Since September 11, 2001, we’ve been living in a Howardian world. Howardian as in Robert E. Howard, the immortal Texas pulp fictioneer who created Conan of Cimmeria, Francis X. Gordon, “El Borak,” Norman/Gael Crusader warrior Cormac Fitzgeoffrey, etc.
Seriously. The most lurid creations of pulp fiction are matched by the reality of the global jihad. Does not the rise of ISIS, in all of its medieval barbarity, resemble the horde of Natohk the Veiled One boiling up out of the desert to assail the Kingdom of Khoraja, an outpost of Hyborian civilization? Exactly.
And here we have Iraqi Shiite militia commander and strongman Abu Azrael, who is now on the outskirts of Fallujah, set to “grind ISIS into flour.”
His nom de guerre translates as Father of the Angel of Death. He came to international fame after video surfaced of him hacking at the suspended, charred corpse of an ISIS fighter with a sword. He’s a self-consciously flamboyant character straight out of pulp fiction, but he’s a for-real killer of Daesh (a pejorative name for ISIS). As Long War Journal notes:
Abu Azrael is a commander in the Iranian-backed Imam Ali Brigade, which is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces. Also known as “Rambo,” the black-bearded, sword-wielding fighter became a celebrity after the incursion of Islamic State. Some have described him as the “embodiment of the retribution many Iraqis want against brutal jihadists who seized swathes of their country.” According to Agence Press France, part of Abu Azrael’s celebrity appeal is his weapons: photos of him resting an axe on his shoulder or holding a sword are widely shared on social media.
He’s purported to have “gone all medieval” on more than one Daesh fighter, which, you gotta admit, is totally badass. It’s tempting to cheer on a charismatic foe of Daesh who will match those orcs blow-for-blow, but Abu Azrael is no friend and ally of our tribe. His Iraqi Shiite militia is backed by the Iranians, supported by Iran’s capable and politically powerful Qods Force. The Sunnis, whether they’ve supported ISIS or not, have much to fear from these militias, and some of them are led by men the U.S. has designated as terrorists.
It’s all a Weird Tale, played out in the Iraqi desert — and on social media. Strange, Howardian world we’re living in…
deuce says
REH wrote “The Road of Azrael” and also about Mikhal Oglu, the “Angel of Death” of Suleiman the Magnificent.
I’ll take half-Persian Shiahs killing Sunnis (led by a frikkin’ Qureyshi) any day. Despite America’s bad experiences with Shiahs the last 30+yrs, they can’t really be an existential threat (minus nuclear weapons). All of the major gains made by Islam since Mohammed (PBUH) have been accomplished by Sunnis. Shiites trying to rule Sunnis has hardly ever worked out.
Inshallah!
JimC says
As always, excellent insights…
Ryan says
Strangely the Sunni Shia origins could be straight from game of thrones. You have the multiple factions grappling for control, the needless fighting…..
A lot of imams LOATH Isis though.
Matthew says
I’m pretty sure we’ve always been living in a Howardian world. Just in times of relative peace, we seem to forget that.
I read a book called The Modern Mercenary. This was the best overview of private military contractors I’ve read. Free of both Bush derangement syndrome and Soldier of Fortune Magazine right-wing machoism. The author mentions we may be heading to “Neo-Medieval” society where problems are contained instead of solved.
I’m pretty sure that to some degree problems are always contained instead of solved.
JimC says
Reckon so. Recent times are just more luridly on point.
JimC says
“I’m pretty sure that to some degree problems are always contained instead of solved.”
This is a really important point. The utterly decisive nature of World War II led to a couple of generations of distorted thinking about how geo-strategic conflicts “should” play out. The total victory in the biggest war in human history was an aberration that the U.S. has taken to be a standard. Most conflicts simply cannot be resolved in such a cut-and-dried fashion.
Matthew says
The thing about WWII is an interesting insight.
People also tend to romanticize WWII. It was a very nasty war. We, the Allies the good guys, turned cities full of civilians to ash. In two case, radioactive ash. Contrary to many assumptions, Vietnam was far less nasty. Of course, that was as much as because of the scale of it as anything. You can also make an argument that we shouldn’t have been in Vietnam at all. You say that about the Second World War your a moron.
