From: Paul Cockshott (wpc@DCS.GLA.AC.UK)
Date: Fri Dec 31 2004 - 11:26:41 EST
I am not attempting to appear as an applolgist for the Islamists, but one has to recognise them as a serious social movement. Their elements of anti-capitalism and anti-imperialism stem from a pre-capitalist ideology, reminiscent of what the Communist Manifesto refered to as feudal socialism. It is perfectly possible to combine some element of anti-capitalist propaganda with support for patriarchy. Indeed support for patriarchy is one more reason to be anti-capitalist given the dissolution of familial relations and sexual equality towards which capitalism tends. After all under capitalism - all that is sacred becomes profane. The outrageous prescriptions of sharia are outrageous to us precisely from our standpoint of capitalist liberalism. -----Original Message----- From: OPE-L on behalf of Gerald_A_Levy@MSN.COM Sent: Fri 12/31/2004 1:32 PM To: OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU Subject: Re: [OPE-L] Letter from France: In Europe, Islam fills Marxism's old shoes > I think you confuse christian with Islamic radicals. The latter > offer a social and economic program based on sharia. This > involves redistribution through obligatory charitable donations > and the abolition of interest payments. As such it contains > an anti-capitalist element. Paul C, I don't think you replied to my comments about the appeal of Islamic radicalism to women. Sharia, which you claim has an anti-capitalist element, has been used to subordinate and brutally repress women -- e.g. using the "right of retaliation", women have been murdered by male family members for 'crimes' like sex outside of marriage. Do you know what Sharia call for as punishment for adultery and pre-marital sex? Women don't have the same rights as men to public speech, education, occupation and appearance, etc. There are also varying rights of inheritance based on gender, etc. So I think that your claim that Islamic radicals represent the "voice of the dispossessed" needs to be qualified. You mention charity and interest but make no mention of property rights or crimes against the owners of private property. E.g. Sharia mandates that theft (1st offense) be punished by cutting-off the person's right hand (if the thief commits another offense then the left foot is cut off). For highway robbery, punishment can take the form of execution, crucifixion, exile, imprisonment or the afore- mentioned body parts being cut off. This doesn't sound that "anti-capitalist" to me. Indeed, Sharia is a code that capital has *shown* that it can (as in Iran) coexist with comfortably. Even the rhetoric of the Islamic radicals is not anti-capitalist. > That may be true enough, but look at Iraq where the CP appears > essentially to side with the US occupation, whereas it is the > Islamists and Bathists who are actively fighting imperialism. Under > those circumstances one has to ask who will appear to be a more > plausible voice for the dispossed? There is a _small_ Left in Iraq to the Left of the CP, let's remember. But, I agree that any political party which collaborates with the forces of invasion and occupation has no (long-term) future in Iraq. In solidarity, Jerry
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