The idea that the Palestinian people have only been able to persist because of their religion is ridiculous to me. They are resisting because colonialism, apartheid and genocide are very bad things to which nobody would want to be subjected, not because of Islam. If Palestinians were atheists, is he suggesting that they wouldn’t have the strength or the will to resist? Would their lack of a belief in the supernatural turn them into doormats for Isn’treal?
I like Hakim’s content, but his position on religion is quite frustrating. He is a Muslim first and a Marxist second. Also, Joram van Klaveren is still a right-winger.
One of the biggest flaws of failed socialisms were the strong antireligious undertones. As it stands now the Palestinians are facing a literal genocide, so coalescing around a shared identity (yes, even one you may not agree with) is going to be strong force of anti-imperialism.
You should analyze your own prospective and ask if your prejudices come from material reality, or just unchecked reactionary sentiment.
Anti-clerical (or outright suppressive policies) have been a real problem for some socialist regimes. But policies that suppress religious institutions or practices aren’t a matter of undertones.