Resisting Resisting Imperialism, Imperialism,

Understanding Class Understanding Class Base of Islamicism Base of Islamicism

September 15, 2008September 15, 2008by Sartaj Khanby Sartaj Khan

International Socialists (Pakistan) International Socialists (Pakistan) www.worldtowin.net

internationalsocialistpakistan@yahoo.cominternationalsocialistpakistan@yahoo.com

Emergence of Political Emergence of Political IslamIslam

A reaction to colonialismA reaction to colonialism Ideologically Ideologically

Nationalism and Political IslamNationalism and Political IslamPoverty for lower classes Poverty for lower classes Humiliation Humiliation

for upper & middle classes for upper & middle classes including clericsincluding clerics

Jamal u ddin Afghani (1839-1897)Jamal u ddin Afghani (1839-1897)Pioneer of political Islam Pioneer of political Islam

Afghani ProjectAfghani ProjectReform Muslim societiesReform Muslim societies Importance of Importance of

science, technology, democracyscience, technology, democracyPonder defeat of Muslim societiesPonder defeat of Muslim societiesBack to Back to Quran Quran Subsequent movements Subsequent movements

effected in one way or the other by effected in one way or the other by Afghani’s projectAfghani’s project

But many ways ….But many ways …. What is the original Islam?What is the original Islam? How to interpret ?How to interpret ? How reform society?How reform society? The question of fighting The question of fighting

imperialismimperialism Sir Syed and Co or DeobandiSir Syed and Co or Deobandi Landed classes, princely states Landed classes, princely states

ruined layers of middle class ruined layers of middle class clerics, artisans etcclerics, artisans etc

What is IslamismWhat is Islamism Islamism a response Islamism a response

to the emergence of to the emergence of salaried class or civil salaried class or civil servantsservantsQutab, MaudodiQutab, Maudodi

to Colonialism or to Colonialism or occupation occupation

to Reformism to Reformism first emerges thru Jamal uddin first emerges thru Jamal uddin

Afghani (1883)Afghani (1883)

Understanding Islamic Understanding Islamic MovementsMovements

A new kind of movementA new kind of movementViolent and Non-violent Violent and Non-violent

PoliticalPolitical Muslim brotherhood, Jamat IslamiMuslim brotherhood, Jamat Islami

Missionary Missionary Tablighi JamatTablighi Jamat

Jehadi Jehadi Lashkar e taiba, Al-qaida, TalibanLashkar e taiba, Al-qaida, Taliban

Political Islam in Post-modern Political Islam in Post-modern EraEra

Rise of local capitalist classRise of local capitalist class Nationalist capitalist Nationalist capitalist

wins freedom in 1950s-60swins freedom in 1950s-60s Rise of capitalist stateRise of capitalist state Rise of new classes Rise of new classes

but combined & uneven developmentbut combined & uneven development Development Development

of large scale industries of large scale industries but traditional industry intactbut traditional industry intact

Expanding Expanding state education system: class basedstate education system: class based

Islamism: What to doIslamism: What to doFailure Failure

nationalist projects and Stalinismnationalist projects and Stalinism Emergence of neo-liberalismEmergence of neo-liberalism Structural changesStructural changes

mechanical farming mechanical farming green revolutiongreen revolution

Mass MigrationMass Migration urbanization, slumsurbanization, slums

Islamism Islamism a reaction to these changesa reaction to these changes

Class base of IslamismClass base of Islamism

Not HomogeneousNot HomogeneousA mistakeA mistake

DifferenceDifference Islamism of ruling elites, Islamism of ruling elites,

middle classes and rural middle classes and rural poorpoor

Support for Support for IslamismIslamism

Jamaat IslamiJamaat IslamiState education system State education system Civil servant classCivil servant class

Lashkar TaibaLashkar TaibaEducated professional Educated professional

engineers, doctors etcengineers, doctors etcTalibanTaliban

Rural poorRural poortraditional classes traditional classes

cobler, barber, black smithcobler, barber, black smith

Reform or Revolution: Crisis of Reform or Revolution: Crisis of Political IslamismPolitical Islamism

OppositionOppositionto imperialist war and electionto imperialist war and election

Compromises Compromises with state and imperialismwith state and imperialism

MMA govt and Niamat ullah KhanMMA govt and Niamat ullah KhanMistrust Mistrust

of rural powerof rural powerMujhahiddin or Taliban!Mujhahiddin or Taliban!

