Bin Laden and the Neocons Do a Mirror Dance (While Most Muslims Stay Invisible)

In one of those strange moments of symmetry that have marked their respective histories, Osama Bin Laden and the neocons are both kicking off the week with a renewed dedication to their shared cause: a worldwide war between the Western powers and all of Islam. No surprise, really. It's in their mutual interest to make sure the rest of the world's Muslims stay invisible.

Bin Laden released a new video - man, this guy kicks out more product than Ryan Adams - just as a shaky cabal of radical rightists was launching something called "Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week." As Barbara Ehrenreich points out, this loosely affiliated group doesn't hesitate to draw anti-Semites into what it claims is a pro-Israel platform. They also bring out ardent anti-feminists to argue that their global war on Muslims would advance women's rights.

What they don't say is that the invasion of Iraq - the prime achievement of their movement - was an enormous blow to the rights of Muslim women in that country. And, while they claim they like some Muslims, they're usually hard-pressed to name any - except those who have left their faith of origin and replaced it with the dogma of neoconservatism.

The very name "Islamo-Fascism" incorrectly uses the word "fascism," which by definition includes extreme statism, nationalism, and corporatism. Those forces are all abhorred by Islamic radicals. It's a neocon head game designed to make dangerous terrorist fringe groups look like an existential threat to the West, like the Axis or Soviet Communism. They want you to think that Islamic extremists aren't just violent and horrible people, but that they can destroy our way of life.

That's the perfect justification for the authoritarian, citizen-spying, militarized, corporate world they seek to create. What's more, it's the perfect propaganda framework for that other big prize, an attack on Iran. That's why another mirror-dancer, Dick Cheney, is also busting a move this week by keeping the war rhetoric hot. And that's why President Bush used the words "World War III" in reference to Iran last week.

"Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week" is another part of the heating-up process, to convince the American people (or enough of them) that war with Iran is part of a fight for our very survival. That's why Democrats like Hillary Clinton who voted for the Kyl Amendment played into the neocons' hands. Do they really think that their vote would result in "diplomacy"?

Still, fair is fair. Since we mentioned Sen. Clinton, here's a reason to support her: If she's elected, at last our enlightened "Western" nation will finally have a woman for a leader - something an Islamic nation accomplished nearly twenty years ago. Yes, many women are terribly oppressed in some Islamic cultures, and we must fight that. But the election of Benezir Bhutto in 1988 proved that we're not fighting all Islam, just that segment of it that wants to drive women out of public life.

In the midst of all this, it was a perfect week for Osama to come out with his latest monologue. Yawn ... another static shot of him declaiming his philosophy. He needs a new director to liven these videos up. It's "My Dinner With Andre" stuff, not exactly boffo at the box office.

And that's something else worth noting: In the Islamic world, Bin Laden isn't doing great box office. Even in war-torn Iraq, Al Qaeda fighters are a tiny minority of the insurgents. Administration blunders have greatly increased Bin Laden's visibility and prestige, but he's still not getting a lot of traction among the world's 1.2 billion Muslims.

Plenty of Muslims seem to feel the same way about Bin Laden as most of us do: namely, that he's an asshole. Dangerous, yes. (He's killed people I knew and liked.) But an asshole just the same.

While imams aren't likely to use that language, many of them around the world have made anti-terror statements. They don't get the media attention they should, and you certainly won't hear them from the crowd making noise this week. For example, you probably haven't seen this list of Muslim voices against extremism and terrorism, or this bumper sticker for Muslims who denounce terrorism. And does this phrase ring a bell?

"Genital mutilation must be considered as criminal aggression against mankind."

Probably not. But that's what 20 conservative Muslim clerics said in Egypt when asked to protest that practice.

The great irony of misguided propaganda jihads like "Islamic-Fascism Awareness Week" is that they make us less safe. They focus on the wrong threats in fighting terrorism. If we're to fight terrorism successfully we'll need allies, friends - even intelligence sources - among the very party we're alienating with this petty bigotry. And loaded terms like "Islamo-fascism" weaken the hand of reformers who want to bring much-needed change to the Islamic World.

And, it's funny. The neocons will "coddle terrorists" when it suits them. The Right doesn't seem to have a problem with the Bush Administration cozying up to the man who murdered so many Americans aboard the Lockerbie flight. In fact, there was hardly a whisper of objection when the Administration reopened its diplomatic mission in Libya in 2004. So it's true, as they often insist, that they don't oppose all Muslims. They've found a man they can work with in Moammar Qaddafi.

Bin Laden and the neocons are both publicity-hunting this week . Bin Laden's tape, if it's verified, is a desperate attempt to seize leadership of the civil war in Iraq and of Muslim unrest in the rest of the world. And "Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week" will try to make it look as if he already is the leader of the Islamic world.

George W. Bush. "Awareness Week." Dick Cheney. Osama Bin Laden. It's mirror-dance time. As Madonna used to say:

"Strike a pose."

