[Marxism] Who Speaks for a Billion Muslims?

[Dbachmozart@xxxxxxx]

Analyzing the Gallup World Poll with  John Esposito
 
 
ALI: We see terrorists in Europe, in Latin  America, in Asia, yet this 
overwhelming brand of suicide bombing and terror  networking, if you will, runs 
rampant throughout Muslim regions. Isn't this more  proof of an inherently 
dangerous religion; that something exists within this religion that causes the  
violence?"  
ESPOSITO: I don't think so. I certainly think  there is an indication that 
there is a "dark side" within Muslim societies and  that dark side uses and 
appeals to religion. But, when you base the question on  why it's so 
widespread, I 
say look at the nature of so many Muslim societies.  Many of these by the way 
are secular governments that are authoritarian and  oppressive, etc. If you 
had, say, 35 Northern Irelands, you'd say, "My God, look  at all these 
Christians, look at all these Catholics and Protestants that go at  it." If you 
have 
35 Israel and Palestines, you would not only say, "What is  about these 
Muslims?" you'd also say, "What is it about these religious Jews?"  
The fact is you have lots of Muslim countries,  which for a variety of 
political and economic reasons, not all, but many are  societies in which 
levels of 
injustice are very high. These become a ground for  people to legitimate acts 
of wanton violence. If you think before the time of  this resurgence of 
religion, during the period of Arab nationalism, socialism,  and Marxism , 
etc., one 
saw violence in a number of Muslim countries at that  time. The appeal wasn't 
to religion to legitimate it; it was to some form of  Marxism, socialism, 
Arab nationalism, etc. So, what you've got now is "  ideologized religion." 
This 
happens when religion becomes a political ideology  to address to major issues 
of injustice within the religion.
full - _http://counterpunch.org/wajahat03042008.html_ 
(http://counterpunch.org/wajahat03042008.html) 




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