Enact the Equality Bill Now! Stop Right-Wing Racist Mobilisations
- Movement for Justice
- Closed on
- Target:
- The Government
- Region:
- United Kingdom
- Website:
- www.movementforjustice.org.uk
This petition is now closed
BUILD THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT TO WIN EQUALITY,
DIGNITY, RESPECT AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR ALL.
Britain’s black, Asian, Muslim, ethnic minority and immigrant communities are a permanent, growing and dynamic force in the life of this nation. Our vital contribution to this society and our struggles for justice, equality and dignity are shaping the new Britain, our Britain - a nation that can only thrive and progress as an integrated, multiracial and multicultural society that is united on the basis of equality and respect.
The Government’s Equality Bill, which is now before Parliament, is a long overdue response to the growing power and certain permanence of our communities. Passage of the Equality Bill will provide us with an important new weapon in our fight to make Britain a society where equality is a reality for everyone who lives, works or studies here, whatever our race, culture, religion, national origin etc.
The Equality Bill will put into law the most far-reaching anti-discrimination measures of any British equality legislation so far. It is an essential measure to overcome long-standing institutional and individual racism, sexism and anti-gay bigotry. The Bill will give our communities the power to make employers and public bodies open up the doors of opportunity through the implementation of Positive Action policies. For the first time Employment Tribunals will be given the power to find that employers are discriminating against a whole class of people and to shape a remedy to end that institutional and systematic discrimination.
Our ability to speak the plain truth about racism and to stop the alarming rise of physical attacks against individuals and the Mosques will be strengthened simply by the passage of the Equality Bill. Enactment of the Bill would constitute a strong rejection of the racist right wing’s attempts, in anticipation of the upcoming elections, to increase sentiment for the defence of white English privilege, to discourage Muslim and other ethnic minority and immigrant community participation in the political process, and to move the whole political discourse on race, ethnicity, immigration and foreign policy to the right.
It is essential that the Equality Bill is passed before the forthcoming General Election and that the passage of the Bill is accompanied by a high profile campaign to popularise its provisions and potential. Such a campaign is vital to preparing the ground for implementation of the Equality Bill and ensuring that is enforced in practice. The stronger that campaign is and the sooner the Bill is passed, the quicker the racist and fascist organisations that aim at getting the Conservative Party to adopt an openly racist and nationalist platform will get the message that they are isolated and weak.
We therefore demand that the Government prioritises the Equality Bill and ensures that it is passed into law before the General Election.
We pledge to build an integrated civil rights movement to secure the passage, popularisation and implementation of the Equality Bill and to seize the opportunity that it offers to advance the cause of equality.
We pledge to defend Muslim communities against religious and ethnic persecution, harassment and violence and to speak the plain truth about racism.
We will not rest until equality, dignity, respect and justice exists for all of Britain’s diverse, multiracial and multi-ethnic communities.
The Enact the Equality Bill Now! Stop Right-Wing Racist Mobilisations petition to The Government was written by Movement for Justice and is in the category Civil Rights at GoPetition.