---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Venugopalan K M <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Oct 2, 2006 11:37 AM
Subject: Re: jihad &left-your comments-re
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dear Sukla Sen,
It appears to be a difficult question.
Dear Sukla Sen,
This seems to be a very difficult question altogether.
In so far as one really wants to enter the realm of praxis that goes beyond polemics, the roadblocks simply cannot be wished away. Therefore, the specificities of conflicts are very often bound to contradict with the ideals of what make civilized existence possible for all… that take care of sovereignties, human rights at its very edifice, and aims at eventually abolishing the social, cultural and political hierarchies institutionalized by structures of class, caste ,gender, colour etc.
. Suddenly, one is caught in a cross-fire somewhat akin to the grim situation as articulated in the infamous, wildly abusive statement of George W Bush somewhat like this: either you rally behind the US in the war against terror(jihadis), or be prepared for being bombed.
Naturally, in response to this, progressives all over the world would aspire to look forward to the myriad forms of resistance against the US aggression in every nook and corner of the globe which do not demographically exclude the vast multitudes of people in America itself. E.g, the 'other' America of blacks, women, Indians and even the destitute whites constituting the entire population who would have nothing to do with the cynical designs of the corporate world.
. In our lives, we encounter the disturbing tendency of contemporary imperialism, not even requiring one or other excuse for war; the kind of full-scale abuse of UN regime, encroachments on sovereignties of regions as well as on peoples, which are characterized by worst forms of human right abuses including genocides. Recent revelation of Pakistan President Musharaf of his administration having been coerced into the support for the US aggression of Afghanistan in the context of 9/11 has many things to be read between the lines.
The very coinage "Jihadi "is problematic in the same way as are the alternative terminologies like 'islamic terror'', 'countries& administrations in possession of weapons of mass destruction or which host terrorists', etc.. This is not to dispute the otherwise convincing nature of many of the arguments in the article by Fred Halliday
Againt this background, the propositions of what make modernity as articulated by Deepankar Gupta in "Mistaken Modernity "seems immensely relevant. He argues that If Iran were truly modern or 'westernised' a society ,a person like Ayatholla Khumaini would not have had the chance to be the champion of revolution. Instead, he would have had his unceremonious death somewhere in France. Deepankar tries to distinguish between 'westernization' and 'westoxication' . In the former, there is a concern for dignity of individuals, adherence to universalistic norms, elevation of individuals irrespective of factors in privilege or disprevilege in births, accountability in public life and so on. It is an attitude toward the entire world in which, people would naturally like to have vicarious participation in the lives of others by taking up roles in making the world more livable. On the other hand, ,'westoxication '(according to Deepankar) is a form of closed mindset to ape the colonial masters and the aggressors, in which people of the non-western world compete each other to occupy berths in a white dominated value system and relations of production.
Regards,
Venu.K.M
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