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Ansar Al-'Adl
03-25-2006, 10:37 PM
March 24, 2006

Islamophobia at Downing Street

Tony Blair's Bipolarity

By MICHAEL CARMICHAEL

This week, Tony Blair launched a scathing ideological attack on Islamism. Describing the conflict between Islamism and the world as a, "battle for modernity," he quoted the conservative American historian, Samuel Huntington, in order to refute him. Contrasting his interpretation of a "conflict about civilisation" in a historical chiaroscuro with Huntington's "conflict of civilisations," Blair blasted Islamism as the fountainhead of the world's escalating level of ultra-violence.

Promising to make further keynote speeches to address the Israel-Palestine conflict in the Middle East, Blair sought to defend the pointed attacks on Islamic fundamentalism by George Bush and Christopher Hitchens as the raison d'etre for the war in Iraq. In his latest lamentation on the exclusively Islamic sources of ulta-violence, terrorism and war, Blair echoed the mantras of the coterie of deeply Islamophobic neoconservative intellectuals who emerged from the right-wing witches' cauldron of Leo Stein at the University of Chicago.

Blair's diatribe was the performance of a committed idealist, a demagogue mesmerized by his own ideology and not that of an intellectual, an academic, a mainstream politician or a statesman. Blair inhabits that shadowy region of Christianity that sees itself as totally separate and apart from the other faiths stemming from the house of Abraham: Judaism and Islam. In Blair's vision of Christianity, there are no Muslims who accept the messianic status of Jesus; no Christians who launch terrorist atrocities and no Jewish terrorists, either.

In the mind of Tony Blair, the trouble with world terror stems exclusively from the ideology and culture of Islamic fundamentalism. In Blair's deeply bipolar world, Christianity and Judaism are blameless for the rising tide of terror.

In Blair's definition of terror, the lynchings of the Christian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, the terror bombings of Oklahoma, the brutal beatings of Muslims in Britain, the extra-judicial killings of Palestinians, the Christian bombings of pharmaceutical factories in Sudan and the Israeli military assassinations of Palestinians simply do not exist.

His selective vision of the world is troubling for it emanates from a double standard. Fundamentalist Christian terror does not exist for Blair. Fundamentalist Judaic terror does not exist for Blair. Whether Blair is capable of discerning fundamentalist Hindu terror is--at this point in time--unknown.

The question arises: Is Tony Blair Islamophobic? Islamophobia has emerged as the anti-Semitism of the twenty-first century. Blair recently gave an interview in which he revealed his inordinate commitment to Christianity. Explaining his decision to wage war on Iraq, Blair said that his religious beliefs had shaped his decision to join forces with Bush's neoconservative juggernaut.

Much has been made of Blair's personal religious idiosyncrasy. Married to a traditional Roman Catholic, Blair's solemn devotion to religious orthodoxy has been exposed to the microscope of public scrutiny. In 2004, a Roman Catholic priest was foolish enough to give a press conference stating Blair's personal desire to convert to the Church of Rome. Reliable witnesses have confirmed that Blair and Bush pray together during their wartime summits. The extremist religious ideology of Bush is well-established. His political partnership with Blair is founded on much more than the special relationship between Britain and America. These two men share a common faith in the fundamental veracity of some of the most orthodox and conservative attitudes in Christendom and apparently some of the most extreme ones, as well.

Their's is a partnership that not only prays, but also preys together.

Praying together, Bush and Blair consistently prey on their common enemy - the Islamic culture that has fostered what in their myopic vision is pure "evil"--i.e. terror.

Their common myopia places the bombings launched by Christian fundamentalists, the assassinations committed by Jewish fundamentalists and the religious motivation of the tractor-driving assassin who fractured the skull, severed the spine and crushed the life out of Rachel Corrie outside of their narrowing cone of perception.

Their condition is simply a twin case of visual, optical and intellectual bipolarity. In their world: Islam is evil. Christianity is good. Judaism is invisible. But, does this intellectual bipolarity make Blair Islamophobic? Is he, in fact, as bipolar in his reaction to Islam as the anti-Semitic bigots of the last century?

