[lit-ideas] Re: Islam, Israel and the Code of the West

  • From: Omar Kusturica <omarkusto@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 14:22:43 -0700 (PDT)

Lawrence,

That: "Militant Islam is an ideology with a
distinctive history" is not a terribly interesting
observation, and not a terribly pertinent one either.
Yes, the Hizbollah has an ideology, as did Tito's
guerillas, Mao's guerrilas, Che Guevarra etc. They all
talked about world revolutions occasionally but later
settled on more modest goals of national liberation.
Hezbollah was created during the Israeli occupation of
Lebanon, so it did function behind the lines of an
invading army then. Now arguably Hizbollah is
transforming itself from a guerrilla force into an
army. It's not and it has never been a terrorist
organization in the sense of deliberately targetting
civilians. (The IDF has a rather more impressive
record in that department.) You may continue to define
terrorists as people with an idelogy you dislike but
we are under no obligation to take your definition
seriously.

O.K.


--- Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I don't agree with the implication of moral
> equivalence.  Militant Islam is
> an ideology with a distinctive history.  It arose
> out of Wahhab and Salafist
> teachings.  It went through a transformation at the
> hands of Maududi, Al
> Banna, Qutb and Khomeini.  It is bent upon the
> conquering first the region
> (pan-Arabism) and then the world through violent
> means.  Hezbollah was
> specifically created by Khomeini to advance his
> Militant Islamist
> Revolution.  Hezbollah is a Terrorist organization
> and not a Guerilla
> organization.  
> 
>  
> 
> Guerilla: "Any member of a small defensive force of
> irregular soldiers,
> usually volunteers, making surprise raids, esp
> behind the lines of an
> invading enemy army."  [from Webster's New World
> College Dictionary]
> "Guerilla" would fit the American Revolutionists,
> the French Resistors, the
> Apaches, and the Irgun.  It does not fit the
> Hezbollah which was created in
> Iran as the chief organization for spreading
> Khomeini's Islamist Revolution.
> If it is a Guerilla organization, what is it doing
> in Lebanon?
> 
>  
> 
> Lawrence
> 
>  
> 
>   _____  
> 
> From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Behalf Of Paul Stone
> Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 1:29 PM
> To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Islam, Israel and the Code
> of the West
> 
>  
> 
> OK >* By all accounts, Hizbollah is not a terrorist
> organization but a
> guerrilla army. See for example:
>  
> Israel needs to recognize that it cannot be the only
> country in the region with any credible military
> force.
>  
> LH: To quote you, You come out as extremely poorly
> informed here.  Read a
> non-Leftist History of Iran.  Hezbollah was created
> by Khomeini as the
> activist arm of his revolution.  It isnt a guerilla
> organization.  It is a
> full-fledged Militant Islamic terrorist
> organization.  You cant understand
> Hezbollah without understanding Khomeinis Islamist
> Revolution.  I dont
> know how credible Hezbollahs military force will
> turn out.  Well probably
> have an opportunity to find out.
> 
> 
> One man's revolutionary freedom fighter is another
> man's militant terrorist.
> It's pretty meaningless to argue about it. As you
> can see, it will go on
> forever. But... carry on, at least it's something to
> read. 
> 
> paul
> 
> 
> 
> ##########
> Paul Stone
> pas@xxxxxxxx
> Kingsville, ON, Canada
> 
> 


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