We're All Suffering From Fundamentalism
In Lawrence Wright's magnificent book, The Looming Tower, the author delineates the rise of al-Qaeda in the modern world. He concludes that the "debacle" of The Six Day War set the stage for the surge in Islamic Fundamentalism we're currently suffering. Fundies like al-Zawahiri sold his people the idea. Wright says that such extreme leaders insisted that the reason the Arabs were so beaten by Israel was because, "God has turned against the Muslims. The only way back to Him was to return to pure religion."
Immediately after 9-11, American Fundamentalists like Falwell told us that we were attacked because of our own evil secularism. And after Katrina struck we heard from some fundies that this was also retribution we deserved somehow because of our secular sins. Don't they seem the same ?
posted by Jim at 8:05 AM
2 Comments:
Indeed. Unfortunately, I agree that the Israeli-Arab conflict sparked and fuelled the flame against the United States. Had the United States been more willing to negotiate with the Arabs early on and not have such blind support for Israel, we might not be in the situation which we currently face.
The diplomacy of this country needs to be as much on talking with our enemies as it is talking with our friends. The "we do not negotiate with terrorists" mentality will destroy us.
You are so right richard.
I cannot for the life of me understand how this Administration can ignore diplomacy when it is a possible means to end this type war.
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