Bush's belief in a worldwide Islamist conspiracy is foolish and dangerous

[T_i_B]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1843841,00.html

George Bush sometimes sounds more like the Mahdi, preaching jihad against infidels, than the leader of a western democracy. In his regular radio address to the American people on Saturday he linked the British alleged aircraft plotters with Hizbullah in Lebanon, and these in turn with the insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. All, said the president of the world's most powerful nation, share a "totalitarian ideology", and a desire to "establish a safe haven from which to attack free nations". Bush's remarks put me in mind of a proverb attributed to Ali ibn Abu Talib: "He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, and he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere."

Bush has chosen to lump together all violent Muslim opposition to what he perceives as western interests everywhere in the world, as part of a single conspiracy. He is indifferent to the huge variance of interests that drives the Taliban in Afghanistan, insurgents in Iraq, Hamas and Hizbullah fighting the Israelis. He simply identifies them as common enemies of the United States.

There is no chance that the west will get anywhere with the Muslim world until the US government is willing to disassemble a spread of grievances in widely diverse societies, examine them as separate components, and treat each on its merits. America cannot prevail through the mere deployment of superior wealth and military power, the failure of which is manifest. Judicious and discriminatory political judgments are fundamental, and today quite lacking.

The madness of Bush's policy is that he has made a wilful choice to amalgamate the grossly irrational, totalitarian and homicidal objectives of al-Qaida with the just claims of Palestinians and grievances of Iraqis. His remarks on Saturday invite Muslims who sympathise with Hamas or reject Iraq's occupation or merely aspire to grow opium in Afghanistan to make common cause with Bin Laden.

[thereismore]

1. so is Bush*. He is stupid, too. nt

[Bonhomme Richard]

2. He doesn't believe that, but he needs us to.......

believe that.

[CJCRANE]

3. Good article (nt)

[Sinti]

4. Good article

I think, however that "opposition to what he perceives as western interests" is the real enemy. Terrorism, as he defines it, is just a catch phrase to describe this enemy. The current dialogue reminds me of the way socialist Western European democracies were, at least in rhetoric, constantly being linked with the Soviet Union before its fall - though this is much more dangerous to our welfare, after all, we weren't even contemplating an attack on Denmark.

[AntiFascist]

7. Cheney is also perfectly willing to link anti-war Democrats with...

the enemy, which logically means that what they are fighting is anyone who happens to be against the administration's policies. Veiled within this "you're either with us or against us" rhetoric is a statement that an authoritarian takeover has taken place. Doesn't Cheney notice that his popalarity has sunk so low that it makes him look like a joke, or has true democracy become a relic of the past?

[mogster]

5. Very good

We need to separate the real terrorists (which are there, no doubt) from the projected all-out suspicion against the whole religion.
I read an article today, with an interview with Faid Bouras, a very nice man that used to be a part of a gang, now working in the org Youth Against Violence.

There are some networking done by Muslims, here's what he says:

"- These people are very mobile, and travles around on European passports to many countries. Ten years ago, they had long beards and traditional clothes, but now they're clean shaven and are wearing Dolce & Gabbana trousers. Some of them want to build Muslim brotherhood, but the most extreme wants to recruit for war, says Bouras to Dagbladet.

He don't think the extremists has succeeded in getting a foothold in Norway, but imagines they have made some connections to single individuals.

- They seek out youth everywhere, and are getting particularly active during periods like the Lebanon war, he says.

Bouras thinks extremism grows more easy where there are both local frustration of own situation and anger of what's happening internationally. That's why he thinks the extremists has problems recruiting in Norway.

- Norwegian Muslims may live under the best conditions (for Muslims) in Europe, thinks Bouras."

(NO):
http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article1422045.ece

[manhunter2006]

6. Another perspective..

I disagree with the spirit and intent of the post, namely that we in the
west are not facing a monolithic Islamic threat to our way of life.

A recent poll of british born muslims was telling and disturbing. Over 80 percent
of those polled stated that their primary allegiance was to Islam, not England.

In another poll in pakistan, 90 percent thought Bin Laden was a hero and a great man.

Polls dont lie..

[AntiFascist]

8. The question you leave unanswered is....

"does bin Laden represent true Islam?" Those who are looked to for Islamic guidance would answer "No."

I'm sure it is a fairly popular belief in America that Christianity takes precedence over American democracy, and there are far more Christians in America than muslims in England. Whether we like it or not, the Christian majority in America may be the deciding factor whether or not the religious right-wing fringe has its way and starts a full-on religious war against Islam. I have faith that there are far more sane people in all religions who would not want a religious war.

[newyawker99]

9. ---

[CJCRANE]

10. Get a grip.

It is not a monolithic threat. There is no muslim pope, no standing army. There are small cells of extremists but they get crushed in whatever country they pop up in.

100,000 Iraqis died in "shock and awe" and it's aftermath. Muslims have much more reason to be scared of the West than we do of them.