I think the left ought to be deeply ashamed of Islamic Extremism, for the fact that that it is a powerful movement in many countries that has captured the hearts of a great many men and women. We should be upset that hundreds of thousands if not millions have joined a liberation movement that is not ours. I think it's therefore our duty to study islamic extremism and the muslim world, and what should be done to re-establish the socialist movement in the region.
With that in mind, I ask, Why has Islamic Extremism at this point become a caricature unto itself, taking the form that western Propaganda depicts Islamic Extremism? Bin Laden, for all his depravity, made mild demands "Leave us alone, stop supporting Israel, we do not want to fight". in his speeches, he made arguments to western and universalizing ideas of peace, security, freedom, and self-determination, and was known to speak with a soft, gentle voice. You can see in his statements and actions that he rationally and deliberately used terror as a weapon to manipulate the US. web.archive.org/web/20070613014620/http://english.aljazeera.net/English/archive/archive?ArchiveId=7403
Compare that to the current extremism with ISIS, a group that seeks a global caliphate, and the subjugation or annihilation of all non-muslims. ISIS rejoices in extreme acts of sexual depravity and violence. Slavoj Zizek writes: "The problem with terrorist fundamentalists is not that we consider them inferior to us, but, rather, that they themselves secretly consider themselves inferior. The problem is not cultural difference (their effort to preserve their identity), but the opposite fact that they already like us, that, secretly, they have already internalized our standards and measure themselves by them." opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/isis-is-a-disgrace-to-true-fundamentalism/
What do you make of it, Holla Forums?
Liam Thompson
They became more extreme because moderation failed.
Same reason as the right wing of capitalist politics devolved into fascism.
Thomas Moore
You realize "Islamic extremism" wasn't a thing before the US started funding militants during the Cold War. Even Bin Laden had connections/assistance to the CIA.
Luke Rogers
The Islamic Revolution didn't fail though. Iranian Muslims were able to create a strong, theocratic state that has lasted through the decades and decisively resisted Western Imperialists. Why does that hold no sway?
Leo Flores
Islam has always had extremists, even going back to the Assassins and the Khawarij and Ash'arism
Hudson Jones
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Adam Allen
Tell the West to stop sticking its dick in MENA. Stop the Saudis and the Qataris who fund these groups.
Ayden Garcia
It succeeded for the leadership of the people in creating a system that benefits them.
It failed to give the people themselves a life that was materially better than what they had before.
Asher Ramirez
I like how the far-right uses antifa as a buzzword for anything they don't like.
James Butler
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Joseph Torres
Where are the achievements? Beyond vague developmentalism.
Jason Morgan
I like how the far-right only discovered antifa after November and now they're convinced it's an anti-Trump organization that was founded in 2016.
Landon Young
Most groups we would consider to be "Islamic Extremists" do not generally run on a platform of mass politics/mobilization. If one stops to consider who usually constitutes the core constituents of these movements (or at least the most militant/visible elements), what are the type of people we see? In almost all cases, backed by foreign business interests both within the region and abroad. If this sounds familiar, it should: this was the primary support base of fascist movements throughout the 20th century. The Islamist platform more or less pulls directly from earlier strategies employed by historical nationalist movements to push reactionary agendas while operating without majority support in their area of operation.
They ultimately don't care if they become caricatures because the means by which they gain power and support is not reliant on being seen as "rational" by anyone outside of their own sphere. Islamists act violent in the name of rebuking foreign influence, foreign entities like the US take that as justification to intervene against forces that they perceive as "irrational and dangerous," Islamists amplify their message/methods in response. As long as they continue reinforcing the narrative of "us versus imperialism" and don't piss off their handlers, they have enough resources and base-level support to continue operation with increasing legitimacy as "the only ones who are doing anything about it."
Kevin Torres
They 'joined a liberation movement that's not ours' because all of 'our' movements were systematically derailed, distorted, or destroyed by the CIA in the fifties, sixties, and seventies.
Jackson Wright
islamic extremism sucks and everoyne on the left hates them
Noah Scott
The decline of secular, western and socialist inspired ideologies like Ba'athism in the Middle East is pretty closely linked to the decline of the USSR and the American support for Islamic Extremism to counter the Assad's and Nasser's of the world. Ironically enough, now that Islamic extremism has become a dominant ideology you now have Americans funding socialists like Rojava to combat it. It's like an endless cycle.
Josiah Hernandez
There is a lot more to it than that. Saddam was not as secular as people like to claim he was, and he happily allowed sectarian (and occasionally ethnic and racial) violence. He also housed and financially supported several Islamic terror groups, though if I remember right, the scale of the funding is uncertain, and it was never the "WOAH AL-QUEDA CONSPIRACY!!" that the USA claimed.
Ian Moore
They are far right conservatives and my enemy. Still we need 3rd world immigration to destroy national states.
Andrew Barnes
RIP Bin Laden realest nigga around
Carter King
hello Holla Forums.
Jason Sanders
No, it only reinforces the reactionaries. If we are ever to mantle nationalism and move onto pan-continentalism/post-nationalism we must focus on reforming our union and defending it both form western and Russian influences.
Gabriel Wilson
literally garbage tier Lets create artificial borders between people based under [x] Culture [x] Geography [x] ideology [x] major industry/activity [x] dick size [✓] tectonic plates
Henry Barnes
At this moment its essential for post-nationalism to develop. We need it not for the sake of idpol, but to get rid of it via creation of truly effective secular state.
Isaiah White
Secular states create idpol unless they are ethnically unified.
Mason Sullivan
ethnicity is tied to language and culture. There are things that can be fused following social engineering form this new federalized EU.
Jeremiah Garcia
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Brody Long
Nationalism is idpol
Landon Howard
seriously though, why don't we do it based on dick size