CONVOCATION 29 MARCH 2009: CONFRONTING ONCE AGAIN THE CONFLICT IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY

WE REJECT ALL FUNDAMENTALISMS

Women in Black of Madrid reject religious, political and economic fundamentalisms and is against all types of discrimination, be it because of race, ethnicity, nationality or gender.

Fundamentalism is a form of exclusion on the part of the dominant class, which tries to impose what one must do, be or say in the areas of religion, politics, economy and even with regard to personal matters. In many cases, religious fundamentalism is tied to an interpretation of some Sacred Scriptures, presenting them as infallible, timeless and universally valid.

We are accustomed to thinking of fundamentalists as the others, but history shows us that they exist in all religions. As for us, it is up to us to denounce the fundamentalism of the society in which we live, that being Catholic fundamentalism.

In Spain, the most reactionary part of the Catholic Church has for many years caused religion to condition and direct our society and our personal lives. It is a power that they wish to continue having and which they do not resign themselves to losing, and this is their reason for rejecting a fundamentally lay society.

Catholic fundamentalism is characterized by very conservative ideas -- against divorce, extra-marital sexual relations, contraceptives, the right to abortion, homosexual and bisexual relations, and trans-sexuality, among other issues. We also ask ourselves and would like people to consider if The Church has really given support to the weak, to those who are ideologically or sexually different, or has opposed war. This is a failure that has fed the persistence of discrimination and violence. What is more, the history of our world has revolved all too often around religious wars.

We women suffer from religious fundamentalism because Catholicism has wanted to impose upon us a stereotype for feminine behavior, submissive, discreet and cautious, inferior to men. That means that we should adapt and tie ourselves to an invisible existence collaborating with the existing patriarchy. In Spain, although it praises itself as a Modern State, there still exist certain agreements with the Catholic Church, and the Church is permitted to exercise ideological power over education, which is the basic structure where one could eradicate such values of the patriarchy.

But we are also fundamentalist when we do not respect the differences of thought, belief and race of those around us, as manifested in our xenophobia.

We will always value the persons who want that their faith or religious belief serve to acknowledge and draw near to others, to oppose war, to create a more humane world.

We invite you to reflect on fundamentalisms, including in your considerations our few thoughts rejecting these sorts of attitudes.


Translation: Trisha Novak, USA