How the Islamic "virus" broke out of the imperialist laboratory

[Editor's note: This article continues Richard Greeman's series about Islamism.]

Once Again on Libya

     The basic issue for socialists in confronting the Libyan situation is this: we wish Qaddafi to be defeated, but we are not indifferent to who defeats him. That is because who defeats Qaddafi involves how the regime is brought down and the consequences of that downfall. We are not in support of capitalist imperialism being the agent of that defeat, even though almost any conceivable regime that replaces Qaddafi would most likely be a “lesser evil” to this, one of the world’s most horrific police states.

Nasrallah on Libya

     The left discussion on Libya has been informed by very few of the Middle East's anti-imperialist voices. In an article posted on ZNet, I present extended excerpts from a March 19 speech by Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's Hizbullah, on the Libyan uprising, the Arab revolts, and the role of the West.

Libya: Another View

     The Libyan intervention has challenged many on the Left. Of course there are those who cheer U.S. foreign policy everywhere and those who think Qaddafi is a left hero. But for those who reject both these points of view, the Libyan situation has still been very difficult to sort out. Mike Albert and I wrote a question and answer offering our views.

CPD Statement on Libya

We Support the Libyan Democratic Revolution and
Oppose Western Military Intervention and Domination

By Thomas Harrison and Joanne Landy
Co-Directors, Campaign for Peace and Democracy
April 6, 2011

Inventing Islam

In what concrete ways can it be said that the West “invents” what it calls Islamism ? Contemporary imperialism inadvertently spreads Islamic militantism by stirring up the ME/A hornets’ nest through torture-camps and attacks on civilians. But Western agents have long supported Islamic movements in the region as a way to divert nationalism and democracy. Historically, the British Intelligence Service nurtured the Islamicist movement at its very origin.

Tyrants Tremble

     Since the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, tyrants everywhere have been trembling, as have their backers in Washington, Paris, and Tel Aviv.

     Now Haaretz reports that the Israel Defense Forces (sic) are updating their plans for dealing with massive, nonviolent protests in the Occupied Territories.

Audacity and Insolence

       According to the Israeli government, two Iranian warships plan to sail through the Suez canal en route to Syria. Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, declared that "this is a provocation that proves that Iranian audacity and insolence are increasing." The international community, warned Lieberman, "must understand that Israel cannot forever ignore these provocations."

CPD statement on Egypt

The Campaign for Peace and Democracy issued the statement below about the democratic revolution in Egypt.

Egypt After Mubarak

Statement by the Campaign for Peace and Democracy
February 14, 2011

Moslem Disunity

For a movement to be a serious threat to the imperialist West, it must be coherent and united, which is simply not the case of what is termed "Radical Islam." A united, militant Islamic world would indeed be a serious threat to the West, but nothing like that is in the offing, with the result that “Political Islam,” divided, remains weak and ineffectual. So much for the Clash of Civilizations theories, based on ideology rather than concrete history.