Qutb was influenced by fascism
Reader comment on item: Distinguishing between Islam and Islamism
in response to reader comment: Understanding fascism

Submitted by Adam Holland (United States), Feb 13, 2006 at 15:05

My understanding is that Sayyid Qutb, who could be called the intellectual father of Islamism in that he wrote the philosophical texts upon which it's based, was influenced by the French fascist philosopher of eugenics Alexis Carrel.

Carrel collaberated with the Nazis, and led a massive pro-eugenics project under Vichy. He advocated for forced euthenasia for those who he considered genetically inferior, including the mentally ill, criminals, those with venareal disease, etc. He is also on the record as the first to advocate for use of gas chambers for this mass euthenasia project, stating that it was the most economical method. This appeared in the GERMAN edition of his Man, The Unknown, published in early 1936. This work was cited as an influence by Karl Brandt at the Nuremberg Nazi Doctors trial. Carrel is best known in the U.S. as an associate of Charles Lindbergh.

Apparantly, Qutb took Carrel's mystical racism that envisioned a society ruled by genetic elites, and transformed it (by changing Carrel's terminology) to a society ruled by a religious elite. (By the way, Qutb attended college in the U.S. in the 40's, and joined the Muslim Brotherhood upon returing home to Egypt. His brother was a professor in Saudi Arabia. One of his students was Zawahiri.)

By the way, if any readers of this post have more info on Carrel or his influence on Islamism, I'd appreciate hearing from you.

THANKS

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