Their hatred and resistance known as Islamo Fascism is a repugnant response to a moderate government system that openly deals with Western governments with whom they must naturally do business to transact OPEC oil business.
Keith, you're delving into a very important area of discussion. But it's hard to avoid risking the use of stereotypes and broad brush conclusions.. Arabs do not necessarily share the same views as other non-Arab muslims. Their cultural backgrounds are different.
That said, and well-aware that some may construe my views as stereotyping Arab culture, I think there are some common themes and conclusions that have been offered by various analysts and scholars.
First off, the Arab world essentially stagnated during the period in which they were ruled by the Ottoman Turks. They stagnated culturally, scientifically, politically, and militarily. And at the end of WWII, they were suddenly presented with the prospects of attaining the status sovereign nations, and finding themselves having to compete with the West. And some Arab scholars have noted that to the Arabs, as a whole, it was humiliating to have to submit to the Europeans. After all, it was the conquering Arabs that brought culture to Europe (at least Algebra, astronomy, math.. etc). So now the Arabs suddenly are faced with recognizing that they have been in living in their own "dark ages" for the past 400 years and they have a lot of catching up to do.
But the question has always been how to catch up? Adopt socialism? Nah.. hasn't worked... Adopt Capitalism?.. Nah.. that means we have to get our hands dirty and actually develop our own technology.. Which means we have to educate our people in secular scientific analysis and that undermines our religious beliefs.
So we see some of the religious scholars, and/or fanatics starting to advocate returning to the "glory days" of the Caliphate.
One of the more influential of these advocates was Sayyid Qutb, who is the inspiration for AQ #2, Ayman Zawahiri:
en.wikipedia.org
They essentially reject any solution that is not derived from Islamic thought. And they perceive all western political and cultural influences as philosophical viruses to be eradicated from the body, Islamic.
Just think, for one moment, if we have the barbarian clans of Europe, with all of their myths, their pantheon of gods, and warrior social structure, and suddenly they are presented with an technologically and politically sophisticated foreign presence in their midst. How difficult do you think it would be to achieve a rapid transition that spans hundreds of years of human progress and philosophical evolution?
Well, if you're Japan, orderly and disciplined, you can make significant progress in less than 100 years.
But if you're the Arabs, primarily decentralized tribal entities, and notoriously independent, exaggerative, exploitive, as well as religiously and culturally intolerant, then it could take hundreds of years.
Many of their cultural values aren't much different than those held by Germanic tribes of over 1000 years ago, especially with regard to a women's place in society. And their religious fundamentalism is remarkably similar to much of the intolerance that permeated Catholic dogma 1000 years ago...
My view is that if we're going to find ourselves buying their oil and giving them access to tremendous quantities of $$$$, we're going to have to make as much of an effort to reform Islamic culture to be more compatible with current international norms (primarily by supporting moderate, progressive Muslim thought) as the Muslim Militants are in attempting to turn back the clock of progress 1000 years.
And it's easier for the average Muslim militant to intimidate and coerce cooperation than it is for moderates and foreigners to encourage it.
Ok.. I'm tired now.. ;0) But that a quick hip-shot analysis.
Hawk |