To date, let it be noted that Blair has not called out in public for the genocidal extermination of the entire Islamic population of the world. Let it also be noted that Adolf Hitler did not publicise his plan for the final solution to what he perceived as the problem posed by the Jews he hated and feared. Hitler's tirades against the Jews led to the public acceptance of anti-Semitism. Will Blair's frontal assault on Islamists lead Britain in the same direction?

We keenly await Blair's future pronouncements on Israel and Palestine.

http://www.counterpunch.org/carmichael03242006.html
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cleo
03-25-2006, 10:52 PM
They fear what they don't understand, there fore they can't allow truth..
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minaz
03-25-2006, 11:20 PM
Counterpunch.org is a dodgy biased site, and the author of the artice is just expressing his views and not backing them up with any real facts/sources.
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Knut Hamsun
03-25-2006, 11:21 PM
There is a difference between Islamism and Islam, right? I hope so! If there is a difference, then Blair is not an "Islamophobe", but a "Islamismophobe" (or "-istophobe"). And who could blame him-- isn't his job to serve, protect and promote the interests and laws of the UK? Since Islamism has as one of its main goals to terrorize "the west", including the UK, then Blair is only doing his job. He only needs do it more strongly.
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minaz
03-25-2006, 11:23 PM
Could you please explain the definition of "Islamism" to me please ebfore we go on
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Knut Hamsun
03-25-2006, 11:34 PM
and the author of the artice is just expressing his views
Apparently! He seems to be expressing his subconcious paranoia of Jews, too. I.E.:
Blair echoed the mantras of the coterie of deeply Islamophobic neoconservative intellectuals who emerged from the right-wing witches' cauldron of Leo Stein at the University of Chicago
.

I am almost positive he meant to write "Leo Strauss of The University of Chicago". That is unbelievable. Has he no editor?
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minaz
03-25-2006, 11:35 PM
yeh exactly
Could you please explain the definition of "Islamism" to me please ebfore we go on
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Knut Hamsun
03-25-2006, 11:54 PM
Could you please explain the definition of "Islamism" to me please ebfore we go on
Yes, I can.

Islamism describes a set of political ideologies derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. Islamist ideologies hold that Islam is not only a religion, but also a political system that governs the legal, economic and social imperatives of the state.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamism

I think the layman generally understands "Islamism" to be the fundamentalist/radical/fanatical brand of Islam that often espouses hatred for the west and secularism in general. Notice I said "the layman generally understands"... This seems to be the genal public understanding but the "official" definition is above.
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minaz
03-26-2006, 12:01 AM
That should be the case with any religion, that it's a way of life. And people's lives include political/social/economic factors. It's just that some people may find that their religion isn't strong enough to sustain their needs (i.e. the C.O.E in the UK). But with Islam it does, and it has been seen throughout history. Read Fukuyama
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Knut Hamsun
03-26-2006, 12:25 AM
That should be the case with any religion, that it's a way of life
I don't think it should. You may want to re-read that definition. Here in the UK/USA one is free to practice a religion within the confines of the state's rules/laws... ie the state is not one and the same as a specific religion. See the difference?

It's just that some people may find that their religion isn't strong enough to sustain their needs
So.... they want the state to be overthrown and their religious principles implimented instead? "It" may not sustain their needs but their religion won't sustain society's needs(nor mine).

But with Islam it does, and it has been seen throughout history. Read Fukuyama
I would disagree. So...no it does not. And what of Francis Fukuyama should I read?
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HeiGou
03-26-2006, 08:54 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Ansar Al-'Adl
Tony Blair's Bipolarity

By MICHAEL CARMICHAEL

This week, Tony Blair launched a scathing ideological attack on Islamism. Describing the conflict between Islamism and the world as a, "battle for modernity," he quoted the conservative American historian, Samuel Huntington, in order to refute him.
Notice 1. Blair has attacked Islamism - Islamic extremism, neo-Kharijism whatever you want to call it - not Islam

and 2. he quoted Samuel Huntington in order to refute him, that is, deny there is a clash of civilisations and hence a war on Islam.