A Night Light
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Future-While-U-Wait
RJ Eskow at the Huffington Post

Comments

[Joeyjackal]

When you write of the mirror dance between neoconservatives and fanatical Islamists, I think of an experience I had whereby a friend informed me about a call-in portion of a C-SPAN broadcast in which the caller suggested using a search engine with "The Power Of Nightmares". Subsequently I found that this was the title of a 3-part BBC series released in 2004 well prior to the US presidential election. Its premise involves the advancing of a mutual agenda of the aforementioned factions through sustained conflict and adversarial relations with one another. To my memory I had never even heard of this rather germane series at all in 2004. Even more interesting to me was the fact that unlike other BBC series this one wasn't available on DVD. I eventually obtained a DVD of it via eBay that had obviously been recorded from its airing on British television.

[charlietuna11]

WOULD SOME ONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY IRAN,WHO HAS NOT INVADED ANOTHER NATION IN THE PAST 200 YEARS IS NOT ALLOWED BY BUSH/CHENEY/NEO_CONS TO HAVE A NUCLUER PROGRAM,BUT DANGEROUS COUNTRIES LIKE ISRAEL,PAKISTAN AND INDIA CAN AND DO HAVE THESE FACILITIES.I KNOW THEIR ARE A LOT OF SMART PEOPLE READING THESE BLOGS,SO I'M AWAITING YOUR RESPONCE..REMEMBER THE U.S.BACKED IRAQ WHEN THEY INVADED IRAN AND SUPPLIED WEAPONS AND ADVISERS.ALSO REMEMBER THE REASON AMERICA WAS SO CERTAIN IRAQ HAD WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION WAS BECAUSE WE SUPPLIED THEM.ONE OTHER POINT YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT,NO COUNTRY HAS EVER TRANSFERRED THEIR NUCLUER WEAPONS TO ANOTHER COUNTRY.THERES GOOD REASON FOR THAT..IM SURE YOU CAN FIGURE THAT ONE OUT BY YOUR SELF..

[GCOBAU]

Just for the record, facists tended not to be corporatists. For example, the Nazis were socialists--"national socialists." Politics is not as simple as you make it out to be. However, i do agree that it is ironic how the neocons have been Bin Laden's best allies when it comes to inspiring terrorists and perpetuating war.

[realpolitic]

It is ironic that neo-cons and Bin Laden have the same goal in mind. Perhaps they should join forces! In fact, all the civil liberties the neo-cons would like us to forfeit, Bin Laden would readily agree with.

Will Fox News celebrate "Islamo-Fascism" week by burning a Muslim at the stake each day?

[rroy]

"Islamo Facists"Another silly play on words,or better yet a glaring example of silly Buzz words to influance the stupid and simple minded.

Here's one,how about"Judeo Christian"facism?
Some examples,The Klan,Francisco Franco and his Catholic Facist state allied with Germany and Italy in WW2,The Evangalistic Right,of contemporary times,-many glaring examples visible on television-,The Israli-Christian alliance and their pathetic and cruel oppression of Palestinians,And last,but by all means not least,The AIPAC Lieberman cabal!

[RumiSouth]

What a marvelous new term, "Islamo-fascism." It has that ring to it... Say it aloud: ISLAMO-FASCISM. Never mind that it consists of two completely independent and mutually exclusive things. What geniuses, these neocons!

I suggest we all adopt the term "Eiffel-hippopotamus" in response. No, Paris's iconic structure has nothing to do with African mammals, but if we all start saying "Eiffel-hippopotamus" a lot then everyone will SEE beret-wearing hippos. It's especially important that we get the MSM to repeat our phrase early and often.

http://www.osborneink.com

[princessofnowt]

I agree. Eiffel-hippopotamus awareness is far more relevant than the nonsensical islamo-fascist previously put forth.

I vote that we pay much more attention to Eiffel-hippopotamus awareness, as even the spelling can be dangerous. I think that alone could help take up the brainpower of the neocons and MSM slaves.

[Mark Bernadiner]

Although Islamofascism is usually a reference to Islamism rather than Islam in general, comparisons have been made between fascism and Islam, as far back as 1937, when the German Catholic emigré Edgar Alexander compared Nazism with "Mohammedanism", and again, in 1939, when psychologist Carl Jung said about Adolf Hitler, "he is like Mohammed. The emotion in Germany is Islamic, warlike and Islamic. They are all drunk with a wild god."[ (see Wikipedia)

[parisblues]

THANK YOU, RJ Eskow, for pointing the finger at the "pro-Israel" anti-semites and the "pro-Musmim women" anti-feminists. I thought nobody had noticed.

AND...I'm so sick of reading US commentators (Hello, Thomas F.!) who condemn mainstream Muslims for not denouncing the "Islamofascists" when only insignificant numbers of US Christians have denounced the "Christofasists" among us.

[Stoyver]

The Neo-Fascists call the Islamists Islamo-fascists and get away with it? I fail to see corporate or nationalist tendencies in the Bin Laden camp. They are extremist fundamentalists, there is nothing fascist about them.

The same cannot be said about the NeoConservative operatives that have taken control of our government. They are even trying to corporatize (Blackwater, Halliburton, Bechtel) the war they lied us into in Iraq. Lets try to keep our nomenclature straight!

