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

To: Sun Tzu who wrote (272541)	1/7/2010 8:22:28 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

The question to you was why has fundamentalist Islamic movements have only become an issue in over the past 30-50 years. Why did they lay dormant with minimal followers for over a thousand years? There are a few theories that get kicked around. I personally think it's a mixture of Saudi oil wealth, combined with the "Faustian bargain" they made with the Wahhabs, with whom they inter-married. Don't seek to subvert the Saudi claim to the throne on the Arabian peninsula and they can evangelize their fundamentalist beliefs everywhere else in the Muslim world. Also, the Ottomans didn't tolerate such Militant Muslim factions threatening their rule. And they did control the Muslim world for over 500 years. That's a big portion of the time frame you've asked about. Of course, many blame the creation of Israel, but that's just a means of deflecting blame for the failures of various Arab governments to better the lives of their people. Israel's military success in soundly defeating every Arab nation bordering it, as well as its obvious economic vitality, humiliate the Arabs. It's kind of the same thing with the Kurds. Where's the sympathy for the Kurds, who have been occupied by 3 different Muslim countries and represent one of the largest ethnic nationalities in the region. They display economic vitality and a desire to better the lives of their people. It's one of the few regions within Iraq where a westerner can feel almost completely safe. Another reason I personally believe that Islamic Militancy is gaining traction is due to the demographic pressures that are building in the region. The baby boom of the past 20 years is coming to a head and these Muslim economies, corrupt and disorganized as they are, cannot provide sufficient opportunities. This creates disillusionment within the younger parts of the society. Most can't even afford the dowry necessary to get married. Thus, how do these young find a way to "make their mark" on the world? They can't afford to go to become educated, or if they do, it's in a Madrassa or other religious school where they become indoctrinated in militancy. So, just like in many other societies, including our own, many seek to display their manliness via military venues. WE do via participation in the armed services. Some of them do the same. But others decide to wage their own kind of military struggle, for a cause they've been told will win them boundless riches and happiness in a better life in Paradise. And finally, we're seeing the means of mass distribution of their message. Though many of the hard core militants/fundamentalists see technology as a threat, many others are more than willing to use the technology the "infidel" has created as a means of ultimately destroying the unbelievers. Those are MY views on why I think we're seeing a increase in militancy. Hawk