A [well-written counter-argument][1] (free registration required) to the notion that terrorists truly act out of frustration over the plight of the people of the Middle East, this essay makes the point that most _mujahedeen_ are not, in fact, the people of the countries they ’support,’ but are actually disenchanted and lost Westernized converts to the Muslim religion, seeking a sort of fundamentalist response to the very conditions that made their conversion possible.
[1]: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/22/opinion/22roy.html?pagewanted=print
It’s something to think about; I don’t believe that being ‘Westernized’ necessarily invalidates their feelings and message, but it could polarize the terrorists into a worldview that is much less tolerant of shades of grey.
Fundamentalism is often a response to feelings of confusion and loss of control, regardless of the religion in which the fundamentalist response arises. How do we offer support to those people who have become bewildered in a world where multiple value systems exist at the same time? How do we say to them, ‘Your world is not dying; it is merely expanding?’
One Comment
Jake,
Have you heard of Robert Pape’s Dying to Win? It proves beyond reasonable doubt that suicide-terrorists act in response to military occupations, and bebunks the myth that Islamic fundamentalism is to blame. Here is an interview with him by the American Conservative. Check it out:
http://www.amconmag.com/2005_07_18/article.html
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