Haz on Islam[edit | edit source]
Haz has talked about the relationship between Islam and Dialectical Materialism, Marxism's Monotheism, Islam's Premature Modernity & Apocalypse, Islam's Universalism and Awakening, Hezbollah’s ‘Angelic Materialism’ and The Islamic Revolution. Haz views "Londonistani" Islam as a reactionary response to the chaos of western modernity, not an authentic expression of Islamic civilisation. (1:33:52)
However Haz’s view of Islam can be best seen in his analysis of Middle Eastern (West Asian) politics and geopolitics, especially as of December 2024 when a lot has happened in Levant region concerning Palestine, Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Back in 2021, Haz said that the future of the region will be decided by Turkey: for better or worse. And that Iran’s moment is over in that region (It’s support to various Shia groups and their influence e.g. Hezbollah). Haz had said that Bashar is beginning to align with Saudi-UAE-Egypt and this being the death of the so-called ‘Iranian Project’ - that only Iran will be making big moves. The timeline confirms it too.[1]
Now it's confirmed that the Yemen embassy was closed in Syria last year in a deal with Saudi.[2] For Haz, the objective analysis is that now it's Turkey's time in the spotlight of history now, and by Turkey, he means a new pole. However he is not saying it's good and he also thinks that it's obvious that NATO is behind this event in Syria (the uprising of rebels like HTS against Assad, ultimately rebels taking power). But there is something else, deeper and ancient going on in the region.
In case of Turkey, parties like Vatan can’t be underestimated and the main contradictions of Ottomanism are:
- Domestic Turkish nationalism/Kemalism
- The Kurdish question
- NATO reliance
Is Erdogan "playing" NATO? Or is he just conveniently fulfilling their agenda in an Ottoman garb?
This is the question. Haz tends to think the latter. [3] However there is still ambiguity. We live in an era where nothing is shocking.
As Haz puts: if there is even the faintest chance that Turkey VERY SUDDENLY declares war on the world, and stops playing with NATO, sidelines America, sidelines Israel, and all Gulf states and Egypt, and everyone, and goes full beast mode without warning?
That is the Sunni fantasy.
The Shia response is that this is nonsense, that nothing can happen suddenly, that the foundations must be secured slowly, patiently, and internally addressed. Yet looking at what happened to the Shia pole post the fall of Assad in 2024. It was because of LACK of decisiveness. The Sunni BEAST MODE and Shia CUNNING must be somehow synthesized in a new Islamo Hegelian-Marxist outlook according to Haz. He thinks it's not beyond the realm of possibility that there will be a confrontation between Israel and Turkey because Erdogan and the Turkish state are all on the West's payroll and it's one big joke.
But such a confrontation would not happen as a consequence of established and entrenched interests - but the wild, uncontrolled inertia of regional chaos, which would force such an outcome.
It’s not because high levels in "Israel" are also very wary of Turkey for a reason.
It's not because the Turkish state are principled anti zionists.
It's because of CHAOS.
The "orthodox" (second international) Marxist class analysis doesn't apply to the middle east because of the relation of cause and effect. In the Middle East, entrenched class interests are suspended in a chaotic, unpredictable whirlwind of cyclical transformation - they are not a 'solid base' that yields superstructures - but a 'liquid' base that is constantly suspended in the sudden movement and appearance of 'superstructures'
In the history of the premodern MENA, beggars become sultans and sultans become beggars. It is a whirlwind of chaos that defines the social classes, rising and falling constantly, losing and gaining everything suddenly.
Social mobility - endless mobility from the highest summits of rule to the lowest gutters of poverty.
This is the true equality brought by Islam.
And Marx himself described it in his observation of class differences in the cafes of Algeria.
And the issue is that this constant social liquidity prevents the formation of stable hierarchies - preventing the slow, drawn out, methodical development of history, preventing a true ground of dialectical development to take place.
In its stead - constant conquest, expansion, constantly heralding the end of times.
Marx and Engels in their writings on Turkey described the role of the 'mob' in Ottoman civilization - who liquefy all social distinctions through sudden uprisings and movements, who basically control the court of the Sultan in Istanbul.
Islam is true mob rule.
Islamo-communism does not privilege winners or losers, rich or poor.It suspends them in social chaos, such that their status can never be solidified. In this way there is no difference. Only in conquest and war does order arise from this chaos.
The problem with Sunni Islam is that while fixated and entranced on the all-liquefying and all-destroying sublime object of social existence, they neglect the meticulous and particular distinctions and developments taking hold, and in this way the West was able to conspire to overthrow Islamic civilization without them even batting an eye.
And they still are oblivious to the machinations of NATO, Israel and America-dismissing these as unimportant and inconsequential - their gaze is fixed on the chaotic excitement and mobility of the all-destroying object of fanaticism.
The problem with Shia Islam - always remembering the CUT and DIVISION of the social body in Hussein's martyrdom, the FUNDAMENTAL METAPHYSICAL INJUSTICE, awaiting the Mahdi to restore it - it paralyzes them into inaction, into a static existence incapable of taking major risks and upsetting meticulous social hierarchies built in the image of time itself.
For this reason all of the major Persian conquests were done by Sunni leaders. Nader Shah even converted to Sunni Islam to bypass the Shia ulama in his adventures. Somehow both must be combined. The Shia memory of history must be combined with the Sunni unconditional fidelity to the all-destructive sublime.
Toward the end of its rule Sultan Abdul Hamid began to revere Ahul Bayt' and Hussein. Just before the collapse of the empire. He was too late. Emir Timur massacred Damascus to avenge Hussein.
The dream of Tamerlane is the only thing that can save Islam. Timur, though a Sunni, carried with him the memory of Hussein. He thwarted all conspiracies and plots against him - and yet took true initiative as a conqueror. Haz emphasizes on the importance of restoring lineage of Genghis Khan.