Egypt & Tunisia - Will the West try to set up phony "moderate Islamist" regimes to thwart the people's will?

Submitted by Igor Slamoff (Nicaragua), Feb 14, 2011 at 21:43

It is common, and unfortunately usually warranted, to identify the political Left with pro-Islamist causes. However here a noted French Leftist theoretician and Middle East specialist accuses the West of trying to impose Islamism on Tunisia's people to prevent the development of true democracy.

I think this is an important development in the worldwide struggle against Islamism. It would seem that there are forces on the left, especially in Moslem countries, that oppose Islamism as ferociously as do rightists in the West.

Can there be a left-right alliance against Islamism? Who knows. I'm no expert. But it sounds like a good idea.

In an interview by the left-wing Turkish magazine Aydınlık the French social theorist Samir Amin stated the following:

"Tunisia: West could sabotage genuine democracy by means of 'Islamic alternative'

Professor Samir Amin, a respected political thinker, economist and writer, evaluates developments in Tunisia in an interview with Aydınlık Magazine.

….

However it must be said that the Western powers will try to create an Islamic alternative and will try to support a movement of this sort in order to avoid a really democratic alternative. They already have started to do it, re introducing in the country the language of 'Saudi Arabia' as some commentators of the Tunisian people have already said.

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The Western powers will do all they can to thwart the democratic regime in this respect, and create therefore conditions favourable for a phony so-called "moderate" 'Islamic alternative'.

[slightly edited for style]

http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/article.asp?reference=3637

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