their hatred of the Iranian regime blinds them to the fact that the old imperialists are at it again. There's a lot of not so hidden Islamophobia about.

I was reminded of this when I spoke at a NUT conference fringe meeting in Torquay at the weekend when the debate on faith schools came up. Apparently some people who opposed such schools claimed that they might lead to increased terrorism.

I don't remember such arguments being used to oppose Catholic schools when the IRA's campaign was at its height in the 1970s. In fact, the fuss about faith schools seems to really get going when people talk about Muslim state schools, even though there are hardly any. I get particularly fed up when people talk about Muslims as an undifferentiated mass as if there weren't Muslim socialists, or feminists, or liberals, or trade unionists.

When you characterise one religion or race in this way, then you're being bigoted. That's true even if you talk about secularism and women's liberation. In fact if you're a socialist or on the left, then you should know better and support the right of the oppressed to be treated equally with everyone else. So let's stop putting the bar higher for Muslims than we would for trade unionists or peace activists. Then we can debate the real issues.

And then maybe we can fight the real enemy.