Controversy over Islamic Fascism

Or, My disappointment with the Left

______

The left has dutifully taken up cudgels on behalf of Islamic opponents of term used by George Bush.

Is this the same left that once disavowed religion as the “opium of the people”? Well, time has moved on the new left has interpreted Marx’s quote to mean : “All religions except Islam are the opium of the people. Islam is the new salvation of the oppressed.”

Many forget that the left used this term liberally against Hindu nationalism and yes, this was much before its current opposition to Islamic Fascism.

So let me get this right. According to the left,

Hindu Fascism = Bad! BAD!!

Islamic Fascism = GOOD! (that is if it exists, which of course it doesn’t, because you cant malign a whole religion, let alone one what is a “religion of peace”…..)

Never mind that Hinduism is one of the most tolerant of religions and India has had a long-standing tradition of accepting the persecuted from other lands. The Dalai Lama had this to say about it “India has not only given birth to great religious tradition like Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism but has also sheltered many, like Zoroastrianism, Islam, Christianity. The religious tolerance we see around the world is also an Indian tradition.” (Dalai Lama, August 2001).

So the left did not bat an eyelid before it began its parroting of the lies being put out by fundamentalist Indian Muslims or their apologists, just like its unquestioningly repeating the arguments of the vocal Muslims in the west. What happened to the tradition if critical inquiry that was such an integral part of the Left?

And yes, for me personally, it’s sad to see my heroes, Katha Politt, Amy Goodman and others stumble.

Others have not had their thinking blinkered and one is thankful for people like Nick Cohen.

"Far too many people on the Left are inclined to make excuses for Islamic fundamentalism. They accept its misogyny so long as it doesn’t target Western women. They accept its fascism so long as it is anti-American fascism. We now have a Stop the War coalition led by Islamic fascists and Marxist-Leninists, and much of the Left is silent about it. Acknowledging the horrors of Islamic fundamentalism would sully their consciences, which they want to keep clean for the battle against America ... Much of the Stop the War coalition now actually supports a fascist resistance movement and ignores their Iraqi comrades entirely. You have to look back to the Hitler-Stalin pact for a historical parallel. The concept of fascism is being lost. It’s something you hear about on the history channels. But Islamic fascism is still fascism ... Islamofascism has been ripping through the Arab world, often supported by America, and it should be the Left’s worst nightmare. It’s everything the Left has resisted since the French revolution. To equivocate in the face of it would be an absolute abdication of intellectual responsibility ... " — Nick Cohen, The Observer.

On the other hand, Katha Pollitt, writing in the Nation (September 11, 2006 Issue) finds that the term cannot be accurately applied to Islamic fundamentalism because:

“For starters, it's a terrible historical analogy…European fascist movements of the 1920s and '30s were nationalist and secular, closely allied with international capital and aimed at creating powerful, up-to-date, all-encompassing states. Some of the trappings might have been anti-modernist--Mussolini looked back to ancient Rome, the Nazis were fascinated by Nordic mythology and other Wagnerian folderol--but the basic thrust was modern, bureaucratic and rational.”

Well, actually, Katha, Islamic terrorists use the Koran but are just as fascinated with a glorified Islamic past as the Nazis and Italian fascists once were. They look to establish a global Caliphate or at least theocracies in the countries where Muslims predominate.

Furthermore, as Bharat Karnad writes, “Misguided practitioners of Islam are the problem as were the fascists in their time. So, how are the black turbaned Taliban different from Mussolini's 'Black Shirts' who marched on Rome?”— Bharat Karnad, Times of India August 27, 2006.

Ms. Pollitt then weaves a number of muddled arguments that tie opposition to the Iraq War to opposition to the term “Islamic Fascism” and link the use of this term to cynical attempts to win back soccer moms (!). Her facts on the Taliban, Saudi Arabia and Iraq are right but the analysis is wrong.

In the end she hits the nail on the head when she admits that the term “" enrages to no purpose the dwindling number of Muslims who don't already hate us.” So this is what it all boils down to? Worrying about enraging Muslims? Shouldn’t we be asking the question: Why are these Muslims enraged to begin with and more importantly do they really speak of all Muslims?

Ironically, arguments like this strengthen religious fundamentalists, by making theirs the only voice people that is heard from from among the Muslims.

BTW the Nation article essentially reproduces arguemnts from an earlier article by a well-known news network.

_________

PS. Did any of the leftist users of the term Hindu Fascism, do a NEXUS search on the term? Its never too late, you know. Incidentally the term was propogated by Islamic organizations as in this example.

other views:
islamic admirers of fasicsm
Denial by Eric S. Margolis incidentally a staunch supporter of the Taliban“Mujahideen”.
A more nuanced and complete analysis.

A post by Eskow on huffington that uses the same reasoning.
Another view.