A Perilous Premise

The apparent inability of the West to understand the motivation of Islamic extremism and terrorism, the lack of will, and the absence of any coherent and effective idea for dealing with the intrinsic problem of the diametrical nature of Islam to the Western ideals, is baffling. What is even more troubling is the doctrine of appeasement (excuses on behalf of Islam by western leaders) that is emerging in response to Islamic terrorist attacks, threats, and apparent intimidation of the West, whereby European leaders have elected to appease Muslims rather than engage them in honest and constructive dialog to transform the fundamental ideology that breeds hatred and inspires unspeakable acts of cruelty. This response is eerily reminiscent of the tepid response to the rise of Nazism, not too long ago.

To most Islamic leaders, perhaps, many Muslims, Islam is still at war with the Christian Europe, "crusaders", as the Islamic extremists and terrorists like to portray the West. Hence, efforts by the West to establish democracy in the Middle East are viewed as Christians invading Islam. To the West, this is a paradox, but to many Muslims, this is clearly an attack on Islam. After all, democracy being another ideology is invariably in competition with Islam. Moreover, democracy originated in the West, the land of the "crusaders", all the more reason for jihad, hence, the mind bugling and most gruesome killing of innocent Iraqis by Islamic extremists and terrorists to stop democracy from taking root.

The incredulity that is at display over the fact that the London suicide bombers were home grown terrorist, is at best, naïveté and at worst, acute denial. The idea that assimilation is politically incorrect has led to the self-isolation of Muslims in European society and has encouraged the hostility towards the West that has emerged. Moreover, the added notion that life in the West is too good an alternative, and will inevitably dissuade and change the mindset of fundamental Islamists and terrorists, weaken their resolve to carryout the biddings of "Islamic holy edicts" ("fatwas") issued by clerics and regarded as the very word of Allah, is a perilous feel good notion.

Contrary to the expectations of the West, surveys continue to show that many western educated Muslims and Muslims dwelling in Western societies, including naturalized citizens and their descendants, are very resentful of the West. Their diatribes and incendiary comments are clear signs of danger that have gone unheeded. In the name of Islam, many of them have indeed taken up arms against their adopted Western countries and actively seek their destruction.

As they have shown, there is no question that Islam does not allow ijtihad (free play of the intellect - independent or innovative thinking) and qiyyas (analogical reasoning). After all, what is the need for those, if the only thing that matters is taqlid (imitation) of an act that took place in A.D 622 and A.D. 630. In Islam, the fundamental duty of each member is to submit to Allah and whatever Allah demands of him or her. Frequently, the "demands" that Allah makes of Muslims seem to be the unquestioned demands that Islamic clerics have presented, by way of fatwas (or holy edicts), which they issue to Muslims. Many of these fatwas are essentially calls to one "religious war" (jihad) or another, such as has been with Israel, and now is in Europe and America.

According to an article in the New York Times, about a year ago, by a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institute, who happen to be of the Islamic persuasion, "Many religious and community leaders were convinced that Islam would manifest itself in its truest form in this country. Some even proclaimed that one day America would be an Islamic state." In 1983, in a speech marking the dedication of an Islamic Center in Stockholm, Sweden, an Islamic leader declared, "In the next fifty years, we will capture the Western world for Islam. We have the men to do it, we have the money to do it, and above all, we are already doing it."

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, both regarded as American allies, have committed to fund the spread of Islam in America. Saudi Arabia has for decades funded the Madrasas in Pakistan and Afghanistan that have been the breeding ground for most Islamic extremists and every Islamic terrorist that has attacked the West, from 9/11 to 7/7. This perilous and borderless new army, primed on unbelievably warped ideology, has taken aim on the West and has committed to destroy its essence. They have all come to the belief that the greatest weakness the West has is its civil liberties, hence they have committed to employ the same to carryout their agenda. Is any one truly surprised at what is happening? The Prophet Mohammed said, in this world there are only two houses, "the house of Islam and the house of war." The admonition in this is for Muslims to take the sword to non Muslims (the infidels) as he did in A.D 622 and A.D. 630. In Islam, tolerance of views that do not stem from Islam is an oxymoron. Tolerance of non Islamic views is as non existent in Islam as the word compromise is non existent in the Arabic language.

This is now emerging in Denmark, France, and all over Europe —countries where freedom of expression and tolerance have been the hallmarks of the society, and on account of which, Muslims from all over the world, in spite of their intolerance and propensity for violence, have been welcomed into these societies. Now, these values that are the essence of these societies are increasingly on the run, essentially being exterminated. A situation where Europeans would lose their ability to speak freely in their own country, for fear of being assassinated by Muslims, is no longer a thing to be imagined, it is now a stark reality.

Consider the fact that any citizen, even leaders in these societies, who says anything that Muslims don't like, is marked for death. In the Netherlands, Members of parliament who have been marked for death for their speech, fearing for their lives and the lives of members of their families, in light of the murder of Theo Van Gogh and terrorist attacks, are now practically living under house arrest and in exile in their own country for fear of their guests. What an irony, an irony that is eerily reminiscent of the Trojan horse.

As Muslims showed today in London and all over Europe, in the manner in which they are protesting the publication of cartoons about Prophet Mohammed, their value for freedom is only exploitative, only when it serves their purposes. They are destroying the freedom that enabled them to become part of these societies and they are using the freedom they seek to destroy, to achieve that end. Their expression of free speech is in incendiary statements like “Behead the one who insults the prophet,” “Butcher those who mock Islam,” “Be Prepared for the Real Holocaust,” and the sporting of suicide vests, yet they are unwilling to respect the right of others whose expressions are totally innocuous. These are not “Islamic extremists” voicing these terrorist threats in the name of free speech on the streets of London and all over Europe, or are they? The very fact that they are able to express these extreme views nullifies the grievance they have over the expressions of others, which they protest.

(Originally posted on November 8, 2005, reposted on February 8, 2006 and on March 3, 2006)