Muslim fundamentalism

Many Muslims have been declaring that all Muslims must obey the  declaration of
a  holy war by the Taliban mullahs.
This view that emanates from many Muslims flies in the face of the facts.
Muslims have over the years violently attacked each other. In Afghanistan the
Northern Alliance consists of Muslims. Yet they have been engaged in combat with
the Muslim Taliban. The current Musharrif military dictatorship in Pakistan
violently ousted a democratically elected leader of Pakistan. Saddam Hussein,
leader of Iraq, has imprisoned and killed many a Muslim. The Iranian theocracy
has been responsible for the deaths of many a Muslim. The last King of Jordan
engaged in a massive attack on the Black September in Jordan. The Syrian regime
have been responsible for similar killings.
The degree to which Muslims internationally will obey the declaration of a holy
war  is questionable. Fundamentalism is not as strong as it is often portrayed.
It can suit both sides to engage in  hyperbole to promote the particular
political interests that each respectively represent. The Taliban is a
reactionary regime that is bitterly hostile to communism. The entire programme
of the Taliban is the active hindering of the economic and political development
of Afghanistan.
In any anti imperialist war movement we cannot take either the side of the US
led imperialist coalition nor the Muslim organisations or states that may be
subject to attack from this reactionary coalition. We must mount a popular
attack on this prospective imperialist war on the basis of an attack on the
capitalist state. Such a movement must challenge the very existence of
capitalism and the forces that support it such as the Taliban, the Iranian state
and, above all, the imperialist states. Indeed Muslim fundamentalism is
capitalism's saviour. Its ideological and political function is designed to
prevent the masses from turning towards communism. In Iran where a revolutionary
situation emerged the Muslim movement led by Khomeni was the form assumed by the
counter revolution. It prevented the Iranian working class from deepening the
revolutionary process and thereby challenging capitalism. The Afghanistanian
mujahideen was sustained by imperialism through the CIA and the Pakistani state
in the struggle to preserve and develop the class interests of imperialist
capital.
Islamic fundamentalism is not as strong as it has been presented even by its
apparent enemies. There has been much hyperbole in this regard. If it posed a
threat to the stability and development of capitalism it would not be compelled
to resort to terrorism. The current condition of the Palestinians is irrefutable
evidence as to the weakness of Islamic fundamentalism. Islamic fundamentalism in
the Middle East has shown its complete political bankruptcy. Instead of the
situation improving as a result of its growing influence the situation has been
deteriorating. This is because its strategy is incapable of solving the problems
of the Palestinian masses. Its sectarianism has generated division and further
polarised Jew from Arab. The problems of the Palestinian masses can be only
solved when Jewish and Arab worker join hands against Middle East capitalism and
its states --the Israeli, Jordanian, Syrian and Egyptian states. There is no
essential difference between the Israeli  and Jordanian state. All such states
ultimately exist to perpetuate the class interests of imperialist capital. All
must be abolished.  An attack on the Middle East capitalist states is an attack
on imperialist capitalism.
Muslim fundamentalism, and Islam in general, is a sectarian religious ideology
and even political philosophy and practice. It essentially promotes the class
interests of imperialism. Muslim and Christian fundamentalism are particularly
sectarian. Muslim fundamentalism has been effectively promoting polarization
between Eastern and Western workers at a time when the globalisation of the
working class into a unified political reality is an urgent necessity. While
attacking racism it sustains racism a multiplicity of ways because it is
inherently racist.
The conflict now developing between  US state and Islam fundamentalism has its
source in the needs of US imperialism. US imperialism to survive must
relentlessly  extend and deepen its influence economically, politically and
ideologically. The developing global economic crisis is testimony to this.
Consequently it must engage in specific geopolitical actions in pursuance of
this aim. It cannot tolerate relatively autonomous, albeit contradictory, forces
that hinder it in its desperate effort to extend and deepen its influence.
Muslim fundamentalism is, largely speaking, one such force. Its destabilising
character in the current situation  outweighs its benefits for imperialism. It
is a destabilising force in Asia and the Middle East. Regimes that American
imperialism has needed are threatened with destabilisation and even collapse by
Muslim fundamentalism. Iran is a classic example where Muslim fundamentalism led
to the collapse of an actively pro-imperialist regime that was the lynchpin of
US geo political regional strategy.
However imperialism is a contradictory force which means that it engages in
policies and actions that lead to its own undermining. Although the function of
Muslim fundamentalism, as a counter revolutionary force,  is the prevention of
the development of the working class into a communist working class it is these
unique characteristics that, in the immediate sense, obstruct imperialist
expansion. Consequently imperialism's relationship to fundamentalism has a
contradictory character. It uses it  in pursuance of its class interests while
simultaneously undermining it. In the same way Muslim fundamentalism is
contradictory. While actively sustained by imperialism it at the same time
attacks imperialism its very source of nourishment. Bin Laden personifies this
contradictory relation. While sustained by the CIA in his struggle in
Afghanistan he turns his guns on it.
In many ways Muslim fundamentalism is similar to Stalinism.  Stalinism is a
counter revolutionary force that prevents the existence of communism.
Consequently it serves imperialism's interests. Yet to maintain its unique role
as a counter revolutionary form it has acted, at the same time, in a way that
obstructs imperialism. This generates conflict between the two forces. The Cold
War was just such a conflict.
Muslim fundamentalism is a religious and political ideology and practice that is
petty bourgeois. It serves the class interests of small capital. It is this that
makes it reactionary. However the very fact that it serves the interests of
small capital in the context of increasing capitalist globalisation is what
lends it  its acutely anachronistic image in the eyes of the Western working
class. However it is its specific class character that gives it its appeal to
the masses that exist outside of western capitalist society. Its representation
of the interests of small capital means that it expresses a hostility to big
capital. And what bigger capital than US imperialist capital --the Great Satan.
It is this hostility by small capital against big capital that gives its
anti-imperialist appearance. It is this anti-imperialist appearance that lends
its anti-oppressive appearance. Consequently the Muslim masses identify with it.
Despite its anti-imperialist appearance it ultimately serves imperialism class
interests --essentially it cannot exist independently of global capitalism.
Muslim fundamentalism is a politics of the image. This is why it presents itself
as quixotic pageantry -- religious rhetoric, images, long beards etc. This form
of politics assumes a religious form because it is a politics of appearance. And
what more suitable a form for such a contradictory politics than its disguising
itself in religious --the class image system.
Given the political character of Muslim fundamentalism there is no possibility
that it can successfully resist the enormous power of capitalist imperialism
bearing down on it in the  form of this Washington led coalition of "Infinite
Justice".  Only the modern working class can effectively challenge the might of
the imperialist bourgeoisie.

Note: Forgive the unpolished character of this posting since it was written in a
hasty manner because of the pressure of time and the fast pace of developments.

Regards
Karl Carlile(Global Communist Group)
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at http://homepage.eircom.net/~kampf/