Comparing Hitchens to Malcolm X
What Christopher Hitchens and the New Atheists Can Learn From Malco...
As one of the most prominent public voices resisting the culture of Christian and religious dominance Christopher Hitchens earns himself a comparison to the freedom fighter who nearly fifty years ago urged the
civil rights movement to “stop singing and start swinging.” Responding
to a culture of white supremacy, the vicious legacy of colonialism and
the hypocrisy of American democracy Malcolm X became one of the
strongest voices for black resistance and identity. For much of his
life, before his break with the Nation of Islam and his shift toward
racial inclusiveness he framed the race problem in an absolutist manner
claiming that all white people are devils. He believed that white people
could never do any good. Malcolm X publicly made his case by
deconstructing the white mindset, analyzing the white power structure
and describing the vicious history that has accompanied the
Euro-American legacy. It was this fierce resistance against assimilation
into white culture that set him apart from the strategy of integration
pursued by Dr. King and many others. Despite their shift towards each
other’s positions near the end of their lives it is still accurate to
describe them as James Cone did: Malcolm X saw America as a nightmare
while Dr. King saw it as a dream.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by James Kz on -
A few notes on your article.
While Christopher Hitchens and Malcolm X were both known for fiery rhetoric, Hitch did not blindly follow a dogmatic religious organisation. Malcolm X freely admitted that of the Nation of Islam.Christopher Hitchens did not stand accused of violence. HItchens did not go to jail for burglarising homes (X did).
Christopher Hitchens did not write a letter to President Truman (or any other president) declaring himself to be a Communist. (X did.)
Hitch was not part of the welcoming committee for Fidel Castro at the UN in 1960. (X was.)
Hitch was not opposed to the civil rights movement. (X was, until he left the Nation of Islam.)
Hitch did not praise the assassination of JFK. (X did.)
Hitch was an atheist, X was a Sunni Muslim.
Hitch did not believe in segregating blacks and whites, X did (until he left the Nation of Islam)
It would be different to imagine two more different people.
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Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on -
hrmmm
~haaaa enjoy that time usage..
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