Islamofascism

Islamofascism and Axis of Evil were coinages of the Bush administration used to justify their hard-line policies post-9/11—policies such as the invasion of Iraq, racial profiling, the incarceration and torture of terrorist suspects, warrantless wiretapping, etc. In retrospect, one has to wonder which was more fascist and evil—the so-called Islamofascists or the ruthless, totalitarian policies that were adopted to combat and suppress Islamofascism.

The question of whether the terms are applicable and relevant to the Islamic societies of the world is debatable. For one thing, the Islamic world, like fascist nations, is characterized by rampant, rabid (as in rabies-infected or foaming at the mouth like a mad dog) anti-semitism as well as by totalitarian regimes and petty dictatorships (such as those of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Ahmedinajad in Iran, Gaddafi in Libya, the erstwhile regime of Musharraf in Pakistan, etc.—the list goes on). Furthermore, Islamic nations are typified by brutal misogynistic practices, especially in the Taliban controlled regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan; and even more brutal suppression of human rights, such as in Saudi Arabia, where amputation and beheading are commonplace as punishment for the slightest of offenses.

So, does this constitute fascism? Is it justifiable to suggest that on these grounds, we should label the Islamic world as Islamofascist and equate the so-called Axis of Evil, constituting the nations of Iran, Iraq and North Korea (which isn't even an Islamic nation) with the original Axis powers of World War II, namely Germany, Japan and Italy?

This is a tricky question. The real problem here is that the terminology confuses the issue and complicates two very different kinds of socio-political threats. The radical elements of the Islamic world, such as Al-Quaeda and Taliban, are certainly evil and pose a genuine threat; and the general cultural practices of Islamic societies, such as misogyny, draconian punishment without anything close to a fair trial, totalitarianism, etc. are certainly profoundly depraved. However, to equate them with the Axis nations is to mischaracterize them, because while the Axis powers were industrial superpowers in their day and ruthlessly progressive and efficient in their style, the Islamic world is anything but that. The Islamic nations are typically backward, regressive and socially challenged. As such, the evil that they represent is more pitiable than genuinely threatening.

Take the case of Iraq—a ruthless dictatorship with a history of genocide, torture, murder, etc. But invade them, and they look like a nation of victims and minorities, whereas the invading superpower looks like the bad guy, especially in the context of torture and widespread mayhem. The evil dictatorship which once posed a threat to world stability owing to the possible deployment of nuclear and chemical weapons is now a nation of freedom fighters against an oppressive occupying force.

President Obama's speech in Cairo appealing to the better instincts of the Islamic world is certainly to be commended as a strong attempt at outreach and diplomacy and a genuine attempt to consolidate the nations and societies of the world, and to help the regressive Islamic world into the 21st century. However, the reality is that Islamic culture is steeped in the 7th century and, thanks to its dogged adherence to its dogmatic belief system, it hasn't really advanced very much since then. It is doubtful that it ever will. Good luck to the Obama administration, bringing the Medieval Islamic world into the fold of modern society. I seriously doubt it will have much of a long-term impact, considering the history of the last 14 centuries!

Horizon Cybermedia, meanwhile, is committed to standing in opposition to the backward, regressive, brutal forces of the world and, instead, arguing for culture, sophistication and high ideals. Stay tuned for plenty of media content to come in the future as we continue our film series, Exploration with Uday Gunjikar, taking you, the viewer, to all manner of remarkable destinations worldwide. Check us out at http://www.explorationtheseries.com.

Wishing you the very best,

Uday Gunjikar,
Founder and CEO,
Horizon Cybermedia, Inc.