Figure 1.--. |
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Fundamentalist muslems have proven very succesful in convincing the Aran and Islamic world in general that Islam is under assault from the West in general and America in particular. Osama Bein Laden is only the most extreme manifestation of the fundamentalist movement in Islam. Some see this as a developing cultural war between Islam and the West. The centrality of the Palestinian-Isreali conflict in the Arab mind has plasyed a major role in radicalizing the rest of the Arab world and the the Muslim world in general. Another factor is the nature of Whabism in Saudi Arabia and the willingness of Saudis to use oil money to support fundamentalism throughout the Islamic world. In fact, the idea that America leads a Western assault on the Arabs and Islam is so absurd that it is surprising that the notion has gained such currency, not only in the Islamic world, but even in Europe. The actual facts is that the major killer of Arabs has been Saddam Hussein and fundamentalist Iran. America has in fact intervened to protect Aab and Islamic people in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kurdistan (nothern non-fly zone in Iraq), Saudi Arabia, and Somalia (humanitarian mission). No other country (including Islamic countries) has acted so forcefully to protect Islamic people. It also shoiuld be noted that many of the countries listed are not oil producing countries and that the United States acted primarily for humanitarian reasons. The reason that the notion resonates is that there are fundamental differences between fundamentalists and the West on issues like democracy, freedom of religion and expression, fights for women, and many other aspects of modern life.
Fundamentalist muslems have proven very succesful in convincing the Aran and Islamic world in general that Islam is under assault from the West in general and America in particular. Osama Bein Laden is only the most extreme manifestation of the fundamentalist movement in Islam.
Some see this as a developing cultural war between Islam and the West.
One of the most intractable conflicts of the 20th century is the conflict between Jews and Arabs over Palestine. The problem began in the 19th century, although the two groups trace their claims to the land back to Biblical times. Most Jews in the 19th century lived in Europe and accept for Russia after centuries of isolation and repression had schieved a high
degree of integrtion in civil society. Most Jews had been emancified and were full citizens. Pogroms in Russia during the 19th century had driven many Jews to Western Europe and America. This resulted in rising anti-Semitism, but this was partially restrained by the force of law. Most Jews saw their future as Europeans. Zionism gained grown with the Russian
Pogroms, but until the rise of the NASIs in Germany Zionism was supported by only a small minority. The NAZI Holocaust shatered Jewish society throughout Europe. Many of the surviving Jews turned to Zionism and in 1948 managed to obtain United Nations recognition for a new Jewish state in Palestine. This basic outline is historical fact. Virtually everything else about the conflict is a manter of contention. An unusual aspect of the current Isreali-Palestinian conflict is that children (Arab and Jewish) are not only the victims of the conflict, but they are also participating in the violence. We have all seen the images of rock-throwing Palestinian boys, some as little as 6 years old. Palestinian youth have carried out suicide bombing attacks killing Isrealis of all ages. The centrality of the Palestinian-Isreali conflict in the Arab mind has played a major role in radicalizing the rest of the Arab world and the the Muslim world in general.
Another factor is the nature of Whabism in Saudi Arabia and the willingness of Saudis to use oil money to support fundamentalism throughout the Islamic world. Saudi charities support religious schools called madrases where fundamentist doctrine is taught along with a hatred for America and the West in general.
While many in the Islamic world feel under attack by the West, in fact Western science and nedicine has made inumerable discoveries and developed technologies which have saved millions of lives. These inovations were not developed specifically to save Arabs and Muslems, but Arabs and Muslems have benefitted. These discoveries have come almost entirely from the Western counties mot criticized by the fundamentalists. In contrast, the Muslem world has played a minimal role in these scientific and medical discoveries and fundamentilism would even reduce the scientific effort underway in the Islamic world.
In fact, the idea that America leads a Western assault on the Arabs and Islam is so absurd that it is surprising that the notion has gained such currency, not only in the Islamic world, but even in Europe. The actual facts is that the major killer of Arabs has been Saddam Hussein and fundamentalist Iran. America has in fact intervened to protect Aab and Islamic people in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kurdistan (nothern non-fly zone in Iraq), Saudi Arabia, and Somalia (humanitarian mission). No other country (including Islamic countries) has acted so forcefully to protect Islamic people. It also shoiuld be noted that many of the countries listed are not oil producing countries and that the United States acted primarily for humanitarian reasons. Children were dieing of starvation in Somalia. [Hartley] If America had not intervened, countless thousands of children would hve starved.
The strategies of al Qaeda are not fully known. It is known that they have so far been unsuccessful in seizing power from the Saudis or other Arab regimes. One historian believes that the attack on America may be related more to their primary effort which is to seize power in the Middle East. They may have anticipated that a massive American response would add to the growing hatred of America as a result of the continuing Israeli-Palestinian crisis and other issues. It would also help to descredit those Middle Eastern regimes cooperating with the Americans. [Cook]
The reason that the notion resonates is that there are fundamental differences between fundamentalists and the West on issues like democracy, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, rights for women, and many other aspects of modern life. Fundamentalists are opposed to basic human rights when they conflit, as they often do, with the religious fundamentalist religious beliefs.
In sharp contrast to what Islamicists would like Muslims to believe, America has not liberated several Muslim countries, but has consistently acted to prevent starvation and mass murder of Islamic people. And its tecnological prowess have saved not only millions, but ten of millions of lives thoughout the Muslim world. No other country, even Muslim countries can even begin to approach the record of Muslims lives saved. Some of these countrie are oil rich and others are impoverished countries of no real ecomnomic importance. The countries or people America has intervened to protect include: Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Kosovo, Kurds, Kuwait, and Somalia. America has often been accused of making war for oil. In fact in all of these countries, only Kuwait (and now Iraq and Libya) has important oil resources. And in Kuwait Saddam seized the oil fields. After liberation, control of the oil fields immeiately returned to Kuwati control as the same has occurred in Iraq and Libya.
Cook, Michael. A Brief History of the Human Race (Norton, 2003), 385p.
Hartley, Aidn. The Zanzibar Coast: The Story of Life, Love, and Deah in Foreign Lands (Atlantic Monthlky, 2003), 414p.
Lewis, Bernard. The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror.
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