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The Palestine Encampment at Colombia...
Apr 30, 2024 / Written by: Gary Isbell
...Reveals the Common Ideology of Communism, Islam and BLM
Both students and non-affiliated Hamas-style protesters barricaded themselves inside an academic building at Columbia University, escalating tensions in their provocation with the school implementing a well-choreographed pro-Palestinian encampment.
In an Instagram post, a student group known as Columbia University Apartheid Divest declared, “An autonomous group of students has taken matters into their own hands. They will remain in Hamilton [Hall] until the University divests from death.” An attitude strongly reminiscent of Hamas terrorist blackmails.
Videos captured the anarchical scene as protesters strategically used metal tables to fortify the doors of Hamilton Hall, where the dean of Columbia College works. Chants of “The people united will never be defeated” echoed through the crowds, indicating that agents of this revolution had prepared well in advance.
With unrealistic demands unmet, protesters made it clear they would not back down until Columbia met their requirements, including divesting from companies associated with Israel. The impossibility of this demand had been clearly explained early on; however, demanding the impossible is a ploy right of the 1968 Sorbonne playbook.
The encampment’s impact at the prestigious Ivy League university in New York City has sparked about 50 protests out of the 6,000 colleges nationwide in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict. This has left school authorities grappling with unrest caused by a small number of agitators, many of whom are not students, that have garnered a great deal of press.
In a Girondist move, Columbia University representatives initially remained silent, declining to comment on the situation. In a cautionary note on their website, the University informed the public about the occupation, urging people to steer clear of the campus. Additional measures were taken to limit access to the Morningside campus exclusively to resident students and essential staff where the hall is situated.
Hamas-style protesters at Columbia renamed the building Hind Hall after Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Gazan, provoking an escalation of tension following the suspension of students from the encampment. The protesters, sporting keffiyehs (a traditional headdress), barricaded the hall and smashed windows in light of Columbia President Minouche Shafik’s refusal to divest anything to do with Israel.
Amid criticism over handling the protests, tensions rise as Columbia navigates the challenge of balancing what some claim to be free speech and maintaining order on private property. The University expressed a focus on de-escalation, but the situation remains volatile. As confrontations persist, universities grapple with managing conflicts between Israel and Palestinian supporters, a struggle evident in recent leadership changes at Harvard and Pennsylvania universities. Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD’s) mobilization call further fuels the chaos by urging support for the encampment on private property as the campus remains embroiled in turmoil.
The agitators see the significance of Hamilton Hall for their cause. It has a history of being at the heart of student protests, from Vietnam War demonstrations in 1968 to the anti-apartheid rallies in 1985. There appears to be an effort to rekindle the spirit of the 68 Revolution based on the importance of its symbolism in confronting the status quo.
There is an undeniable link between Palestine and the “mostly peaceful protests” of Black Lives Matter (BLM) that occurred in Minneapolis, costing insurance companies more than $1 billion in payouts. The two have worked closely in the past to incite violence, destroy private property and make impossible demands, all furthering the destruction of Western Civilization.
The connection between Palestinians and the roots of BLM traces back to the movement’s inception. Palestinian activists stood in solidarity with BLM during the turbulent times of Ferguson in 2014, even before BLM became a household name. Their presence on Ferguson’s streets following Michael Brown’s death was notable and was apparent by the Palestinian flag flying during the early protests.
The intertwining of these movements became evident as BLM founders Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors utilized the energy from the Ferguson riots to weave a vast network of activism, drawing in supporters from various ideologies. Their goal was to mold a structure that supported the leftist narrative of police violence against black individuals.
The aftermath of Ferguson rippled through the nation, showcasing a community in turmoil. Meanwhile, BLM strategists were deftly linking arms with activists nationwide, setting the stage for a movement that transcended borders with several radical organizations led by committed Marxists who have no intention to fulfill the American Dream for all; instead, they aim to reshape America from a Marxist perspective entirely.
The evolution of BLM from local outrage to a global phenomenon was swift. As Jelani Cobb highlighted in a New Yorker piece, the movement’s momentum swelled, drawing in new faces and igniting protests nationwide thanks to extensive positive media coverage.
Garza shared with Cobb how activists inspired the creation of a chapter structure to collaborate further. Among them, the Palestinian group stood out with 200 members and charismatic leaders like Linda Sarsour, Suhad Khatib and artist Remi Kanazi, who even performed at a rally with Dr. Cornel West. Dr. West describes himself as a “non-Marxist socialist” and served as honorary chairman of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Another Palestinian delegation from the Right to Education Campaign, comprised of students from the West Bank and Gaza, arrived in Ferguson. They aimed to bridge the gap between African Americans and Palestinians, striving to forge lasting relationships and share information, techniques and goals between movements.
This cross-cultural networking proved fruitful, and shortly afterward, Cullors took Ferguson organizers to the West Bank. She emphasized the importance of Black Lives Matter members understanding global struggles, especially the Palestinian cause, fostering solidarity between black and Arab communities.
