Orthodoxy is being challenged by a few brave people in Europe -- the orthodoxy of political multiculturalism and the orthodoxy of totalitarianism are being challenged.
That no government in the West unreservedly supports this simple manifesto of freedom is the sign of our times.
I wish these brave men and women -- who face death threats for insisting on liberty -- the very best success.
Manifesto: Together facing the new totalitarianism
After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new totalitarian global threat: Islamism.
We, writers, journalists, intellectuals, call for resistance to religious totalitarianism and for the promotion of freedom, equal opportunity and secular values for all.
The recent events, which occurred after the publication of drawings of Muhammed in European newspapers, have revealed the necessity of the struggle for these universal values. This struggle will not be won by arms, but in the ideological field. It is not a clash of civilisations nor an antagonism of West and East that we are witnessing, but a global struggle that confronts democrats and theocrats.
Like all totalitarianisms, Islamism is nurtured by fears and frustrations. The hate preachers bet on these feelings in order to form battalions destined to impose a liberticidal and unegalitarian world. But we clearly and firmly state: nothing, not even despair, justifies the choice of obscurantism, totalitarianism and hatred. Islamism is a reactionary ideology which kills equality, freedom and secularism wherever it is present. Its success can only lead to a world of domination: man's domination of woman, the Islamists' domination of all the others. To counter this, we must assure universal rights to oppressed or discriminated people.
We reject « cultural relativism », which consists in accepting that men and women of Muslim culture should be deprived of the right to equality, freedom and secular values in the name of respect for cultures and traditions. We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of "Islamophobia", an unfortunate concept which confuses criticism of Islam as a religion with stigmatisation of its believers.
We plead for the universality of freedom of expression, so that a critical spirit may be exercised on all continents, against all abuses and all dogmas.
We appeal to democrats and free spirits of all countries that our century should be one of Enlightenment, not of obscurantism.
12 signatures:
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Chahla Chafiq
Caroline Fourest
Bernard-Henri Lévy
Irshad Manji
Mehdi Mozaffari
Maryam Namazie
Taslima Nasreen
Salman Rushdie
Antoine Sfeir
Philippe Val
Ibn Warraq
That's it?
12 signatures?
Very powerfully written
There is another manifesto for the West, this one drafted in Italy.
Interesting that they use the term “Stalinism” rather than the more accurate “communism” to describe “totalitarian global threat(s).” It’s almost as if the signatories thought that Lenin, Mao, and Pol Pot were just these nice guys who meant well and all of the deaths and oppression were to be laid at the feet of one guy. Perhaps if instead of “Nazism” they had called it “Hitlerism,” they might have gotten as many as fifteen signatures.
You're on the money, Thorley. For an expansion on this thought check out The Brussels Journal.
Interesting development. It's another indicator that some public opinion is rallying against the threat from militant Islam.
However, you have to wonder about their knowledge of history:
"This struggle will not be won by arms, but in the ideological field. It is not a clash of civilisations nor an antagonism of West and East that we are witnessing, but a global struggle that confronts democrats and theocrats."
Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was a much keener student of history and geo-politics:
"The great questions of the day are not decided by parliamentary speeches and majority votes, they are settled by blood and iron."
I wonder how a group of intellectuals could have forgotten that fascism and Nazism were defeated by blood and iron. I also wonder how a group of intellectuals could forget that Stalinism (Soviet communism) was held in check by blood and iron and the threat of blood and iron until it collapsed.
If Islamism is the totalitarian global threat they say it is, then it is difficult to understand why they believe "this struggle will not be won by arms, but in the ideological field."
Denial of historical realities is the foundation of many charming intellectual fantasies, but it is rarely the basis for effective strategies. Ideological struggle and memetic warfare are necessary parts of any strategy for defeating militant Islam. However, it is highly optimistic to believe that a culture/religion/ideology as resistant to outside influences as Islam can be defeated by debate and persuasive memes. They get to use the Internet and modern media, also. And they get to kill, imprison, and intimidate internal critics.
In the end, we're going to win this fight by the time-tested method of beating the living daylights out of them.
"They deny it. They think it was just a coincidence."
Yes. Facts, especially bloody facts, are so very inconvenient when you believe the pen, or the word processor, is mightier than the sword.
I think the Italian manifesto "for the West, bearer of civilization" (link) is great.
So thanks for bringing it up in post #2, FabioC.
I have little hope for Italy and for Europe. But that's because I don't think there are enough good people to answer the call. The call itself is bold and wholesome. I wish every success to everyone who supports this in any way. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
I don't agree with the other manifesto, because I think it ducks the issues. Communism was and in some parts of the world still is the evil, not just Stalinism. Islam is the evil, not just "Islamism". There are other major flaws. I agree with post #5 from James Jones.
David,
If numbers alone were determinative, a small group of conservative writers and intellectuals would not have been able to imagine refashioning the American political landscape in the early 1970s. Yet they did.
There's an important first step, one not arrived at just yet (though the Italian manifesto is very close). That step is the full recognition of one's enemy, and acceptance that its not about debating them but defeating them. The former may be part of the latter, but it is a means to an end not an end in itself.
That initial stage ends when you can say both "our enemies (not adversaries, not debating partners, our enemies) are X", and "we stand for Y". We're mid-way through that stage in Europe, I think.
Beyond that comes the coherent Foundational Critique and Alternative, the development of Transmission Belts, and then a track record of [a] on-target prediction; and [b] successes with elements of The Alternative that makes more and more people listen over time.
Europe's decadence is not complete, but what is there will give critics like "Per L'Occidente" plenty of opportunities to grow - just as the liberal lunacies, dishonesty, and chaos of the early 70s did much for the new strain of American conservative thought. And it always helps to have a despicable and implacable enemy (Communism certainly lived up to that billing, ditto Islamism), along with noble ideals to fight for.
Meanwhile, there's a Pope at work on the foundations, too; Pope Benedict's moves indicate that he plans to play "Miracle Max" (q.v. The Princess Bride) to European/Western civilization, after first putting his church in order.
Europe's chances aren't great. But:
Joe,
On the stages people are going through with these manifestos, and "identity soup" and so on - bing! Thanks, you were further ahead in working this out than me, so that really helped.
"About half way" sounds about right to me too.
This stuff takes time and is subject to chance. It's worth doing badly, as opposed to not doing it. We shouldn't get too picky about the faults of each attempt.
And yeah, I like how the Pope seems to be thinking. But ...
The demographics don't add up right for well-founded hope.
Not. Enough. People.
And without fruitful, preferably stable marriages, no way to fix that. And that doesn't affect things only when the kids turn 18 or fail to because they were aborted or never conceived in the first place, it effects, immediately and always, whether people feel they have a future worth fighting for, for their kids. Without a posterity or a hereafter, without a future or beliefs except in the animal comfort of each day as the clock runs out on their lives, people just don't act the same, they don't act in a way that's going to save their civilisation.
I'll give you just one thing: this guy Miracle Max is attending to isn't totally dead. Like you said, he's only mostly dead.
He even said something, faintly.
I think it was: "to bluff".