The Council on Foreign Relations rejected the idea that Islam inherently blocks communism

Evidence

Islam cannot be counted on to serve as such a barrier [to the USSR]. The theory that communism and Soviet influence could never make inroads in the Moslem world because they are materialistic and atheistic has not been borne out. Religion does have a significant place in Middle Eastern society. It colors both popular and official attitudes. But it does not establish absolute immunity to a political virus such as fascism or communism. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 462

Categorization

• XREF: Directly parallels Kumar’s broader thesis that US Islam discourse shifts with strategic needs — same subject as the book’s own argument, and resonates with the 1950s Orientalist-vs-realist dispute in US policy history. — connects to: CFR realists rejected the Orientalist claim that Islam blocks communism — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 408; The supposed Illuminati conspiracy later relocated to groups like the Council on Foreign Relations — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 290
• SEED: An essay angle: the forgotten CFR realist pushback dismissing Islam as an anti-communist bulwark — a now-erased counterargument that shows Islam discourse tracks strategy, not essence.

Broader Connections

• CFR realists rejected the Orientalist claim that Islam blocks communism #corroborates (1.00) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 408