From Osama to 7/7
Anyone who wants to understand, however slightly, where militant Islam is derived from should read "A History of the Arab Peoples" by Albert Hourani. There one discovers the genesis of Islam through the Prophet Muhammad, written in the Qur'an and the Hadith. The nature of Islam is revealed in this book, as well as the search for religious knowledge, the worshipping of Islam's 'one true God', the transcriptions by Muslim scholars of the true meaning of the connection of Muslims to their God, through the Arabic language. The schism between the Sunnis and the Shiites is revealed, and the multifarious battles between the irreconcilable sects, the assassinations, the conquests as well. That's the start, that is the legitimate, historical Islam. The book details many historic events, among them the creeping Islamicization of of the Middle East, Africa, the East and the Mediterranean. Islam has never forgiven Christianity for forcing it through conquest to relinquish the jewel in its crown, Andalusian Spain. It has never forgiven the Crusaders and the rivers of blood that were shed in the Holy Land. That same place that still sheds blood without let.From there one views the film "Osama" filmed in Afghanistan, during the period when the country was heartlessly ruled by the Taliban, a group of hard-line, fanatic Mullahs whose contempt for anything which they felt belittled Islam was boundless. Under the Taliban hospitals and schools were closed, female children were denied education, while the male children were 'taught' in Madrassas. These were the Saudi-funded religious institutions which have turned out fundamentalist Islamists whose focus became the vindication of historic Islam, against the humiliations suffered at the hands of Christians and Jews, as they would have it. Music, dancing and any type of celebratory rituals were banned. Women were forced to wear stifling burkas, were not permitted to work, were not permitted to be in public unless in the 'care' of a male. The film demonstrates in a graphic manner the miserable deprivation and desperation of the Afghan population under the Taliban, brothers-in-spirit to the Jihadists who now threaten the western world.
It is these embittered, ignorant, venal and mendacious Imams and Mullahs who have fomented an attitude of outraged xenophobia among a young population of willing students. They assert it is the will of God, their God, to war with the western, industrialized countries, where morals are corrupt beyond salvation and values decadent beyond belief. The collective memory of these groups will not be assuaged and they mourn their historical loss of hegemony, agitate against their history, invoke the hated memory of the Crusaders. Nothing remains but the past, there is no adjustment to the present, no sense of getting on with life, only a deep and abiding resentment and the targets of that implacable resentment are quite particular: Christians and Jews. Infidels yes, and also, it seems, Muslims whose understanding of Islam does not quite conform to that of the Jihadists.
The great pool of believers in Islam believe in piety and make a conscious effort to remain true to the original spirit of the religion. The great majority of these people decry the fanatical beliefs and hostile actions of the Islamists, but it is human nature to try to defend those who 'belong' to a vast family of specific adherents. Through emigration from traditionally Muslim countries Europe and North America now host extremely large populations of Muslims who have sought a future for themselves and their families there, largely on economic grounds. Conventionally, when one becomes an immigrant to another country the focus has been on surviving the culture shock, remaining true to one's original cultural identity, but melding with time into the new greater social culture in which one finds oneself. The ability to adapt to one's new surroundings is paramount to the future advancement of one's family.
As mosques became established in the new countries, home-grown Imams were brought to the newly-adopted countries and they did their best to assist their people in reconciling their religious obligations to their new civic obligations. Unfortunately, among these imported Imams were more than a few fanatics whose function it became to inflame immigrants against the perceived injustices brought to bear by the very countries which had welcomed the immigrants against traditional Islam. A recipe for disaster as cultures collided and resentment was turned to reaction. The great burden of the majority of Muslims now is to reject the dreadful harm militant Islam is wreaking throughout the world. They must understand that it is not enough to shrug shoulders and insist they themselves are not militants, then cry discrimination when identifiable groups are questioned or sequestered for the greater public good. They must stop funding terrorist groups, they must refuse to share religious space with them, they must denounce their destructive tactics unequivocally.
The attacks on the World Trade Center were unexpected and horrific. The attacks on the train system in Madrid were anticipated and no less horrible. The attacks in London on July 7 happened in a city which had braced itself for just such an event, but was yet powerless to deter it. Its population of 700,000 Muslims must take some responsibility and take steps to disassociate themselves irrecovably from those amongst them who seek to bring the roof down on everyone's heads, who feel the deaths of innocent people equal justice as they see it.
"Jihadist, Jihadist, where have you been?
I've been to England to see the Queen.
"Jihadist, Jihadist, what did you there?
I set four bombs and vented my spleen."
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, July 10, 2005
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