George Jochnowitz
MARX AND ISLAM
Before I lived in China, I was opposed to Marxism be–
cause I considered its doctrine a cruel one . After spending an en–
joyable semester teaching at Hebei University, I was not only op–
posed to Marxism - I hated it , not because of its cruelty but because
it is irrational.
The political institutions of the Western world were formed by
the thought of the Enlightenment, the Age of Reason. Obviously,
reason was not invented in the eighteenth century; what makes that
period significant in history is that thanks to it, reason became a
political issue . The idea of political freedom was a logical outgrowth
of a beli ef in reason, since the thought inherent in reason depends on
the freedom to think.
Karl M a rx did not consider himself a mystic, and the philoso–
phy he created was committed to rationality . Yet Marxism has a
definite mystical component. Marxists believe that capitalism is
doomed to disappear, though the evidence to support such a belief is
wanting. Stranger still, they believe the state will wither away,
although few states were ever less likely to than the communist
regimes. They even believe that alienated labor and conflict will
come to an end once communism is achieved. If that is not mysti–
cism, what is? Marxism has of course evolved. It has been modified
by Leninism - and by the power it has accumulated. What began as
a system concerned with achieving equality and a classless society
has developed into a doctrine concerned with maintaining and ex–
tending its influence . Its goal is orthodoxy .
Today, there are probably only two systems of belief for which
people kill : Islam and Marxism . Northern Ireland of course comes
to
mind, but the "troubles" there are of a national rather than a
religious nature, with the nationalities defined by religious affilia–
tion.
In
the twentieth century, killing for one's nation is acceptable;
killing for one's belief is restricted to the second and third worlds. No
one in Northern Ireland is planting bombs because they are arguing
for th e truth of transubstantiation. The citizens of Ulster, like the
Lebanese Christians and, to a great extent , the Lebanese Moslems,
are fi ghting for the control of their country, not to propagate their
faith.
