Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Arab News: "Who Are the Real Fascists?"

President Bush's use of the phrase "Islamic Fascists" has received a great deal of attention lately. Here, one Muhammad Salahuddin weighs in at Arab News:
Okay, we do realize that the man is limited in his knowledge and intellect and lacks the necessary experience. He also has a tendency to sometimes blabber and is totally oblivious of the impact and consequences of his utterances. However, having said that, any tenth grade politician would naturally realize that it is inappropriate to ascribe the vicious actions of evil-minded people to their religions. Otherwise, it would have been imperative for us to describe Adolf Hitler as being a Christian Nazi on account of his Nazi ideology; likewise we would be required to refer to the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, as a Christian fascist. Similarly terrorist organizations across the length and breadth of Europe, including Northern Ireland’s IRA and Spain’s ETA would have to be described as Christian terrorists.
It is funny how this writer attempts to use generalizations about wrong-doing and religious identity to wave away the connection between Islam and groups like, um, Islamic Jihad. The argument that such groups are motivated by a distorted version of Islam may or may not be true, but at least it is a respectable argument. Salahuddin is just being silly.

Also at Arab News: "Bahrainis Mark Hezbollah’s Victory"

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