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Is Islamic green the new red?

"Useful idiots." That was how Lenin reportedly referred to the thousands who flocked to what was then the Soviet Union

“Useful idiots.”

That was how Vladimir Lenin reportedly referred to the thousands of left-wing sympathizers who flocked to what was then the Soviet Union to assist in the Russian revolution and civil war, and then to help export that revolution to the rest of the world.

Those sympathizers could see quite clearly the deficiencies in the capitalist system of the time. Unfortunately, they could not also see the deficiencies of the communist system that was being proposed as an alternative.

If the capitalist system was bad during the early part of the 20th Century, the communist system as developed by Lenin and then Stalin was many times worse.

Today, that is quite clear to us. However, at the time a surprising number of otherwise intelligent people were blind to what now is obvious.

A similar phenomenon seems to be happening with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The religious fundamentalists there have not yet killed tens of millions, as did the communists in the Soviet Union and China, but they've made a start. Just give them a few more years.

Human rights are not an issue with them – in fact, they don't seem to even know what they are.

Despite all this, we still see hundreds of what appear to be relatively sane and well educated young people from Europe and North America travelling to the Middle East to join them in their fight.

Why is this?

Contrary to what many in the West believe, Islam is a remarkably egalitarian religion. During the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, everyone dresses in the same white robes and it is impossible to tell rich from poor. One of the five pillars of Islam is the zakat – a wealth tax that is supposed to redistribute goods from those that have to those who do not.

With the growing income inequality in the West, it is easy to see how some might see an idealized form of Islam as an attractive alternative.

What those travelling from the West to help ISIS fail to see is that a murderous, violent regime such as this will produce nothing but more murder and more violence.

History has shown that real social progress comes only from non-violence. It is a slow, confusing process with many setbacks and compromises – but it works.

Those who seek to replace dictators through violent means will end up becoming dictators themselves.

And those who support them will end up as did many of those those thousands who travelled to the Soviet Union to help out Lenin and Stalin – in unmarked graves far from home.

 

“Useful idiots” indeed.