Return of the EmpireReturn of the EmpireNeoliberalismNeoliberalism

IMF, WB, WTOIMF, WB, WTO““They no longer use bullets and They no longer use bullets and

ropes. They use the world bank and ropes. They use the world bank and the IMFthe IMF”(Jesse Jackson)”(Jesse Jackson)

Imperialism assertsImperialism assertsGuns and butter imperialism orGuns and butter imperialism orDemocratic progressive imperialismDemocratic progressive imperialism

Economic and military fusion Economic and military fusion

Return of The Empire: Return of The Empire: Globalization and Globalization and

ResistanceResistanceEnd of historyEnd of history

“ “No grand narrative”No grand narrative”New imperialismNew imperialismResistance against attacksResistance against attacks

/occupation /occupation Iraq and AfghanistanIraq and AfghanistanConfusionConfusion

Liberation or occupationLiberation or occupation““No to war “or No to war “or

against the imperialist war, against the against the imperialist war, against the religious terrorism”religious terrorism”

Victims Victims ““A government's victims are not only A government's victims are not only

those that it kills and imprisons. those that it kills and imprisons. Those who are displaced and Those who are displaced and dispossessed and sentenced to a dispossessed and sentenced to a lifetime of starvation and lifetime of starvation and deprivation must count among them deprivation must count among them too. Millions of people have been too. Millions of people have been dispossessed by `development' dispossessed by `development' projects. They have no recourse to projects. They have no recourse to justicejustice.. “Arundhati Roy “Arundhati Roy

Lower classesLower classes rural poorrural poor

Victims of economic globalization and warVictims of economic globalization and war Latin America and AsiaLatin America and Asia Contradiction of IslamismContradiction of Islamism: “: “Islamism then, Islamism then,

both mobilizes popular bitterness and both mobilizes popular bitterness and paralyses it; both build up people’s feelings paralyses it; both build up people’s feelings that something must be done and directs those that something must be done and directs those feelings into blind alleys, both destabilies the feelings into blind alleys, both destabilies the state and limits the real struggle against the state and limits the real struggle against the state” Chris Harmanstate” Chris Harman

Religious rhetoric Religious rhetoric and resistanceand resistance

Foe or FriendsFoe or Friends

Against minorities Against minorities Shias, Christians, Hindus, Aga Khanis etcShias, Christians, Hindus, Aga Khanis etc

Sometimes Sometimes against oppression against oppression

at the same time at the same time oppresses othersoppresses others

Fascist or anti imperialistFascist or anti imperialistNeither reactionary and fascistNeither reactionary and fascist

nor anti imperialist or progressivenor anti imperialist or progressiveIran and AfghanistanIran and Afghanistan Support against the state & Support against the state &

oppressionoppressionBut are not our alliesBut are not our alliesAgainst minorities Against minorities

women etc.women etc.

The Enemy is the Same Dark The Enemy is the Same Dark ForcesForces

Economic LiberalizationEconomic Liberalization

inflation, privatization, poverty, inflation, privatization, poverty, unemployment, corruption, unjust unemployment, corruption, unjust economic and political system, economic and political system, sham democracy, powerless sham democracy, powerless assemblies, disappearances, etcassemblies, disappearances, etc

Bombardment at the rural poorBombardment at the rural poor

Critically Support the struggle Critically Support the struggle CriticalCritical

of the leadershipof the leadership the way they fightthe way they fight compromises, opportunism, reformismcompromises, opportunism, reformism

Address the massesAddress the masses critical of state and imperialism critical of state and imperialism

Against Against economic agenda and waeconomic agenda and warr

Many Battles but one WarMany Battles but one WarPeople fighting state and People fighting state and

imperialismimperialismin their own ways in their own ways with available means of resistancewith available means of resistance

Collective force of massesCollective force of masses can challenge the system can challenge the system

The lawyer movement, PTCL, The lawyer movement, PTCL, Okara Kissan movement etcOkara Kissan movement etc