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| ''Main article: ]'' | |||
| The term "'''Islamofascism'''" is a controversial ] used to describe certain variants of ] alleged to have ] or ] aspects. | |||
| ==Origins of the term== | |||
| Although the exact origins of the term are murky, it appears to have been coined either by ], ] or ]. The coining or popularisation of the term is frequently attributed to ] based on his article in ] immediately following the ], where he used the phrase "Islamic fascism". . Hitchens also used the phrases "Islamic fascism" and "theocratic fascism" to describe the fatwa declared against ] for writing '']''. After the 9/11 attacks, the concept of "Islamic fascism", later shortened to "Islamofascism", spread from neoconservative schools of thought to the ]. | |||
| The term "'''Islamofascism'''" is a controversial ]. Supporters of the term argue that it refers only to certain sects of ] that have ] or ] tendencies. Opponents argue that the term is merely used to smear ] with the negative connotations of the term '']''. | |||
| Those who have attempted to flesh out the epithet often state that "Islamofascism" refers to strands of ] or ] Islam, which are claimed to display some of the signifiers of fascism or totalitarianism. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Quotes== | ||
| ==Application of the term== | |||
| Among the allegations directed towards these Islamic sects and their followers are that they : | |||
| * "But the bombers of Manhattan represent fascism with an Islamic face, and there's no point in any euphemism about it. What they abominate about "the West," to put it in a phrase, is not what Western liberals don't like and can't defend about their own system, but what they do like about it and must defend: its emancipated women, its scientific inquiry, its separation of religion from the state." ], neoconservative commentator. | |||
| * Promote the establisment of a global unitary Islamic nation-state under the totalitarian control of Islamic religious authorities enforcing ] law. | |||
| * Propose the existance of an eternal violent conflict between ] and ], that will end with the eventual victory of muslims over the infidels. | |||
| * Accept and promote terrorism and violence to further their goals. | |||
| * Are strongly and violently anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist, anti-American, and anti-western. These groups and nations are allegedly perceived by Islamofascists as implacable enemies of Islam that must be must be subjugated or destroyed. | |||
| * Do not accept normative western political concepts such as intrinsic ] and democracy. | |||
| * Advocate a philosophy of ] ] to convert/subvert non-Islamic societies from within | |||
| Opponents of the term argue that "Islamofascism" is simply a derogatory epithet directed towards ] as a whole, and not a real political concept or ideology. They claim that the term attempts to conflate the neutral concept of ] with the negatively perceived concept of ]. | |||
| Some applications of the term "Islamofascism" specifically refer to the ] and similar movements in ] inspired by the writings of ], while others use it to refer to all highly politicized strains of Islam, including ] radicalism as practised in Iran. A more common and less loaded term for these politicized strains of Islam, which seek to replace secular governments in Muslim countries with ] law, is ]. Note, however, that Islamism is a broad political category which covers also political movements such as ]'s ] which do not seek to overthrow secular constitutions. (See also ]) | |||
| Some have argued that this use of the term is a misapplication, as the word "fascism" has been traditionally invoked to describe the merger of state and corporate power. Political commentators have argued that the fusion of Arab (particularly ]) and ] oil wealth and the totalitarian ideology of theocratic governments with global ambitions, constitutes a form of fascism. | |||
| Many muslims feel that comparing their muslim extremists to secular ideologies such as ] or other forms of fascism is very offensive. | |||
| == Islamist/Axis Alliance during WWII == | |||
| During ], Muslim leaders throught the arab world aligned themselves with ] hoping that the ] would liberate them from the British colonial rule and kill the jews in ]. | |||
| :'' "To the ]: The ] movement of Greater Germany has, since its inception, inscribed upon its flag the fight against the world Jewry. It has therefore followed with particular sympathy the struggle of freedom-loving Arabs, especially in ], against Jewish interlopers. In the recognition of this enemy and of the common struggle against it lies the firm foundation of the natural alliance that exists between ( Nazi )Germany and the freedom-loving Muslims of the whole world. In this spirit I am sending you on the anniversary of the infamous ] my hearty greetings and wishes for the successful pursuit of your struggle until the final victory. | |||
| :Signed: ] S.S. ]" '' <!-- Islam + Fascism == Islamofascism --> | |||
| ] meets with ] (1941)]] | |||
| [[Image:Himmler to Mufti telegram 1943.png|Left|thumb|222px|November 2, 1943 Himmler's telegram to Mufti: "November 2, 1943 Himmler's telegram to Mufti: | |||
| "To the Grand Mufti: The ] movement of Greater Germany has, since its inception, inscribed upon its flag the fight against the world Jewry. It has therefore followed with particular sympathy the struggle of freedom-loving Arabs, especially in Palestine, against Jewish interlopers. In the recognition of this enemy and of the common struggle against it lies the firm foundation of the natural alliance that exists between ( Nazi )Germany and the freedom-loving Muslims of the whole world. "]] | |||
