The Muslim Right and the Anglo-American Left: The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name

[LeftishBrit]

18. The phenomenon that I call 'mirror-image-ism' exists; some people do think that anyone opposed to

Bush et al must be OK. However, it's rare; and I think that nothing damaged the reputation of Muslim right-wingers, and their chances of getting sympathy from virtually ANYONE on the Left, so much as when Taliban members shot Malala!

Actually, the Western Right has generally done much more than the Left to build up the Muslim Right. The forerunners of the Taliban were built up by Reagan et al because they were opposed to the Soviet Union. The rise of Islamic State in Iraq is an unintended consequence of the ill-considered intervention in 2003, to depose the nasty but secular dictator Saddam by playing with fire near a powder-keg.

By 2020, there will be a very significant collaboration in some countries between the Christian Right and the Muslim Right. This is already happening to some extent; e.g. the British anti-abortion (and anti-gay, etc.) Society for the Protection of Unborn Children is run by Catholics, but also includes a Muslim section.

N.b. it is sometimes argued that any opposition to some form of military intervention against terrorists or other nasty individuals equates to support for these nasty individuals. Often it just means assuming that the proposed intervention will make matters worse, or will kill too many innocent bystanders.