Only about a century old, fascismbogeyman of ideologieshas been both over- and under-attributed to various political phenomena. While the baseline cases of Hitlers Germany and Mussolinis Italy are generally agreed upon, once these two forces were defeated, it was nigh impossible to believe that such a compulsion would ever return in a more enlightened futurelet alone be ushered in by the children of those who defeated the fascist regimes. Today, card-carrying fascist forces grab ever more political power across the US and Europe, even in the European Parliament itself, and around the globe. Yet, while theres a reason for Godwins Lawthe longer an online conversation continues, the more likely someone is to invoke Hitler and the Naziswe must find ways to discern the fascist wheat from the garden-variety nationalist chaff. This issue looks at todays tidal wave, and asks how to ensure that such forces are not allowed to tear the world asunder once more.
About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.
