An excellent post by Marko Attila Hoare draws an important distinction between those of us who oppose Islamist extremism and those who are simply hostile to, and fearful of, Muslims and Islam in any form.
There is a global struggle taking place against Islamic fascism, and it is one that all democrats should support. But in doing so, we find ourselves in some sense aligned with some unsavoury bigots whose motivation has less to do with support for democratic Western values and more to do with simple hatred of Muslims and Islam. Since democratic Western values include respect for freedom of conscience and religious toleration, such bigots clearly have no place in our ranks. Their hatred of Muslims is essentially no different from the Islamofascist hatred of Jews and Christians, and their bigotry only alienates ordinary Muslims and pushes them into the arms of the extremists. It is therefore gratifying that the Kosova crisis has prompted these bigots to reveal their true colours: as supporters of the West’s enemies. Writing in the pages of Frontpagemag.com, the screaming American chauvinist Julia Gorin suggests: ‘If Russia intervenes [over Kosova], then 2008 might become the year that war broke out between Russia and NATO. America, the EU, Europe’s immigrant ‘youths,’ and Osama bin Laden would find themselves on one side, fighting Russia, China, and those Europeans who resist Islamization on the other.’ No question about which side Gorin would be on in such a conflict; it wouldn’t be ours. Her antipathy toward the Kosova Albanians apparently originates with the support given by Democrat President Clinton’s support for them. Never mind that the Kosova Albanians are about the most pro-American nation on the planet; if you sufficiently hate Muslims and Democrats, it is apparently acceptable to align yourself against them and on the side of the West’s enemies.
Marko goes on to cite other examples– Melanie Phillips and Hugh Fitzgerald of Jihadwatch– of those whose fear of a majority-Muslim state leads them to side with the authoritarian Vladimir Putin and the Serbian nationalists against independence for pro-American Kosovars.
Interestingly it’s the role of the US in helping to end Serbian control of Kosovo that puts the anti-Muslim bigots on the same side as some on the “anti-imperialist” Left, who believe that if America had something to do with it, it must be wrong.
