[Marxism] The immigration thread

[Calvin Broadbent]

All of the brouhaha over the word 'Islamism', and in particular Ian Pace's 
suggestion that political Islam represents 'small and relatively 
unrepresentative groups', ignores the historical fact that political Islam 
can and does represent a major ideological trend within arab 
anti-imperialism today. To discount the relative progressiveness of this 
trend merely because one does not like political religions, especially those 
of the Islamic variety, ensures that one must capitulate to imperialism. 
Kersplebedeb has pointed out, righlty I think, that there is an 
anti-imperialist ideology in many extreme right wing movements. But the 
logic of the political right is ultimately to collaborate with imperialism. 
That is why the white supremacist and federalist right in American are 
hardly as out on a limb politically as the national movements of oppressed 
blacks and latinos.

The same thing goes for the right-wing trend in political Islam in the 
Middle East (perhaps best represented in Saudi Wahibbism); it is bound to 
capitulate to imperialism if it wishes to secure its foothold over the 
working class. As such, the danger of Islamic fascism (an imperialist 
movement grounded on militarily imposed working class fragmentation) is 
negated by the anti-imperialist movement of the arab and muslim peoples as 
such.

Karz' fetishisation of unionised workers in Iraq is, of course, 'screamingly 
funny in its absurdity'.  He has always persisted in discounting the 
demands, needs, and interests of non-unionised workers in Iraq, many of whom 
are armed and insurgent. Has he noticed that al Sadr and others like him are 
not primarily demanding an 'Islamic Republic', but are themselves proponents 
of a quite minimal democratic program, namely, for USUK killers to leave 
Iraq so that Iraqis can decide for themselves the socialist fate of their 
country?

Katz's remarks about the Australian 'peace movement' being 'much dimished' 
by the absence of of Christians and 'religious progressives' is 
unintentionally chucklesome. Comparing Australian pacifist christians to 
arab muslim anti-imperialists is like comparing rambling to walking on the 
moon.

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