Application of a double standard when it comes to Islam and Muslims, for starters. For instance, some of the domestic policies of the Iranian government -- e.g., regarding AIDS, contraceptive use, etc. -- have won praise from international observers and are actually the sort for which Doug would have a kind word or two if they were put into practice by a secular government, a government led by Marxists and Catholic liberation theologians, and so on in the developing world, but he "could never find any kind words to utter about the [Iranian] regime's domestic policies, which are profoundly reactionary and pretty much the absolute inversion of my utopia." He also loses his skepticism when it comes to unsubstantiated allegations against the Iranian government, such as that Iran is executing gay men for homosexual identity or homosexual sex, skepticism that he is perfectly capable of exercising when it comes to other subjects. In short, Islam makes a difference in his judgment.
Islamophobia is compounded by Doug's acceptance of the empire relative to the Islamic republic. He's softer on the US government than the Iranian government, though the former is responsible for far more death, poverty, and so on in the world than the latter.
On 11/29/06, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
>
> On Nov 29, 2006, at 1:54 PM, Yoshie Furuhashi wrote:
>
> > Isn't that because of your profound Islamophobia, common among
> > leftists in the West?
>
> By the way, this further convinces me that you've begun to embarrass
> yourself, having painted yourself into a corner with your
> preposterous defenses of the Iranian regime, but since you're too
> arrogant ever to admit you're wrong
Isn't it the height of arrogance for you to assume that, just because you think I'm wrong, I must believe that I am? -- Yoshie <http://montages.blogspot.com/> <http://mrzine.org> <http://monthlyreview.org/>