The clash of fundamentalisms : crusades, jihads and modernity

The inviolability of the American mainland, breached on 9/11/2001 for the first time since 1812, led to extravagant proclamations by the pundits. It was a sudden menace confronting the twenty-first century, an event of unprecedented dimensions, a new world-historical turning point. Tariq Ali challenges these assumptions, arguing instead that what we have experienced is the return of History in a horrific form, with religious symbols playing a part on both sides: ‘Allah’s revenge’, ‘God is on Our side’, ‘God Bless America’. The ‘war against terror’ is a clash of fundamentalisms, religious versus imperial. Each is honored by time-honored features – a shameless use of disproportional military power by one and a carefully targeted fanaticism by its Other. The two forces are hardly equal. One is a product of despair, the other is an empire, whose ability to go to war is a chilling reminder of its place in the world. Contemporary politics is conducted and presented in the elitist style of intelligence agencies: disinformation, false information, exaggeration of enemy strength and capability, explanation of a TV image with a brazen lie and censorship. The aim is to delude and disarm the citizenry. Everything is either over-simplified or reduced to a wearisome incomprehensibility. This wide-ranging book blends history, literature, politics and autobiography to challenge the conformist culture of our times. Ali argues that many of the values proclaimed by the Enlightenment retain their relevance, while portrayals of the American Empire as a new emancipatory project are fatally misguided. In This Work That Provides An Explanation For Both The Rise Of Islamic Fundamentalism And New Forms Of Western Colonialism, Tariq Ali Argues That What We Have Experienced Since September 11 Is The Return Of History In An Horrific Form. Part I: Mullahs And Heretics. An Atheist Childhood -- The Origins Of Islam -- The Empire Of The World -- Jerusalem, Jerusalem -- Ottomanism -- The Joys Of Heresy -- Women Versus The Eternal Masculine -- Part Ii: One Hundred Years Of Servitude. A Spring Memory -- The Roots Of Wahhabism -- The Kingdom Of Corruption -- Zionism, The First Oil War, Resistance -- Marginal Notes On The Chapter Of Defeats -- The Anti-imperialism Of Fools -- An Ocean Of Terror -- Part Iii: The Nuclear Wastelands Of South Asia. The Case Of Anwar Shaikh -- Plain Tales From Pakistan -- Afghanistan: Between Hammer And Anvil -- The Story Of Kashmir -- Part Iv: A Clash Of Fundamentalisms. A Short-course History Of Us Imperialism -- September Surprise -- Letter To A Young Muslim -- Appendix: On The Israeli-arab War. Tariq Ali. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Machine generated contents note: PART I Mullahs and Heretics 1 An atheist childhood 2 The origins of Islam 3 The empire of the world 4 Jerusalem, Jerusalem 5 Ottomanism 6 The joys of heresy 7 Women versus the eternal masculine PART II One Hundred Years of Servitude 8 A spring memory 9 The roots of Wahhabism 10 The kingdom of corruption 11 Zionism, the First Oil War, resistance 12 Marginal notes on the chapter of defeats 13 The anti-imperialism of fools 14 An ocean of terror PART III The Nuclear Wastelands of South Asia 15 The case ofAnwar Shaikh 16 Plain tales from Pakistan 17 Afghanistan: between hammer and anvil 18 The story of Kashmir PART IV A Clash of Fundamentalisms 19 A short-course history of US imperialism 20 September surprise 21 Letter to a young Muslim Appendix On the Israeli-Arab war Isaac Deutscher.