Islam is now the bogeyman
Up until the early 1990s, the Russian bear was the bete noire of Western civilisation; the “Reds under the bed” bogeyman coming to get us.
As history informs us, the red menace has subsequently been wiped off the face of the earth, and replaced by Islam as the principal object of detestation. In certain academic and policy-making circles, the assumption here is that the military-industrial complex needs another demon to slay, in order to justify fat “defence” contracts, and this religion fits the bill.
This description reminds me of the title of a 1982 journal article by the late, great Susan Strange: “Cave! Hic Dragones” (“Beware! Here be dragons”).
As far as this column in The Nation is concerned, Islam provides combustible material for the usual zounderkites whose ethical codes, if they have any, are honoured more in the breach than the observance. The assumption here is that if one spouts Kruger-spoofs often enough, then people will begin to believe them.
Now, I would be the last to advocate a censorious approach to content here, but the same old worn-out, tiresome, intolerant, debunked, mindless Islamophobia is taking up column inches that would be better suited to more level-headed content. I quite understand, however, that editorial discretion has the final right of sanction, irrespective of the flatulent phytophage windy-wallets and the other out-of-orbit space cadets.
Dr Frank
