Terrorism in the Middle-East
I believe that the current situation of extremist Islamic hatred for
the West has been provoked by a historical, and modern involvement of
the west in the development of the Arab homelands. This record of
involvement spans from the defeat of Abdul Rahman Aj Ghafiqi by the
Franks at the Battle of Tours to the age of European imperialism, on to
the setting up of pro-Western monarchs and dictators at the heads of
Middle-Eastern states in the early 20th century, to the current US and
European diplomatic, economic, and military involvement in the
Middle-East to preserve western interests. These interests include
securing their access to the region’s oil supply and rooting out
anti-Western governments and extremist organizations which advocate and
organize terrorism.
The environment in which these extremist Islamic groups are born and
win enough support become a threat to the West can be compared to that
of Asia in the first half of the 20th century. Nations like China,
Cambodia, Corea, and Vietnam had all suffered under imperialism from
neighboring Asian nations and European empires, which made them
fertile grounds for the rise of ultranationalist communist dictators
such as Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Kim Il Sung, and Ho Chi Minh.
The multiple attempts to introduce a Western-style liberal democracy in
Middle-Eastern states which have no tradition of democracy has in
numerous cases created political chaos which radical Islamists use to gain
support by promising stability under a strict and conservative
interpretation of the teachings of the Koran, and then climb to power
by use of military coups, or by means of the elections themselves. The
fear of this happening is what is is now keeping the US military forces
in Iraq for fear of the newly installed government falling to
extremists that may become a threat to the US.
Zionism is another catalyst for anti-Western frustration. The influx of
European Jews into the newly established State of Israel following
World War II and after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early
1990’s made pan-Arabists feel as though Palestine was being
invaded by the West and the Palestinians were being treated as second
class citizens.
The discontent felt by the Palestinians may be likened to that of a
passionately patriotic European-American whose ancestors landed on
Plymouth Rock awakening to find the United States of America dissolved
into a new country run by and for the benefit of Native Americans.
In The Economist’s article, “Martyrdom and Murder”,
it is explained how the Koran condemns suicide, but promises rewards in
paradise for those who perish in the name of service to Islam. The
interpretation of whether suicide attacks against perceived enemies of
Islam qualify as self destruction or a commendable act of service to
Allah will vary depending on if one treats jihad as an internal
spiritual struggle, or a literal war.
Suicidal attacks under the banner of jihad date back to the dawn of
Islam in the form of military raids planned with little hope of escape
or survival. Modern suicide bombers are deployed as human smart bombs
produced in fundamentalist schools in which boys and young men are
indoctrinated with radical Islamist teachings which imbue them with the
will to become martyrs.
As long Western influences are present in the Middle-East, radical
Islamic fascists will interpret that presence as an occupation of their
historic homeland and a threat to their way of life which must be
resisted with force. As long as Islamic terrorists threaten US
interests, peace and security at home and abroad, the US will maintain
it’s presence in the Middle-East in hopes of sculpting an
America-friendly Arab world.
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