Dream Defenders, a group with ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, coordinated the visit. The Popular Front is labeled a terrorist group by the Director of National Intelligence.
Immersed in the ideology that Israel is an oppressor, Cullors, Garza, Opal Tometi, Melina Abdullah, and other BLM luminaries held this belief long before founding BLM in 2013 and establishing a network in Ferguson in 2014. This background sheds light on their celebration of the attack on Israel in October of 2023.
The growing backing for a terrorist group like Hamas is alarming to many, and rightly so. However, those attuned to the evolution of the woke movement in recent years will not find it surprising. The progressive Left’s support for Hamas is part of a broader worldview, evident in their backing of violent organizations such as BLM. It is not unreasonable to draw a direct link between support for the Marxist BLM movement and backing for Palestinian terrorists.
Totalitarian regimes still find propaganda opportunities in America’s racial unrest despite Stalin’s death and the end of the Cold War. Following Michael Brown’s 2014 death, Russian Vladimir Putin defended his handling of dissidents by referencing “the problem in Ferguson.” Chinese state media extensively covered the George Floyd protests, criticizing the U.S. government for neglecting what it sees as racial inequality.
Author Ta-Nehisi Coates shared his visit to the Palestinian territories and compared Israelis to white supremacists and Palestinians to black Americans facing segregation, expressing empathy for their struggles. The good propagandist that he is, Coates, who claims his ancestors were enslaved, conveniently omitted to mention Hamas or the October 7th attacks.
The winds of revolt that swept through European colonies and protectorates in Asia and Africa during the fifties and sixties were mainly fueled by international communism. Despite legitimate aspirations, the decolonization struggle took on a revolutionary, decidedly anti-Western and anti-traditional tone.
In Egypt, nationalist-socialist officers ousted King Farouk and later his son, Fuad II. Similarly, in Iraq, a military coup led to the tragic demise of King Faisal II and most of his family. These movements cascaded throughout the Arab world, destroying the vestiges of tradition.
The Arab coalition’s defeats by Israel in 1967 and 1973 ignited intense outrage in Arab public sentiment towards the nationalist-socialist military. There was a growing conviction that the humiliating losses were a result of secularism and Westernization, seen as a departure from authentic Islam, the Koran and Sharia, even though the sects of Islam are viciously divided amongst themselves.
During this period, clandestine groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, blending Islamism and socialism, gained considerable influence. This trend mirrored the fusion of Christianity and Marxism that appeared later in Latin America under Liberation Theology.
Islam and Communism: A Comparative Perspective
A renowned Muslim scholar, Muhammad Hamidullah (1908–2002), delved into the stark similarities between Islam and Communism. Contrary to the idea that they were opposites, he contemplated the potential parallels between these two ideologies. With the idea of embracing a universal totalitarian theocracy, he envisioned a world devoid of national boundaries, advocating for Allah’s sovereignty to reign supreme over the entire globe.
Challenging Catholic Notions of Private Property
In his seminal work Social Justice in Islam, a leading member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Sayyid Qutb (1906–1966), questioned conventional views on land ownership, advocating for communal land use over private ownership. Rejecting the notion of private property as a means of accumulation, he emphasized the profitable utilization of resources. This echoes the core tenet of communism—the abolition of private property, a position notoriously articulated by Marx and Engels in their Communist Manifesto.
Exploring Common Ground
Hamidullah’s exploration of the nexus between Islam and Communism unveils disturbing revelations. While acknowledging their disparities, he contemplates the compatibility of Islamic principles with communist ideals, particularly in envisioning a unified global governance system. This contemplation sheds light on the potential convergence of political doctrines, strongly suggesting a shared vision of a One World government.
Muhammad Hamidullah’s scholarly pursuits exemplify his quest to unravel the nuanced intersections between Islam and communism, challenging traditional perceptions and fostering a deeper understanding of these ideologies.
Islam Supersedes Communism
André Glucksmann (1937–2015), a French philosopher initially associated with the extreme Left and a prominent figure in the 1968 anarchist Sorbonne student uprising, made a significant ideological shift by moving away from the Red Creed. According to Glucksmann, Islam supersedes communism: “Islamism replaces the final secular struggle of communism with a theological apocalypse; its mechanisms work in the same way in all societies it seizes. It is a vehicle of terror. In the name of a radiant future, all is allowed.”1
Glucksmann further describes the nihilistic philosophy that underlies Islamic fundamentalism as a direct continuation of the fascist and communist doctrines of the twentieth century. Whether it is the nihilist Islamic fundamentalist, Bolshevik or Fascist, these ideologies share a common trait—an absence of inhibition.
The shared delusion of a grand anti-liberal, anti-Western and anti-free market economy global revolution has fueled the fanaticism seen in the Nazis, Communists and Islamists, representing a secret meeting point of nihilistic beliefs. This explains the mutual inclination towards redemptive violence explicitly supported by communists, socialists, Hamas, BLM and every other terrorist group infecting society today.
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