THE SPREAD OF FUNDAMENTALISM

1. 'Fundamentalism' is a tool of the fascists who want to rule over a feudal society.

In the USA, think of the links between the Christian fundamentalists and the right wing of the Republican Party.

In Saudi Arabia, think of the Saudi Monarchy's support of Islamic fundamentalism.

God is not a fundamentalist. Both Jesus and Mohammed sympathised with the poor. Buddha kept a noble silence on the subject of God.

2. Sunsara Taylor, 10 June 2007, (U.S. Imperialism, Islamic Fundamentalism...and the Need for ...) pointed out the following about fundamentalists clerics in countries such as Iran:

1. They are often 'directly tied to big semi-feudal landholding interests'.

2. They are usually supported by the western 'imperialists' (who do not want strong independent-minded democracies to emerge as rivals.)

3. Their policies often involve "vicious patriarchy and bigotry, religious warfare, 'honor killings', and the promotion of unscientific, superstitious ignorance."

Taylor notes that support for the fundamentalists grows stronger, the more the USA gets involved in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The U.S., despite all its talk about coming to the aid of women oppressed by the Taliban, has continued to back and install reactionary clerics and sectarian religious forces in the countries it has occupied."

3. David Walsh, at WSWS, October 2001, ( The New York Times and the dirty secret of US-Saudi relations ) reminds us of how the Moslem fundamentalist-feudal leaders work with the right-wing Christian leaders.

He wrote: "the Saudi regime was a 'major financial backer of the Reagan administration’s 'anti-Communist campaign in Latin America,' as well as its efforts to destabilize the Soviet Union by supporting the Islamic fundamentalist forces in Afghanistan."



4. Indonesia is the world's biggest Moslem country and provides the best example of what is happening.

Indonesia, until the mid 1990s, had a mainly moderate and liberal form of Islam.

The world's biggest Moslem organisation, the Nahdlatul Ulama, particularly under the leadership of Abdurrahman Wahid, has been in favour of liberal democracy.

However, during the 1990s, Indonesia's President Suharto began to worry about:

(1) The growing movement to replace the corrupt elite with a democracy that would do more for the poor.

(2) The loyalty of certain generals, some of whom were close friends of the Pentagon.

Suharto began to promote Islamism, in the hope that it would counter the forces of democracy and counter the disloyal sections of the military.

The fall of Suharto, in 1998, eventually increased the power of the military.

After Suharto's fall, the policy of the elite was to maintain the feudal system by (1) promoting Islamism (2) keeping the military as the power behind the scenes.

There are strong links between the militant moslem groups and the military.

According to Dr Damien Kingsbury, head of philosophical, political and international studies at Deakin University, the Indonesian military's special forces regiment, Kopassus, set up the Islamic organisation Komando Jihad. (We must not get back in bed with Kopassus - theage.com.au)

Kingsbury has explained that:

1. Komando Jihad became Jemaah Islamiah, which has been linked to the Bali bomb.

2. Kopassus has murdered and tortured political activists, trade unionists and human rights workers.

3. It has trained, equipped and led militias in East Timor, West Papua and Aceh.

4. Kopassus members trained the notorious Laskar Jihad Islamic militia, which stepped up conflict in the Ambon region, leaving up to 10,000 dead.

In The Asia Times ( a counter-offensive ) 14 June 2006, Gary LaMoshi wrote:

"Violent extremism's renaissance began with police using vigilantes to extract protection money from reluctant bar owners and blossomed with the military's logistical support to send thousands of jihadis to the Malukus and central Sulawesi to undermine Abdurrahman Wahid's presidential election victory in 1999... Government reluctance to stand up to thugs gives the impression of implicit approval, or that the extremists serve a higher authority."

The Islam Defenders Front (known as FPI) is a militant Moslem group believed to be working for elements of the police and/or military.

Gary LaMoshi, in the Asia Times ( a counter-offensive ) 14 June 2006, wrote about an attack of former president Wahid on 23 May 2006:

"At an interfaith forum in the West Java town of Purwakarta, members of FPI and other radical groups forced Wahid, virtually blind and limited physically because of a series of strokes, off the stage. The radicals cited Wahid's opposition to the anti-pornography bill as an insult to Islam."

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