[kj] re: I want to be a suicide bomber

[Mark Kolmar]

I use the term "Islamofascist" to point to a noxious combination of
Islam and fascism, as distinct from mainstream Islam.  The Islamic
fascism I am talking about is drastically more authoritarian than
Islam itself would provide, even while Islam describes a combination
of religion and government.  Islamofascism combines all Islamic
tendencies with autocracy, extreme regimentation, extreme
authoritarianism, and merging of state and business leadership, which
I believe is a fair definition of fascism.

I can't defend the positions of some other people who also use this
term, but I stand by it.

As for "taking a side", I favor social libertarianism, centrist
economics, and complete secularism, which makes me the polar opposite
of what I describe above.  So you better believe I take sides.

--Mark

On 12/23/05, Papa Lazarou <circuit_bender at yahoo.com> wrote:
> "Islamofascism" is a controversial term used by some commentators to refer
> to Islamist movements perceived to have neofascist or totalitarian
> characteristics, particularly groups like Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, The Muslim
> Brotherhood, Hamas, and Hezbollah.
> While several modern political and militant organizations describe
> themselves as "Islamist", none refer to themselves as "fascist." Some critic
> s of these groups claim that there are important parallels between the
> ideologies and tactics of certain modern Islamic movements and the
> ideologies and tactics of conventional fascists or neo-fascists.
> This, however, is disputed by some critics who view the term as an
> historically inaccurate metaphor. Other critics view it as an oxymoron and a
> rhetorical device or propaganda. Some say it is hate speech, because, they
> argue, it is a desecration that is profoundly < A title=Insult
> href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insult">insulting to
> Muslims.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamofascism
>
> I will go with the latter of this definition. The term only produces
> negativity. Could the same not have been said about Catholicism, in the past
> 100 years?
> I believe the world to be in a state of global fascism in general, and
> terminology like this only serves to make you 'take a side'.
>
> Happy Holidays!
>
> Mark Kolmar <mkolmar at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I don't think for a moment Jaz advocated violence against civilian
> bystanders or Islamofascism in general. But there is a narrow point
> one can argue, which is that perhaps parts of this "to the death"
> mentality could be applied constructively in the West. That is very
> much despite the fact it is often applied destructively and
> nonsensically in the Middle East.
>
> --Mark
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