Islamist Totalitarians
Many people, especially Muslims, are outraged by George Bush’s use of the term “Islamic Fascist” in reference to the foiled plot in the UK to bomb trans-Atlantic airliners. Personally, I consider the outrage misplaced. Let’s be honest: the plot to kill thousands of passengers on airliners did far more to injure the public image of Islam than anything the president said.
Nevertheless, Bush’s terminology is inaccurate. He should have called the plotters “Islamist Totalitarians.” Anything involved with Islam can be termed Islamic and his use of the adjective was too broad of a brush stroke. Likewise the word “fascist” has become little more than an overused and near-meaningless insult. If you don’t like how someone does something, you call him or her a fascist.
Moreover, the jihadists are not fascists. Fascism is an approach to government that is, by definition, nationalist. Jihadists are internationalists, more akin to communists than fascists. They are also utopian and anti-Semitic. They are totalitarian because the khalifate they wish to establish would control all aspects of its subjects’ lives, be they Muslims or Dhimmis.
I hope that next time around Bush uses the correct terminology. If anyone can come up with a nifty shorthand for the somewhat cumbersome “Islamist Totalitarian,” akin to “Islamo-Fascist” or “Islamikazi,” please let me know via comments.
