One of the conundrums of our age, is why the political left in Europe and North America have seemingly joined forces with radical Islam.

Ideologically, they appear to polar opposites. Islam abhors the concept of equality between the sexes; the left embraces that principle; the Islmaists oppose gay rights-the left upholds them. On and on.

However, in some areas the two forces are aligned: anti-Americnaism, anti-capitlaism, anti-Israel-ism. Now  a new dynamic is in play: Mahmoud Ahamdinejad and Hugo Chavez are attemtping to bind these forces together in South America and create a new movement south of the border.

ANXIOUS to create what they call "a global progressive front," Presidents Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela are sponsoring projects to underline "the ideological kinship of the left and revolutionary Islam."

The theme - hammered in by Ahmadinejad during his recent visit to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia - inspired a four-day seminar organized by his supporters at Tehran University last week (partly financed by Chavez).

The hope was that the conference would produce a synthesis of Marxist and Khomeinist ideologies and highlight what the Iranian leader has labeled "the divine aspect of revolutionary war."

"Today, communism has been consigned to the garbage can of history as foreseen by Imam Khomeini," Qassemi said. "Thus progressists everywhere must accept the leadership of our religious, pro-justice movement."

Demanding the right to respond, Aleida Guevara told the conference that Qassemi's claim might be based on a bad translation: "My father never mentioned God," she said as the hall sighed in chagrined disbelief. "He never met God."

The remarks caused a commotion amid which Aleida and her brother were whisked away, led into a car and driven to their hotel under escort.