| ] under the control of ] tried to join the Axis but there was internal resistance. When Kaylani was again appointed prime minister in 1940, ] had just passed away and the new four-year-old ] assumed the throne, with his uncle ] ] serving as "acting monarch." While Abdul-Illah supported the British in the war, Kaylani was strongly opposed to them and refused to allow troops to cross through Iraq to the war front. Kaytani was also opposed to those calling for him to break off ties with the Fascist government in Italy. He subsequently sent his Justice Minister, Naji Shawkat, to meet with the then German ambassador to ], ], to win German support for his government. At a later meeting, in which the Mufti's private secretary acted as the representative for the Iraqi government, Kaylani assured Germany that his country's natural resources would be made available to the Axis Powers in return for German recognition of the Arab states' right to independence and political unity, as well as the right to "deal with" the Jews living in ] lands. When ] got wind of these dealings, sanctions were immediately placed on Iraq. The last chance for Iraqi entrance on the side of Germany slipped away when the Italians began to lose control of their territory holdings in North Africa. On January 31, 1941, Kaylani was forced to resign from the post of Iraqi Prime Minister due to British pressure. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Quotes== | ||
| * "Islamofascism is nothing but an empty propaganda term. And wartime propaganda is usually, if not always, crafted to produce hysteria, the destruction of any sense of proportion. Such words, undefined and unmeasured, are used by people more interested in making us lose our heads than in keeping their own." . ], conservative Catholic commentator. | * "Islamofascism is nothing but an empty propaganda term. And wartime propaganda is usually, if not always, crafted to produce hysteria, the destruction of any sense of proportion. Such words, undefined and unmeasured, are used by people more interested in making us lose our heads than in keeping their own." . ], conservative Catholic commentator. | ||
| * "What we have to understand is ... this is not really a war against terrorism, this is not really a war against al Qaeda, this is a war against movements and ideologies that are jihadist, that are Islamofascists, that aim to destroy the Western world." ], president of the ]. | * "What we have to understand is ... this is not really a war against terrorism, this is not really a war against al Qaeda, this is a war against movements and ideologies that are jihadist, that are Islamofascists, that aim to destroy the Western world." ], president of the ]. | ||
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| * "The idea that there is some kind of autonomous "Islamofascism" that can be crushed, or that the west may defend itself against the terrorists who threaten it by cultivating that eagerness to kill militant Muslims which ] urges upon us, is a dangerous delusion. The symptoms that have led some to apply the label of "Islamofascism" are not reasons to forget root causes. They are reasons for us to examine even more carefully what those root causes actually are." He adds "'Saddam, Arafat and the Saudis hate the Jews and want to see them destroyed' . . . or so says the right-wing writer ]. And he has a point. Does the western left really grasp the extent of anti-Semitism in the Middle East? But does the right grasp the role of Europeans in creating such hatred?" ], author of ''A Brief History of Blasphemy: liberalism, censorship and 'The Satanic Verses'''writing in the ]. | * "The idea that there is some kind of autonomous "Islamofascism" that can be crushed, or that the west may defend itself against the terrorists who threaten it by cultivating that eagerness to kill militant Muslims which ] urges upon us, is a dangerous delusion. The symptoms that have led some to apply the label of "Islamofascism" are not reasons to forget root causes. They are reasons for us to examine even more carefully what those root causes actually are." He adds "'Saddam, Arafat and the Saudis hate the Jews and want to see them destroyed' . . . or so says the right-wing writer ]. And he has a point. Does the western left really grasp the extent of anti-Semitism in the Middle East? But does the right grasp the role of Europeans in creating such hatred?" ], author of ''A Brief History of Blasphemy: liberalism, censorship and 'The Satanic Verses'''writing in the ]. | ||
| == |
== See also == | ||
| * ] and ] — Islam as a political movement. <!-- Why is it so hard to get a unified articles due to POV forking--> | |||
| === Political Concepts === | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] — Islam as a political movement | |||
| * ] |
* ] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| === Islamic Concepts === | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==Academics and commentators on Islamofascism== | |||
| * ] — U.S. political scientist | |||
| * ] — Muslim free-thinker and social critic. | |||
| * ] — Italian journalist and author of ''The Rage and The Pride (La Rabbia e l'Orgoglio)'' and ''The Strength of Reason (La Forza della Ragione)''. | |||
| * ] — U.S. journalist and noted blogger | |||
| * ] — U.S. historian and commentator on military affairs | |||
| * ] — British journalist. | |||
| * ] Israeli politician and ] activist. Author of ''The Case For Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror'' | |||
| * ] — Israeli political scientist. Author of ''Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism.'' | |||
| * ] — U.S. ]. | |||
| * ] Dutch MP and friend of murdered ]. Scriptwriter for ]: a film about violence against women in Islamic societies. | |||
| * ] British academic. Author of many works on ] and contemparary European-Islamic relations. | |||
| ==Organizations and think tanks== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| * from ] | |||
| * | |||
| * by Deroy Murdock in ] | |||
| * by Daniel Pipes | |||
| * (Israeli site) | |||
| ===Critical of the concept of Islamofascism=== | |||
| * — ] (], ]) | * — ] (], ]) | ||
| *, by ] | |||
| ] | ]] | ||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 04:03, 5 May 2005
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Main article: Fascist (epithet)
The term "Islamofascism" is a controversial political epithet. Supporters of the term argue that it refers only to certain sects of Islam that have fascist or totalitarian tendencies. Opponents argue that the term is merely used to smear Islam with the negative connotations of the term fascist.
