Letter to the London Anarchist Bookfair by Jacob V Joice:
“Every Anarchist book fair we attend we are among a handful of non white people and one of the reasons is perfectly illustrated by this man and his huge banner (see attached picture). As well as helping to solidify the association between anarchism and a cringeworthy brand of white male teenage angst this banner is a massive salute to the violent legacy of colonialism that continues to this day. To shout that all religions are stupid is to assert that you have studied all religions and that you are some kind of authority on religions.
At a previous fair I asked John Active what he felt was stupid about indigenous African, indigenous Indian, Native American religions to which he replied that they were all stupid and oppressive. I then asked him if he could name a single indigenous African religion but surprisingly he did not. He offered no concrete example of any of the diverse religions that despite centuries of white men coming and shouting “ALL YOUR RELIGIONS ARE STUPID” have still resisted and subverted the patriarchal, murderous, hegemony of colonial white supremacy.
My own religion is one that is practiced in every country that enslaved Africans were taken, it was carried by female and often queer femme priests, hidden in dance and song and rituals to empower oppressed people across the diaspora, It is responsible for many of the music and dance forms that we in the global West enjoy today.
Putting aside the disappointment and boredom I feel about white men who have no understanding of indigenous religions dictating what they are this is also a massive slap in the face to muslim and and christian anarchists who should be allowed to enter the space without being mocked. For working class people of colour, survivors of so many horrific violences and for those caught up in the industrial prison complex religion can provide vital communal and personal support network. Standing in a position of privilege and power to shout that people who don’t have the same belief system as you are some how stupid is not just immature it perfectly replicates the dogmatic systems of oppression that i assume john is attempting to reduce all religions down too. It’s also ironically condescending to women to tell them that their religion is sexist.
In 2017 I hope that the anarchist book fair can move with the times, think about colonialism as well as capitalism and try to understand things from a more intersectional perspective.
sincerely Jacob”
QueerAnarchism 