By: Azam kamguian
The
appalling September 11, 2001 terrorist crimes against humanity and the
slaughter of thousands of innocent people in America has pushed the world to
the brink of a dark and bloody era in the contemporary history. What
American administration calls a war against terrorism, is in fact the entry
of the world to a destructive phase.
At one of the opposing camps of this conflict stands the enormous machinery
of international intimidation and state terrorism of the American government
and the ruling elite and Israeli bourgeoisie and state. American government
has used nuclear bombs and killed hundreds of thousands of people in
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Israeli government and bourgeoisie occupy, seize,
slaughter and deprive. They bomb and shoot kids. Hiroshima, Vietnam, Central
America, Iraq and Palestine are all records of this international state
terrorism.
At the other camp Islamic terrorism and political Islam stand, those who
once were created and nurtured by America during the cold war. The murderous
history of political Islam from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Algeria
and Egypt includes a long list of genocide and mass murder everywhere. Women
were the first victims.
One of the devastating impact of this emerging conflict between America and
its International camp with the Islamic terrorism and political Islam is on
women's lives and rights in the region. In the short term it pushes back
women's just struggle for their rights including a secular family law, the
right to participate in political decision making and other egalitarian
demands. In the long run it worsens their situation by strengthening
nationalist - Islamic sentiments in the region. The ideology that has used
and continues to use people's rage against American government in order to
block the influence of progressive thoughts and movements of secularism,
modernism and egalitarianism in the region.
Throughout the 20th century people in the Middle East have seen only the
dark side of the West; the wars, occupations and bloodshed's by American and
Israeli governments. Nationalist - Islamic forces have used this dark side
to combat the humanistic values of Western civilization including human
rights, women's rights and civil liberties. Under the guise of fighting the
corrupt values of West and the idea of cultural imperialism, they have
resisted the idea of women's equality and Women's basic human rights.
The idea of cultural Imperialism supposedly has a progressive and militant
guise: as part of the populist struggle in the so-called Third World
countries against imperialism. In the Middle Eastern countries, opposition
to 'imperialist culture' has been considered as an element of the fight
against imperialism and the West. Women have been the victims of the
struggle against 'imperialist culture' and "Westernism". This is
because women's liberation and women's rights were seen as imperialist and
western concepts. Traditionalist, religious and reactionary forces opposed
women's liberation in the name of fighting Imperialism and the West. And now
this trend re-emerges and is strengthened in the aftermath of September 11
tragedy.
What is the historical background for this trend? The task of liberalism,
modernism and westernization should be normally the historical mission of
newly emerged capitalism in the region. For a period, it was assumed that
this process was proceeding, albeit slowly, half-heartedly and partially.
These movements, however, ran out of breath in the mid -70s, the
westernization project failed and the political crisis heightened. Earlier,
independence movements in the Middle East had not established pro- west
governments in the majority of cases. The fall of royal dynasties led to the
appearance of military governments, which fell primarily under Soviet
influence within the context of East-West confrontation. In the Middle East,
bourgeois liberalism and modernism were not significant movements and
dominant nationalism has generally remained in a political coalition with
Islam. Islam with any kind of interpretation is a strong force against
secularism, modernism, egalitarianism and women's rights. The oppressive and
violent Israeli government and the Palestinian question are also another
strong obstacle in the way of progressive movements in the region. This has
given a longer life span to political Islam and nationalist conservative
forces in the Middle East. The consequences of September 11 terrorist attack
fuels this reactionary trend more and weakens the struggle of progressive
movements more than before.
Conservative nationalist and Islamic forces consider the consequences of
this tragedy as a heaven gift to mobilize people around their reactionary
cause and women are amongst the first victims of this Islamic- nationalist
crusade. Events of September 11 and the policy being pursued by USA have
important regional and global consequences. An independent popular movement
against this unprecedented and deadly confrontation of state terrorism and
Islamic terrorism is urgent now more than ever. All freedom-loving people
and advocates of human's rights and women's universal rights should take
side and stand against the destructive forces of political Islam and Islamic
terrorism at one side, and the war and intimidation of American government
and its allies at the other side.
11/10/01
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