Page 42 - The Winter of Islam and the Spring to Come

THE WINTER OF ISLAM AND THE SPRING TO COME
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and fascism as it is of imperialism. All of the nineteenth century theo-
reticians who are regarded as the founders of fascism (Friedrich
Nietzsche, Heinrich von Treitschke, Francis Galton, and Ernst Haeckel,
for instance) were strongly influenced by Darwin's theory of evolution,
and particularly by the concept of the "fight for survival." Mussolini, the
Italian dictator who established the first fascist regime, was a convinced
Darwinist in his youth and drew attention with his articles in praise of
Darwin. It is quite clear from the writings of Hitler and other senior
Nazis that they were also inspired by Social Darwinism. (For further
details, see Harun Yahya, Fascism: Darwinism's Bloody Ideology, Istanbul,
Vural Yayincilik, 2001)

Communist Ideologies' Hatred for Islam
Darwinism also forms the basis of communism. This was clearly
stated by its first founders, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Both were
convinced atheists, both saw the elimination of religious beliefs as es-
sential for communism, and both fully understood that the theory of
evolution served that end.
As soon as Darwin's book was published, Engels wrote to Marx as
follows: "Darwin, whom I am just now reading, is splendid." On December
2
19, 1860, Marx replied, "This is the book that contains the basis in natural
history for our view." In a letter to another socialist friend, Lassalle,
3
dated January 16, 1861, Marx wrote, "Darwin's work is important and
suits my purpose in that it provides a basis in natural science for the historical
class struggle," thus revealing the importance of the theory of evolution
4
for communism.
Dictators such as Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin and Mao Tse-tung made
their own comments about communism, stating and demonstrating its
ideological links to Darwin. The theory of evolution came to be the
basis of education and even agricultural policy in communist regimes.
All communist movements found the ideological foundation and justi-
fication they were looking for in Darwinism.
For communist ideology, so greatly influenced by Darwinism, so-