[lbo-talk] Comrades and Brothers: Islamists and Socialists in Egypt

[James Heartfield]

When I read the Islamist literature that was circulating at the London 
School of Economics, much of it had clearly been written by people who had 
an extensive knowledge of Marxist and socialist ideas, but had chosen to 
re-present them in Islamic form. All the concepts like underdevelopment, 
national oppression were phrased in ways that recalled the literature of the 
soviet-influenced Communist Parties, but under a veneer of Islamism.

I have been teaching on a development Studies module at Westminster 
University. Many of the Muslim students express a broad anti-imperialist 
outlook, that is equally anti-Marxist intellectually. One challenged me when 
I cited Walter Rodney's book on Capitalism underdeveloping Africa. 'Do you 
think it is any good?' 'Yes, it's ok' 'But it is very Marxist', he said, as 
if that was an argument against Rodney. The same student denounces 
Imperialism, unequal exchange between North and South, repatriation of 
super-profits etc. without understanding that all of these concepts were 
developed by the left, before they were haphazardly imported into a bastard 
hybrid between Islam and leftism.