There are probably several books worth of analysis here but, at first glance, I cannot decide if this is an example of the left trying to appeal to Islam or Muslims trying to appeal to the left:
An Islamic conference in the Spanish city of Granada has called on Muslims around the world to help bring about the end of the capitalist system.
The call came at a conference titled ‘Islam in Europe’ attended by about 2,000 Muslims.
On the face of it, it looks like Muslims nailing their colours firmly to the marxist mast but, on closer examination, that may not actually be the case because it appears that the ringleaders here are not Arabs or Africans but European converts:
Mr Vadillo, a Spanish Muslim, called on all followers of Islam to stop using western currencies such as the dollar, the pound and the euro and instead to return to the use of the gold dinar.
The conference also heard from Abu Bakr Rieger, a German Muslim.
He said Islam could only be practised in Europe in a traditional way, not in one adapted to European values and structures.
It is entirely possible that these peope have converted to Islam our of a sense of sincere conviction but it is equally possible that they are anti-Western revolutionaries who, thirty years ago, would have joined the Red Brigade or the Bader-Meinhoff gang. For them, Islam is now the best and most accessible means of publicly rejecting Western enlightenment values as wella s providing a far bigger and more respectable fig-leaf behind which they can play out all of their psychoses.
If that is the case, then maybe it is not so much a case of Islam overunning Europe but Europe overunning Islam.
On the other hand, they want to return to a hard money gold standard so maybe they ain’t all bad!
Cydonia
There is a rather weird overlap between a certain sort of fundamentalist lefty and a certain sort of fundamentalist muslim. Both seem to have a fanatical hatred of Israel, but it is much broader than this. You can see it in this supposed statement from Osama bin Laden from last year. In expressing reasons for hating America, it includes something of a laundry list of Euro-left concerns, up to and including condemnation of America refusing to agree to the international criminal court and the Kyoto agreement. It may not actually be the word of OBL, but somebody seems to think about all these things at the same time.
Yeah, Michael, I noticed that. Whoever wrote that thing, the reference to Kyoto was downright weird. Weird enough that I doubt it was OBL.
It “worked” for Carlos the Jackel in 1975.
/sarcasm
Are they European converts, or just Muslims who live in Europe? If the latter, they may see western-style capitalism as a threat to Islamic civilzation, which they still identify with despite being geographically European.
As to Europeans in general wanting to reject the Enlightenment, and to have an ideology to mask their psychoses – isn’t that what post-modernism and environmentalism are for? Why would they convert to Islam when they can get the same satisfaction from these trendy secular religions?
I would guess that this is some (dangerous) amalgam of traditional immigrant populations (with fairly fundamentally religous beliefs) and recent European converts (with fairly politically authoritarian beliefs).
Although most Muslims I know (mainly first and second generation immigrants form Pakistan, India and Afghanistan) would hardly subscribe to the type of “laissez faire” policies advocated here at Samizdata they are certainly somewhat “entrepreneurial” and would definitely not agree with David Carr’s title: “Lenin is most great” (from “Allahu Akbar”: “Allah (God) is most great”).
“and would definitely not agree with David Carr’s title: “Lenin is most great” (from “Allahu Akbar”: “Allah (God) is most great”).”
Yes, MayDay, I realise that. The title refers to the kind of Euro-trash that sees Islam as the new marxism.
David Carr,
There’s nothing wrong with having no religion, with having one or with dropping one for another one >>> individual privacy.
Maybe they’re outnumbered by new Muslims of European descent, but some former Muslims actually turn to Christianhood & by far a greater number turn to atheism or soft mosque-going.
Now dropping Christianity and chosing Islam combined with political activism is also a right. Even if political activism mainly consists of barking nonsense again capitalism (a more convenient & politically-correct-labelled target than overtly throwing their hate of the US at the face of others).
Is this activism a real threat?
I don’t think so even if a close eye must be kept on that.
There’s a French guy of Arab ancestry who recently launched Mecca Cola with a view to replace Coca Cola as beverage n° 1 in Arabomuslim + antiYankee market segments. It seems his business is flourishing.
Is it really dangerous? I don’t think so. It’s more an ulmpteenth instance of mindset crispation than a real attempt at “thwarting” Coca Cola’s “devilish” plans to “reign over the World”.
All that is obviously ridiculous as is the cliché about the Islamofascist vampire sucking the blood of Europe.
The reality is a bit more pleasant: good-will people of all walks of life or background live & work together in good harmony.