In Blair's vision of Christianity, there are no Muslims who accept the messianic status of Jesus; no Christians who launch terrorist atrocities and no Jewish terrorists, either.
Well obviously there are no Muslims who accept the Messianic status of Jesus. They'd be Christians if they did. Well there is that one in Afghanistan but that is a temporary problem I expect. There are no Christians at the moment, as it happens, who launch terrorist atrocities or at least not many. And there are very few Jewish terrorists.

What else is this but a statement of fact?

In the mind of Tony Blair, the trouble with world terror stems exclusively from the ideology and culture of Islamic fundamentalism.
Indeed. Precisely. Jewish terrorism, in so far as it exists, is confined to Israel and perhaps every now and then New York. Christian terrorism, in so far as it exists, is confined to Uganda and South Carolina. Only neo-Kharijism is world wide.

His selective vision of the world is troubling for it emanates from a double standard. Fundamentalist Christian terror does not exist for Blair. Fundamentalist Judaic terror does not exist for Blair. Whether Blair is capable of discerning fundamentalist Hindu terror is--at this point in time--unknown.
Because, of course, Fundamentalist Christian and Fundamentalist Jewish terror are utterly insignificant.

Much has been made of Blair's personal religious idiosyncrasy. Married to a traditional Roman Catholic, Blair's solemn devotion to religious orthodoxy has been exposed to the microscope of public scrutiny.
As traditional Roman Catholic as, say, John Kerry.

To date, let it be noted that Blair has not called out in public for the genocidal extermination of the entire Islamic population of the world. Let it also be noted that Adolf Hitler did not publicise his plan for the final solution to what he perceived as the problem posed by the Jews he hated and feared.
Wow there is a piece of logic. Let it be noted that I have not called out publically for homosexuality to be made complusory for all school children. Let it be noted that Hitler also did not publically call out for homosexuality to be made complusory for all schoolchildren. Draw your own conclusion.
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Knut Hamsun
03-26-2006, 08:56 AM
Notice 1. Blair has attacked Islamism - Islamic extremism, neo-Kharijism whatever you want to call it - not Islam
Exactly. And I hope you read my...

Apparently! He seems to be expressing his subconcious paranoia of Jews, too. I.E.:

Quote:
Blair echoed the mantras of the coterie of deeply Islamophobic neoconservative intellectuals who emerged from the right-wing witches' cauldron of Leo Stein at the University of Chicago

.

I am almost positive he meant to write "Leo Strauss of The University of Chicago". That is unbelievable. Has he no editor?
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Ansar Al-'Adl
03-26-2006, 04:46 PM
Please do not post off-topic comments. The discussion on apostasy is already being carried out in several other threads.

:w:
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minaz
03-26-2006, 05:37 PM
Can my post be retrieved which i spent 20 minutes upon and was on topic
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KAding
03-26-2006, 05:46 PM
On the article. Lets not forget that Islamism is a political ideology. Being for or against a particular political ideology is perfectly legitimate. Resisting Islamism to me is no different from resisting socialism or the extreme-right.

Describing someone who is against, say, socialism as 'socialism-phobe' makes no sense. The same applies to Islamism.
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Knut Hamsun
03-27-2006, 08:11 AM
Resisting Islamism to me is no different from resisting socialism or the extreme-right.
I agree with you on this point. But most muslims seem to equate any western person/state resisting/eradicating Islamism with attacking Islam.
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north_malaysian
03-27-2006, 08:16 AM
How about europhobia and judeophobia among Muslims?
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Knut Hamsun
03-27-2006, 08:21 AM
How about europhobia and judeophobia among Muslims?
Hello North Malaysian,
I am not sure i know what you mean. care to explain?
;)
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north_malaysian
03-27-2006, 08:39 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Knut Hamsun
Hello North Malaysian,
I am not sure i know what you mean. care to explain?
;)
Why Muslims dont want to discuss europhobia and judeophobia among Muslims.
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