Jim Cornelius says
The Anglo-American focus we tend to have elides the fact that the hideous regime of the Third Reich was destroyed by the hideous regime of the Soviet Union. Just read Max Hastings’ Armageddon, re: the ultimate defeat of Germany. The fate of the people of East Prussia was horrific — matching that of the people ground up in the Wehrmacht’s invasion of the Soviet Union. The fire bombings of Hamburg, Dresden and Tokyo were arguably worse than Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The combat in the Pacific and Asian theaters was just savage. Our man in China, Chiang Kai Shek was a brutal warlord and Mao was psychopathic. Very nasty, indeed. The Second World War was an absolute horror show. The Axis called the tune and got what was coming to them, but there’s no cleaning it up.
Ryan says
the only thing we had was that our enemies were responsible for some of the biggest acts of mass genocide ever.
Thom Eley says
In that last photo, is he carrying an M-16? Doesn’t look like an M-4. One of our stores here in Anchorage has a for-real M-16 complete with Full Auto. Wouldn’t mind having one of those for “Old Time Sakes.”
JimC says
That’s what it looks like.
deuce says
Excellent point, Matthew, and something I’ve said for a long time. People just find it easier to ignore reality when things are easy/touchy-feely. Doesn’t change anything. Humans are not perfectable (Howardian tenet) and “Utopia” is literally nowhere/nowhen (Howardian tenet). The more people believe the opposite and the longer they ignore the basic facts about human nature and Nature itself, the harder the fall.
You can take that to the bank (before the run starts).
JimC says
A most Howardian statement from Cormac McCarthy: “There’s no such thing as life without bloodshed. I think the notion that the species can be improved in some way, that everyone could live in harmony, is a really dangerous idea. Those who are afflicted with this notion are the first ones to give up their souls, their freedom. Your desire that it be that way will enslave you and make your life vacuous.”
Paul McNamee says
All those books to read, and now you’re spurring me right back to REH as soon as I finish off my current reads.
JimC says
Always good to circle back.
Fletcher A Vredenburgh says
Good points from everybody on this – problems are rarely more than contained, the liberal idea that mankind’s perfectable is bunk, etc. Everytime my wife worries how apocalyptic the times seem, I have to remind her seventy years of peace were an aberration. When I heard Stephen Pinker interviewed about his book about mankind’s evolution toward non-violence, etc. I had to laugh/yell/cry.
On, the other hand, there’s something reassuring about someone, even not a friend, picking up arms outside of gov’t control to face off against enemies hoping to murder him, his family, and as many of his co-religonists as possible and as gruesomely as possible.
JimC says
Re: Pinker. Don’t even get me started on that nitwit. There’s a hole you could drive a truck through in his thesis, and it’s seldom raised or the thesis challenged. The sole reason that the planet “appeared” in 2011 to be getting more peaceful is that the U.S. has had such a monopoly on overwhelming force that major state vs. state warfare is a losing game. For now. In other words, relative “peacefulness” is enforced by the threat of violence. One only has to read the comments on any given topic on the internet to realize that “The Better Angels Of Our Nature” are thin on the ground. The alleged purveyors of peace, love and understanding will, given an opportunity to hit the crack pipe of self-righteous indignation will behave like vicious pack animals. I’ve been there and seen it, and the recent behavior at the Trump rally in San Jose is just one more exhibit in the case.
For myself, I adopt the attitude one biographer noted regarding Daniel Boone: He was a peaceful man who was willing to fight for his right to be peaceful.
Black Tyrone says
In College in West By God, Virginia! 1969-70 Four Dead in Ohio. Talk to me It never changes! Though my Uncle did two tours in the Seabees {Chief O’Shea} in Vietnam and Dad was a corpsman in the Pacific {small boats 2nd Mar Div} . Did I say 1st LT 101st signal Corps Co B? Korea too? Born in 51 dad was fighting as he termed Ghooks. Political incorrest? Deal with it! We all have our fathers legacies to uphold and God yes God Willing, we will. ps do not mean to rant forgive me. Peace? we want peace give it to us please.
deuce says
I totally agree about Pinker’s “Angels” book. However, his THE BLANK SLATE was/is a landmark. He showed, even with the weaker data at the time, that humans DO have a “nature” and that all the utopian conditioning won’t change that. He has also challenged radical feminists numerous times over the “social construct”/”no difference” bullshit. I’ll give the man his due where it’s deserved.
JimC says
Fair enuf.
deuce says
Robert E. Howard died 80 years ago today. Here’s a blog post from an hombre whose interests are pretty simpatico with FP:
https://karavansara.live/2016/06/11/robert-e-howard-80-years-after/
JimC says
Whoa! Synchronicity alert! Just read that.
Davide Mana says
What can I say… thanks for visiting!
And my compliments for a GREAT blog (I’ll have to spend many hours on this pages).
JimC says
Likewise hombre.