Why does Islamofascism attract the Left? This has puzzled me for some time. Leftists/Marxists are supposed to be secular-minded, yet they have become the most vociferous defenders of the most virulent, reactionary, superstitious ideology known to man which is Islamofascism. Notice how leftist websites routinely praise Palestinian suicide bombers as "freedom fighters". Notice how they consistently side with Islamists in any conflict the latter are embroiled in with Israel or the US. Leftist islamophilia is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Or it may just be sheer opportunism masquerading as concern for the underdog.

In the Philippines, leftist organizations and pseudo-intellectuals like Walden Bello and Randy David predictably ally themselves with the Bangsamoro movement at the expense of non-Muslim Filipinos. These Filipino leftists argue that Mindanao is Bangsamoro homeland that was snatched by Christian settlers from the north. (How similar a refrain this is to the Jewish settlers-grabbed-Palestinian lands tune!). They advocate the return of these lands to their "rightful owners". Funny thing is, many of these leftist pseudo-intellectuals live in Manila where they are shielded from the armed turmoil raging in far- away Mindanao. They don't own property in the south. They don't suffer from the kidnapping, pillaging and banditry; it is the non-Muslim Filipinos in Mindanao (and the Visayas) who have to deal with these threats on a daily basis.

Ironically, if we are to go by these leftist apologists' logic, the entire Philippines should be returned to the Muslims. After all, the whole archipelago - not just Mindanao - was under Muslim rule for several hundred years before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores in the 16th century. Manila was then ruled by Rajah Sulayman until 1570 when the armed contingent of the conquistador Martin de Goiti landed in Manila and grabbed the city for the King of Spain. So how come we never hear these Manila-based leftists call for the return of Manila to the Bangsamoro movement? Walden Bello and Randy David should really be the first to give back their properties to the descendants of Rajah Sulayman. But it's not gonna happen, folks. These people would rather sacrifice the homes and land of non-Muslim Filipinos in Mindanao than give up their own. Such is the depth of hypocrisy that plagues the left.

I have a feeling that the left's alliance with Islam is their way of getting back at the United States for winning the Cold War. The US consigned the left's former ideological patron, the Soviet Union, to the trash heap of history. Red China is now practically Green China (green stands for money), a capitalist country-in-the-making. Only Cuba and North Korea remain standing, and neither of their economies can be considered vindications of Marxist-Leninist ideology. Cubans would rather drown in the shark-infested waters of the Gulf of Mexico while fleeing Cuba in leaky boats than live under the oppressive Communist regime of Fidel Castro. For it's part, North Korea has now become the dream destination of vegetarians, since food - especially red meat - has become so scarce there that people have been reduced to eating tree barks and grass.

Many in the left can not accept the failure of their ideology and the defeat of their models, the USSR and China. Hence, they are doing what desperate people are wont to do under the circumstances: piggyback on an ally to fight the common enemy, the United States. Thus the left has found Islam - or specifically, Islamofascism, to piggyback on. Islamofascism is a potent political force that has an even chance of beating the US. Islam has about 2 billion adherents. While not all Muslims are radical, a sizeable percentage is fanatically determined to advance its dream of global domination as espoused in the Koran. Imagine if only 1% of Muslims belong to this camp....that still amounts to 20 million jihadists, a sizeable army which eclipses the Soviet military manpower of 13 million at its Cold War peak. The other advantage Islam has over the USSR is that its antipathy towards the US is fueled by religion, a fuel that never runs out because it is based on emotion rather than reason, whereas Communism was fueled by Marxism-Leninism which is arguably cerebral and sterile - a less potent means of inciting people to go to war.

How long the left's alliance with Islam will last is a good question. My bet is that if the Islamofascists defeat the United States, they (the Islamofascists) will devour the left with gusto, and any illusions leftist atheists may have over their flirtation with Islamofascism will quickly evaporate. My reading of the Koran is that Islam regards atheists with even worse contempt than it regards Christians and Jews. The fate of atheists under an Islamic theocracy is not exactly benign (unless you call the pouring of boiling water on your head benign). Lenin's phrase "useful idiots" which he used to describe starry-eyed liberals who shilled for the Soviet Union may aptly describe today's leftist apologists of Islamofascism.

tekton12  ¶ 6:54 AM