On Jul 29, 2006, at 11:45 PM, Chip Berlet wrote:
> I understand that many people use the term Islamo-fascism as a
> catch-all epithet, but there are serious scholars, including some
> on the left, who think that some Islamic militant movements should
> be seriously considered to be clerical fascist or theocratic
> fascist movements. I understand your anger and frustration, but I
> dislike having some of my claims, that are published in scholarly
> publications, dismissed as merely "bullshit." And Eric Lee is
> hardly a crackpot. And is Juan Cole a crackpot for suggesting that
> Hezbollah has engaged in war crimes? Get a grip.
I feel fully gripped, and in no need of getting one.
Attacking civilians is a war crime - I have no problem with Cole or anyone else saying that. But that's got almost nothing to do with "Islamo-fascism," an epithet that Hitchens loves to throw around - and now apparently, so does Eric Lee. It's a term that once magnifies the strength of the "enemy," obscures any real analysis of who "they" are or what motivates them, and casts opponents of the general war as Neville Chamberlains.
I'm not familiar with your work on this - could you point me to some? I don't think you produce bullshit, far from it, but the term itself is bullshit.
Doug