What is Islamofascism?

[LastoftheMohicans]

I keep hearing neocons using the term Islamofascism to refer to terrorists who allegedly are followers of Islam. To me, fascism is an economic system where property in privately owned (at least nominally) but controlled by the government. I have yet to hear the terrorists proclaim their support for such a system. In fact, I don't know what economic system they support. I do know that they do not support free-market capitalism.

There main interest is to use bombings and the like to effect political change. I think that is probably the best definition of terrorism.

[Kuldebar]

A fairly recent term used to lump a whole bunch of people into a category. Once the label is applied you can say things like:

-This is a war between civilizations, we can't let the Islamo-fascists win!

-Islamo-fascists want to kill all of us, they must be stopped.

-Islamo-fascists hate our freedoms.

-Our nation must free the Middle East from the grips of Islamo-fascism.

It's all rather catchy.

Experts, pundits debate use of 'Islamo-fascist' (http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0831/dailyUpdate.html)

Islamofascism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamofascism)

[kimosabi]

This is all double think.

Islamofascism should really be NeoFascism

NeoFascist like to accuse everyone else of what they really are.

Axis of Evil wasn't really, Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

Axis of Evil should have been George W Bush, Tony Blair & John Howard

[a_texian]

Amerofascism?

You know, the kind we've been enduring here in the U.S. for the past few decades!

:D

[beermotor]

Clash of Civilizations talks a lot about wars between Islam and "The West" (basically non-Orthodox Christianity). But I really like how he concludes the book with an admonition to avoid intercivilizational wars.

[Duckman]

In my opinion the term "Islamofascist" was coined to make the American public think that Islamic terrorism is a problem as serious as the rise of Hitler (the world's best known "fascist").

Where this analogy falls apart is that in WWII we didn't declare war on "fascism," we declared war on Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. These were actual countries. In my opinion, you can't declare war on ideas, peoples, religions, or any other non-political entities; you can only declare war on nations.

[angelatc]

Where this analogy falls apart is that in WWII we didn't declare war on "fascism," we declared war on Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. These were actual countries. In my opinion, you can't declare war on ideas, peoples, religions, or any other non-political entities; you can only declare war on nations.

The only other alternative - and I'm not suggesting it is a good alternative - is to declare a war on Islam, or at least a certain sect of Islam. That's how Saddam kept the peace in Iraq.

[osofaux]

Fascism as I understand it means ultimate authority of the state.... there is no other power, and certainly none higher.

To those who believe that God, or Allah, is the ultimate power, and that non-believers are to be purged from existence, the state, in their hands, would become a means to that end - but it would not be the highest authority.

Since there's no real strict definition of fascism one can justify the term "Islamo-fascism" easily enough, I suppose, but I've never been comfortable with it as "fascist" is now simply a loaded suffix with which to demonize political enemies.

[WannaBfree]

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatism

[Spirit of '76]

What is Islamofascism?

It's kind of like the boogeyman.

[WannaBfree]

What is Islamofascism?

It's kind of like the boogeyman.

^^^^^^^

[maiki]

Islamic nations or terrorists are in no way fascists. However, people employ the logical fallacy of Nazi=fascists and Nazi =>bad so bad =>fascists. So Since Islamic extremists are bad, they are fascists. This is just newspeak, however. By conflating all "incorrect" ideologies under one word, like "oldthink" or "fascism" people adopt a us vs. them mentality and cease to have the vocabulary to articulate what is bad about us and what is good about them. Resist imprecise terminology when it comes to government. That is how they hide the details from the people.

[retrorepublican]

I am a Muslim (and trust me I'm not biased - my mom is Christian, my grandma Buddhist, and my dad Muslim)

Here's a link to an essay I wrote on Islam last night and how it supports freedom over fascism: http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dfwb8tjq_5cztvvv

Sharia Law (such as in Iran and other so-called Islamic Republics), which I reckon Islamofascism is alluding to, is unIslamic, and I deplore that so many Muslims have fallen for it.

[lucius]

Just a double-speak creation to demonize our latest enemy. The term 'Homicide Bomber' didn’t really take.

[BillyBeer]

A make believe term invented by neocons to scare the populace into believing we need to have our fingers in the Middle Eastern pie. It is also incredibly offensive to a religion that has 1 billion believers. Imagine the reaction if a politician talked about "Christofascism" or "Judeofascism."

[Broadlighter]

It's a term used to describe a fundamentalist Islamic ideology that stresses strict adherence to the Koran, and opposes Western values and influence in the Islamic world.

I can assure you, the proponents of this ideology did not come up with this term. It is a real ideology, but I also think it mirrors Neo-Conservatism.

If Ron Paul's efforts to steer America back to it's Constitutional traditions of non-intervention and small government succeeds, the Islamic ideology would lose its beloved enemy and thus become an anachronism.

[paulitics]

Its propoganda designed to instill fear and hatred in the masses towards a group of people. Therefore anything middle east is bad! Iraq bad, Iran bad. Its a manufactured boogyman. They could use the word terrorist, specifically Saudi radical terrorists, and be accurate and effective. But if we put it that way, then we would have to do something about it wouldn't we.

the other thing that bothers me is the iraq war. 500,000 to 6,000 dead is not a war. It was an invasion, turned occupation. We got Saddam, mission accomplished. The war ended years ago. If the media would just call it for what it is, no one would support it. But, because people have been manipulated by the media they will fight to the death for something that has no just cause. They will parrot the mantra of "we can't cut and run". We have to fight them over there or they will come over here. Meanwhile our borders are open, and Bin Laden is being harboured and coddled in pakistan, while we continue to fund Pakistani terrorists and give them arms to attack Iran.

[Spirit of '76]

Eat your vegetables, kids, or the islamofascists will get you. :mad:

[ChooseLiberty]

Islamofascism is a spin term somebody like Karl Rove came up with. Agree it's just doublespeak.

The real fascists are in control of the White House (for now).

NEOCON = FASCIST

The Islamic "terraists" want to institute Sharia Law based on the Koran. Not positive, but since Mohammed was a trader by profession, it's probably safe to assume Sharia Law leans toward the free market under a Caliph. Similar to what they had during the golden age of Islam when they created a free market from Spain to India. I think ultimately Muslims believe the Caliph is a Muslim world ruler like Jews believe the Jewish Messiah will rule the world from Jerusalem and the Christians believe the Christian Messiah will do something similar.

They all seem to want a world ruler / world government (NWO?) with the leader of their religion at the top. Seems like the antithesis of liberty. Correct me if I'm wrong.