Saturday, February 9, 2008
There is a lengthy and informative debate at Frontpage concerning the use of the term "Islamo-Fascism". I've not had the chance to read the entire thing yet (long!), but at the outset I share Daveed Gartenstein-Ross's feeling when he states:
...The use of a polemical turn of phrase to "defin[e] the enemy we face" can also limit the audience that one reaches. If I'm reading a work that employs the phraseology "Bushitler" or "Zionazi," that's usually a strong sign that reading further could only possibly lower my IQ. While "Islamofascism" is not as false as either of those polemical terms, people associate it with a certain political viewpoint about the war against radical Islam. If they do not agree with the viewpoint, the term causes many people to stop listening--and to disregard otherwise legitimate arguments...
I think that's the danger of all "in-group jargon" -- it's a turnoff to outsiders and I worry when I hear the term over-used. That's not to say I don't think the term has a place and I wouldn't like to see it spread outside the group, I just think it's not there yet.
As to whether the term is accurate or not, I suspect that question has no real answer but does provide much grist for the discussion, debate, and symposium mills. It's certainly a meaningful and useful expression when not over-applied.
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: The Islamo-Fascism Label.
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Andy Bostom emails to take issue with the "Islamo-Fascism" debate linked below, implying it misses the point. Instead, his writing seems to indicate that one may as well say that Fascism itself is "Islamo," and backs it up with two... Read More
If we are discussing terminology, what exactly does the term "reform Islam" mean? Who is the Islamic version of the Christian, Martin Luther? Has anyone nailed a document of reforms to the wall of the local mosque? Unless that term is codified, then aren't we truly are at war with Islamo-Totalitarianism?
I'm just asking....
martin luther is no example to follow. A lot of Jews died thanks to the intolerance of martin luther.
I cringe when I hear people tell me they are "Lutheran", as if martin luther did something to be proud of.
It's like saying they are racists, and proud of it too.
The nazis took martin luthers words and ran with it to the detriment of the world.
Agreed on Martin Luther and Jew hatred. Can't understand it myself. It is certainly not Biblical. However, Luther did call the church on the whole selling of indulgences thing and that was a major reform - grace and grace alone is the only path to God.
My point is that I'm wondering if anyone had stepped forward in the Islamic community with a list of logically based reforms - like resolved: Islam is tolerant of the beliefs of others and the rights of all people to exist according to their own creed.
We hear about the need for "reforming Islam", but has anyone codified a definition of what reformed Islam is?
I suppose catch-phrases like Islamo-Fascism or Totalitarian Islam are OK - they serve the purpose of describing something in conversation that would otherwise take several minutes to explain. But catch-phrases presume that we all agree on the meaning. What we need is a simple metaphor which better explains the catch-phrases, and here is my attempt:
Islam is tri-partite and can be understood like the food pyramid:
At the top is Islamic Jihad, which is at this time in history a form of asymmetrical expansionist warfare using assassination, mass murder, suicide/homicide bombing, and coercion.
In the middle is the Totalitarian Sharia legal system which is supported by the religious, legal and political classses within Islam.
At the broad base are the Muslim masses, who I hope mostly just want to live in peace, raise their families and worship in the Muslim way.
The fly in the ointment is that the Muslim masses are under the heel of the top two groups, just as the German masses were under the heel of the German military and the German totalitarian legal/political classes of World War II.
Our leaders seem to understand that we are at war with the top group, whereas we are in fact at war with the top two groups.