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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JohnM who wrote (60377)	12/7/2002 12:55:28 PM
From: Noel de Leon	Respond to of 281500

I have not read the books you refer to. If they come to the same conclusion as Doran, OK. My point is that if you give someone a reason to legitimize Al-Qaeda then someone will do so. I agree that the gist of Doran's article is close to my position but lacks the final step of placing Al-Qaeda at the same level as the mafia. I believe that any attempt to legitimize Al-Qaeda is equivalent to legitimizing the mafia. J. E. Hoover legitimized the mafia by ignoring it for years. It grew stronger and is a basic fact of life in the USA today. There is general agreement that had J.E.H. gone after the mob earlier then they would not be as strong as they are today. The US seems to be making the same mistake with Al-Qaeda.

To: JohnM who wrote (60377)	12/8/2002 9:49:05 AM
From: Noel de Leon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

I have now gotten through some of Bernard Lewis's book on the clash of western civilization with the Islamic civilization. Question: do you believe that there is an Islamic civilization? There was a Greek ditto, an Egyptian, a Babylonian, etc. but they don't exist any more. My take is that the Islamic civilization, very weakened in 1492, ceased to exist as a civilization in the 1600's. What's left is a religion and customs(and these are not the same throughout the Islamic world) but not a civilization as such. Lewis's position on the clash of religions is, I think, correct because of the on the one side(among other things) Allah and on the other the 3 fold nature of the Christian God. But to extend that to a clash of civilizations is a stretch. Mostly because I feel that the western civilization encompasses far more than the Judaeo/Christian ethic. Not the least of which is the separation of the religious from the secular. Therefore my very strong feeling that giving Al-Qaeda any legitimization is counter-productive. Thanks for the author references, will try get their work soon.