Quotes
- "But the bombers of Manhattan represent fascism with an Islamic face, and there's no point in any euphemism about it. What they abominate about "the West," to put it in a phrase, is not what Western liberals don't like and can't defend about their own system, but what they do like about it and must defend: its emancipated women, its scientific inquiry, its separation of religion from the state." Christopher Hitchens, neoconservative commentator.
- "Islamofascism is nothing but an empty propaganda term. And wartime propaganda is usually, if not always, crafted to produce hysteria, the destruction of any sense of proportion. Such words, undefined and unmeasured, are used by people more interested in making us lose our heads than in keeping their own." . Joseph Sobran, conservative Catholic commentator.
- "What we have to understand is ... this is not really a war against terrorism, this is not really a war against al Qaeda, this is a war against movements and ideologies that are jihadist, that are Islamofascists, that aim to destroy the Western world." Clifford May, president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
- "...the word ‘Fascism’ is almost entirely meaningless. In conversation, of course, it is used even more wildly than in print. I have heard it applied to farmers, shopkeepers, Social Credit, corporal punishment, fox-hunting, bull-fighting, the 1922 Committee, the 1941 Committee, Kipling, Gandhi, Chiang Kai-Shek, homosexuality, Priestley's broadcasts, Youth Hostels, astrology, women, dogs and I do not know what else." George Orwell, British essayist and novelist.
- "It is hard to see the difference between the bigotry of anti-Semitism as an evil and the bigotry that Medved displays toward Islam. It is more offensive than I can say for him to use the word "Islamo-fascist." Islam is a sacred term to 1.3 billion people in the world. It enshrines their highest ideals. To combine it with the word "fascist" in one phrase is a desecration and a form of hate speech. Are there Muslims who are fascists? Sure. But there is no Islamic fascism, since "Islam" has to do with the highest ideals of the religion. In the same way, there have been lots of Christian fascists, but to speak of Christo-Fascism is just offensive." Juan Cole, professor of modern Middle East and South Asian history at the University of Michigan.
- "The idea that there is some kind of autonomous "Islamofascism" that can be crushed, or that the west may defend itself against the terrorists who threaten it by cultivating that eagerness to kill militant Muslims which Hitchens urges upon us, is a dangerous delusion. The symptoms that have led some to apply the label of "Islamofascism" are not reasons to forget root causes. They are reasons for us to examine even more carefully what those root causes actually are." He adds "'Saddam, Arafat and the Saudis hate the Jews and want to see them destroyed' . . . or so says the right-wing writer Andrew Sullivan. And he has a point. Does the western left really grasp the extent of anti-Semitism in the Middle East? But does the right grasp the role of Europeans in creating such hatred?" Richard Webster, author of A Brief History of Blasphemy: liberalism, censorship and 'The Satanic Verses'writing in the New Statesman.
See also
- Islamism and Islam as a political movement — Islam as a political movement.
- Islamic democracy
- Islamophobia
- Fascist (epithet)
External links
- Andrew Sullivan Interview from INDC Journal
- The Islamofascist Agenda by Deroy Murdock in National Review
- How the right played the fascism card against Islam — The Guardian (4 February, 2005)
- What is Fascism?, by George Orwell