World War II: Islam and Fascism


Figure 1.--

Some authors have suggested that there are many basically Fascist tenants inherent in Islam. This is probably most obvious with Islamic fundamentalists which some commentators refer to Islamofascism. But others see major tenants of the Koran supportive of basic Fascist ideology. The mainstream media in America and Europe has while often hightly critiical of Christianity, been very reluctant to criticise Islam. [Berman] Rather we are often likely to see boiler piece politically correct journalism pointing out how Muslims are non-violent law abiding citizens and that Islam is a modern, albeit strict religion. We happen to believe this. But we also believe that basic tenants of Islam create a situatiion where honest, non-violent Muslims are willing to tolerate or even feel sypathy toward Islamic fundamentalists willing to use violence and terror. Thus it is a useful academic exercise to abandon P.C. thought and assess the relationship between Islam and Fascism. This is particular important because some spokes men for Islam like Tariq Ramadan, am Islamic phiosopher at Oxford (Hassan al-Banna's grandson) clain that the Grand Mufti and his grandfather had no connection with Fascism, but that the World War II alliances were just making common cause with the colonial powers. So lets look at some of the major characteristics of Fascism and assess Muslim societies. We invite readers to add their thoughts and insights to our discussion.

Origins

The aplogists of militant Uslan are fond of blaming everything on the Jews. Thus they tell us that Islam is a religion of peace. The incidents of Muslim violence are all cused by Zionism and the Isrealis, inflaming the passions of a peaceful people. And other apologists tell us that the 9-11 World Trade Center attack was a result of the misguided foreign policy of the United States. You constantly here that that Islamist terror attacks began in the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s as a result of what America has done to provoke such an innocent oeaceful people. In fact Islamic viloences against Jews and Christiams is nothing new. And there is a close connection between Islam an Fascism. This began in the 1920s first with the the Grand Mufti, Amin al-Husseini, in British Palestine. Then in nearby Cairo, Islamic fundamentalists founded the Muslim Brotherhood (1928). They began the effort to build Islamic Jihad as a mass movement. The significance of the Muslim Brotherhood can not be overstated. Egypt is the most populsce and modern Arab state. TheMuslim Brotherhood is to Islamid Fascism comparable to the Bolshevik Party in the world Communist Movement. The Muslim support for Fascism intensified in the 1930s with the rise of Hitler in Germany. The Grand Mudffti will launch attacks on Jews (1929) a then a Kreistalncht style pograom in Palestine (1936). He will spend most of the War in Berlin making propagnda broadcasts for the NAZIS and incouraging his NAZI hosts to kill more Jews.

Messianic Leadership


Democracy


Free Speech


Police and State Power


Nationalism


Rule of Law


Toleration of Minorities


Anti-Semitism

The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt organized mass demonstrations with the slogan "Down with the Jews", "Jews get out of Egypt and Palestine", and similar such hate messages. Brotherhood members called for a NAZOI-style boycott of Jewish goods and Jewish shops (1936-38). The Brotherhood's newspaper, Al-Nadhir carried a regular column on "The Danger of the Jews of Egypt" echoing the anti-Semitic diatribes of NAZI Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels. The Brotherhood's NAZI style campaign was in part financed by the NAZIs. One historian writes, "Documents seized in the flat of Willhelm Stellbogen, the Director of the German News Agency in Cairo, show that prior to 1939 the Muslim Brotherhood received financial subsidies from the German Legation in Cairo. Stellbogen was instrumental in transferring these funds from the Nazi regime to the Muslim Brotherhood." [Lia] The NAZIs also provided the Grand Mufti financial and miltary support. The Grand Mufti in his memoirs after the war wrote, Our fundamental condition for cooperating with Germany was a free hand to eradicate every last Jew from Palestine and the Arab world. I asked Hitler for an explicit undertaking to allow us to solve the Jewish problem in a manner befitting our national and racial aspirations and according to the scientific methods innovated by Germany in the handling of its Jews." The answer I got from the Fuehrer was: 'The Jews are yours.'"[Husseini]

War and Violence

Fascism constructed a cult out of ciolence and War. This was especually prevalrntbin thevHitler youth and Balilla youth movemrnts. Nothing was seen as more glorious than dieing in battle. The Hitler Youth even conducted mock funerals for heros falling in battle. Islam like Fascism glorifies war and violence. There are extensive passages in the Koran lauding violence and war. Some of it Much of it is couched in self defense. But of course Hitlerwas careful to couch his preparations for War and the war itself in terms of self defence. n excuse can always be found for war. Thus the Islam ofthe Grand Mufti was fully compatable with the Koran and Islamic teachings.

Margenilization of Women

Both Fascism and Islam marginalize women. Just as there are few NAZI and Fasist women leaders. There are few female Islamic leaders or clerics. The NAZIs taught 'Kinder, Küche, Kirche' (children, kitchen, church) as the proper role for women. This is precisely the role stressed by Islam for women, subservientbto men. The Koran speaks at greatlength about the proper role for women in soviety. Actually the Koran gies a step further than the NAZIs, justifying physical force to keep women in their place.

Control of Youth


Sources

Berman, Paul. The Flight of the Intelectuals.

al-Husseini, Amin.

Lia, Brynjar. The Society of the Muslim Brothers in Egypt, 1928-42 (Ithaca Press, 1998).






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Created: 7:14 PM 7/12/2010
Last updated: 10:50 AM 8/17/2014