[infinity]

I find it a little more than coincidental that whenever the Bush Administration starts clamoring for some new front on the "war on terror" there suddenly appears a new video or tape of Osama making pleas for intensifying the jihad. So we get Bush making veiled threats about "World War III" last week and Dick "Darth Vader" Chaney on the Sunday talk shows warning that the Administration will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon (inferring, of course, the Administration's use of pre-emptive strike) and within a day a new Osama tape appears. Kind of similar to the yellow/orange/red nonsense of a couple years ago.

[Dap]

Dear Brother RJ,

I was thinking pretty much along those lines too.

When did Osama bin Laden start speaking for Islam?

Futhermore, When did the Bush administration start speaking for all Americans and Western Civilization and Christians?

Strike a pose, indeed. Agape.

[larry278]

When HP bloggers refer to the work of other bloggers who use HP they invite charges from pseudo-intellectual, neo-con trolls of indulging in practice of bibliographic incest. Some who live on the fringes of academia establish underground colleges by the constant practice of bibliographic incest. This is one way the neo-con movement worked to get recognition. HP might yet prevent the annointing of her Hillaryship by this hoary but effective shift. Why not?

[CharliePfromHB]

Regardless of Hilary's votes, she will have to end the war if she was elected President. The dilemma she has is, when Nixon was President and after his own militaristic failures, he ended the war as a devout anti-communist and
with Henry Kissinger on his "team". She doesn't have the reputation as a devout anti-anything, so if things go badly, she'll be crucified. On the other hand, if she doesn't get us out of Iraq with some Middle Eastern coalition of support, then the people will finely go to the streets? Why, because when the people have the slightest glimmer of hope, they get active. With the current no-hope government, people just sit in denial. So with Hilary elected, it will definitely be lively. In fact, Let's have Giuliani and Clinton go at it. We're all so cynical, let's do it for the entertainment value.

[paradoctor]

Actually, the phrase "Islamo-Fascism" makes sense if you mean it to refer to a composite movement; the Islamists, as represented by bin Laden, in a tactical alliance of convenience with the Fascists, as represented by the neo-cons. They share many values, including violence, tyranny, and war. They rise or fall together.

[larryfishkorn]

And they need each other to justify their spheres of influence, and as a way to scare or anger people as needed. I mean, you think Bin Laden did that all by himself, with a few million bucks and 19 shitty pilots?

[eplebneesta]

NeoCons_R_Terrists:

They work for a man who thinks he's on a mission from the god of Abraham.
They use terror and/or shock and awe, to attempt to force them into submission.
They kill innocent women and children in the name of their cause.
They prefer deadly force to negotiation.
They are just fine with torture.
They support a theocratic state.
They subvert religion to justify their actions.
The leaders send others to die for their cause while sitting at home in craven safety.
They try to violently impose their way of life on others.
They have no respect for the US Constitution or the rule of law.
They don't respect the Geneva conventions.

A: Both NeoCons and other terrists, such as AQ.

But NeoCons have these additional endearing traits:

They are cowards, dodging and avoiding the draft, rarely (if ever) enlist and never endanger themselves for their cause.

NeoCons justify killing innocents by calling it "collateral damage." The terrists admit it is part of their heinous agenda and that is it right.

They "support" our troops by privatizing Walter Reid; then shamelessly allow the hospital to deteriorate, and make our wounded sleep in their own urine in order to increase profit.

They serially abuse our troops and veterans by cutting funding for their support in many ways as a means of paying for the Paris Hilton tax cuts. How well would the troops and veterans be cared if all of the lost revenue from the Paris Hilton tax cuts went to support our troops and veterans?

NeoCons incite poisoning Supreme Court Justices on TV.

They use fear *of* terror to subjugate their OWN people and as justification for the rape our Constitution.

Non-NeoCon terrists are the second most sub-human, ungodly and evil force on the planet. NeoCons are cowards as well as terrists. They are the better terrists. NeoCons treat their own people as cattle, to be sacrificed for profit with no remorse. NeoCons truly have WMD and, I fear, are itchin' to use 'em. Heh-heh.

EPN

[Spock]

LOFL!!!!!!!!!!

The good folks at Americanmuslim.org may speak out against terrorism, of sorts. But they also had this little chestnut:

"6. We call upon the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) as well as Muslim countries and governments and the international community to press the United Nations to issue a declaration criminalizing any insult to Muhammad, Jesus or Moses or to any other revered prophetic figure. "

They're not big fans of free speech I see.

[matahari888]

Spock....I wonder if you still believe that free speech is actualy existed here in US???? I wonder because free speech means you heard a student get tasserd, you're labelled as anti-semitis, anti feminist, unpatriotic, racial, anti guy...etc..etc....even a free speech .... there should be a boundary.....other words is....respect others like you wanna be respected...

[Spock]

The real question is: do you believe in free speech? Is it alright for Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Salman Rushdie to write and say as they please even if they criticize Islam?

[parisblues]

Not big fans of free speech? True. But then neither are US Democrats, a majority of whom in both houses of Congress voted to condemn MoveOn for having dared to point out that GWB's most recent Liar Designate (who, like Col. Oliver North before him, happened to be wearing a uniform at the time) was not in fact telling the truth.