Openly denouncing religion can be difficult for those of us in the anti-fascist movement. Just as critics of the Israeli government regularly step over the line into the sordid realm of anti-Semitism, critics of religion regularly adopt the language of bigotry and racism. One only has to look at the English Defence Leagues supposed attempt at opposing Islam to see how regularly they vault across the line of acceptability into the dominion of islamophobia.

However, anti-fascism involves actively resisting homophobia, sexism, racism, anti-Semitism, and islamophobia while simultaneously defending freedom, democracy, and tolerance. Implicit in this is right of religious freedom, a right that we must defend. However, religion is not our ally in the fight against prejudice. If anything it is quite the opposite. If one looks at religion in both a historical context and a contemporary context it falls startlingly short of what anti-fascists should view as acceptable.

Historically, organized religion can rival only the totalitarian regimes of the mid twentieth century in their ability to murder and oppress people because of their race, religion, and creed. Whether its: the horrors and genocides of the Old Testament; the Inquisition; the witch trials; the Crusades; the Islamic Imperial conquests and the religious justification of slavery to name but a few, religion has murdered and burned its way through the centuries in the name of God. Furthermore, organized religion cannot wash its hand of the primarily ‘secular’ totalitarian regimes of the 20th century. Mussolini had barely seized control of Italy before the Vatican had signed a treaty with him and the pope had declared him as, “a man sent by providence”. Worse still the church in Spain actively aided General Francos fascist coup in 1936. While the church was less complicit in the Nazi regime it did share in the twin pillars of anti-Semitism and anti-communism, which may explain the churches unforgivable passivity and silence. In addition, one cannot forget that the first diplomatic accord signed by Hitler as early as 1933 was with the Vatican. Religions belief in their divine rightness has provided a mandate for prejudice, discrimination and murder for centuries, which makes them wholly unsuitable allies in the anti-fascist struggle.

In a contemporary context organized religion fares little better. Put simply, other than the far-right, religious groups are more likely to openly engage in prejudice and bigotry than any other grouping in society. While there are many religious individuals who detest prejudice there are many who attempt to justify it on the grounds of divine revelation. One only has to look at the churches bigoted reaction to the proposed legalization of gay marriage. Yet Christianity is by no means alone with its institutional homophobia with all major Islamic sects forbidding homosexuality. Anti-Semitism and sexism is also no stranger to either contemporary Christianity or Islam. If any other institutions allowed such views the anti-fascist movement would jettison ties with it and roundly denounce it. Yet we make unacceptable compromises and allowances for the faithful for fear of causing offence. One cannot pick and choose which prejudices to condemn at which times. It is unacceptable for a Christian or a Muslim to attempt to justify homophobia on religious grounds. Equally unacceptable is it for supposed anti-racists to work with anti-Semitic and homophobic Muslims while fighting islamophobia or extremist and islamophobic Jews while attempting to combat anti-Semitism.

It is certainly possible for religious people to be anti-fascists just as it is possible for them to be scientists despite the obvious contradictions. However, organized religion and its institutions are not allies in the battle against hatred and prejudice. Too often do they pick and choose the prejudices they are against and the ones they are for. The promotion of identity based on faith groups will only serve to highlight our differences and entrench a stratified society. Only by applying robust universal morality and promoting a confident secularism can we avoid the pitfalls of hypocrisy and start to build a united society that rejects and combats all forms of prejudice.