Why are so many exmuslims rightwing ?
Reply #79 - May 25, 2015, 05:38 AM
I've known a lot of Exmuslims, online and offline, and I would say there is a large contingent of neo-liberal, pro-exploitation type people among Exmuslims, and many, many (most?) among the "atheist community" (especially those who identify as such primarily). People like Ayaan Hirsi Ali are obviously neo-cons as well, supporting war, interventions, exploitation, economic inequality, etc. There are many more who are socially liberal, or who'd never admit to being pro-economic inequality, but their stances amount to being just that.
But there are also a lot, a LOT, of leftish, leftist, democratic socialist, and socialist Exmuslims. I don't think we can parse numbers without doing some kind of serious, reliable massive survey of Exmuslims, which would be next to impossible to do outside of certain academic quarters.
Why do certain Exmuslims form alliances with right-wing, neo-liberal (and further on neo-con) types? Multiple reasons could apply, I'd say. Most likely at least one of these apply:
-They are themselves class privileged. Most Exmuslims who are on the Internet come from middle class or upper middle class families, and have been highly influenced by consumerist culture (including internet and other technologies), and adopted it as the default (like many different demographics, not just exmuslims). They identify with the rich, not the poor, or they have bought into the 'aspiration' of being rich someday themselves, the carrot that neo-liberal capitalism advertises and sells all over the world, but especially here in the West.
-They have become more right wing after they left Islam, because they felt alienated from the left wingers who have ignored dissent and dissidence in Muslim communities, for various reasons.
It used to be worse in some ways before CEMB, Namazie and all the other venues, groups, orgs and people out there trying to bridge and develop spaces within leftist discourse for the issues faced by exmuslims (or apostates or secularists or dissenters or heretics, whatever they may call themselves).
Mind you, Islamism IS a right-wing ideology that has grown and continues to flourish because of capitalist endeavours. Oil, weapons trading, arming and training jihadis in the 70s, 80s, 90s, propping up dictators to control the economy in favour of Western interests, forcing people to not nationalize their own natural resources etc. etc. It goes on and on. Islamism and right wing, neo liberal capitalism are allies. Don't let Ayaan Hirsi Ali or her husband Niall Ferguson, or any other neo con tell you otherwise. Read up history yourself.
I agree that neo-liberals pretend to be centrists around leftists. Bottom line is, they don't think economic inequality is a human rights issue. They see only identity politics as human rights issues: race, sexual orientation, gender (maybe. Not all of them see that as an issue either). You can be 'liberal' or 'left wing' on these social issues, but if you really don't give a shit about people poorer than you, you are still supporting exploitation, or at least complying with it. Economic inequality cannot exist without many (most) people remaining poor to allow a few others to become very wealthy. Everyone else in the middle (middle class) is generally lulled into compliance by those 'aspirations' while policies are made by corporate lobbyists to keep economic inequality going.
I also think many Exmuslims (and other people in general) who we would consider neo-liberal or somewhat right-wing in terms of economics have never actually sat down and thought through the economic inequality side of the issue. At least, that's what I've seen in my experience. That itself gives away their privilege in that they don't *have* to think about those issues.
"Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused."
Topic: Why are so many exmuslims rightwing ?