America You’re Making a Mistake You Might Regret
December 23rd, 2006As the war in Iraq and on terror wages, more questions arise in the Muslim world regarding the objectivity behind it (besides the “WMD’s” off course). One maybe inclined to attach it to freedom from oppression and its demise only to be replaced with democracy, democracy, a word much misunderstood in the Arab Muslim world rightly or due to misperceptions. Nevertheless, America relentlessly pursues this war in hopes of “liberating” the Middle East, as it’s mistakenly blinded by the idea that this is in its self-interests. America shouldn’t want democracy in the Middle East and America shouldn’t enforce it. It would be foolish to push for it because the time is simply not right. The majority of Muslims don’t want democracy in its American style.
Thankfully Americans understand that or don’t they? Egyptian Observer shares similar views in his blog. A system of governance is meant to change people. However no system will work efficiently without the participation of the major population. Arab Muslims currently are still not in a neutral state of mind to welcome democracy to be self-enjoyed. If democracy in any way will be accepted at this time, then it would only be if it will inflict harm to the enemies and in this case they’re America and Israel. Democracy in Palestine has resulted in Hamas. Can’t America and Americans just see it? Why do they so vigorously still pursue this war? If true and fair elections were held all over the Arab Muslim world, the result will be a region united by one high priority, the destruction of Israel and America or at least an end to foreign Western meddling in Middle Eastern affairs. Regardless of those Muslim liberals who support democracy, the majority want no democracy, no secularism and most certainly no Western ideology being forced onto them.
If they want something then it’s two and two things only, the Khilafa system which is an Islamic system with similarities to democracy to return and for a great Muslim Ummah to rise once again. However Arab Muslims are without a doubt divided from a bird’s eye view. This divide amongst us can be attributed to simply one thing, education or the lack of it. America can continue its war in the same way but the final outcome will be the exact opposite of what it has planned for. A change is therefore necessary for such an outcome to be avoided. If Americans are to win, the perception towards democracy in the Muslim world must be fixed. That is something Americans are not in control of but can help in. The wise saying “the pen is mightier than the sword”, still stands in this case. Bombs and force will never bring the long term results America so badly wants. Education in the Arab Muslim world is the key which must be focused on and we Muslims must try our best to continue our efforts in pursuing that goal as this is in our interests and those of the West. This war to “liberate” will only truly liberate if it is accompanied by education. So far all America has been doing is focusing on the former which is “liberate.” I don’t blame the Americans for this, but I so desperately hope they start to realize the word “democracy” means something very different to the average Arab Muslim citizen who is too busy struggling daily to make ends meet.
Philosophizing about this word is out of question. Therefore I stress again the need for education. I also stress the continuation of peace efforts in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so that anti-Israeli sentiments in the region can at least start decreasing. If Americans continue this war with bombs, they might succeed temporarily but eventually the democracy they helped bring will backfire and result in Hamas-like governments ruling all over the Arab Muslim world. America, you’re making a mistake, a mistake you might regret. Extremists will rule the region and unite against you. You will pay a high price for it and so will we the moderate Muslims. This is not in your interest and neither is it in ours because it will lead towards more violence in the region. Do you want that to happen?
PS: Fix Iraq as soon as possible!
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Hm Drima first when I read the title of this article I thought I’d find something or a lot to critizise – but couldn’t – & mainly I agree with you especially about conclusions like:
When once here in Germany there was the first democracy , the so-called “Weimarer Republic†– it led to a chaos of different parties struggling for power – so while people were not yet ripe for demacracy began to call & vote for totalitaritism & strong absolutistic leadership, believing that would re-establish law & order again, which finally let to a fascist Nazi Reich under Hitler. – People weren’t ripe yet for democracy , because the Weimarer Rebublic was the first democracy after living under monarchy (Kaiser) so long before –
If you watch children coming from a very strict & authoritarioan parental house & they come in a more liberal environment, where they’re given freedom to decide for themselves what to do, how to behave etc. , – but usually, as soon as they feel the shakles of restriction gone they begin to act like crazy, at once misusing freedom with very destructive & unsocial behaviour, because they never ever had learnt responsibility before or to make their own decisions.or to act social..
PS: When recently I discussed with my Iranian friend Ghasem about Hamas etc. – he said: “but you have to accept them, if they are democratically voted – & I told him something like: “..if forces like the Nazis or Hezbollah etc come to power, eliminating all other democratic parties in the next moment – I would fight them at once -& would never accept them. – Even if you are very tolerant, You have to be utmost intolerant against intolerance – you have to fight totalirism with decidedly force to not let them overrule you. –
But he insisted: “ .. but you have to accept them if they’re democratically voted†–
Me: -Definetly no – I wouldn’t even accept the Huns, if they’d been democratically voted going out to conquer, plunder, kill, burn & rape
PS II: & finally just to mention: My mother (she’s 86) recently wondered, that the killings & insurgents in Iraq never stop – she said: “ When Germany in last war (after Hitler) was conquered – there were no acts of resistance anymore..â€
But how?
Hey Heimo, thanks for the feedback.
As for your question, I honestly don’t know myself. All I know is that Iraq needs fixing and fast.
One of the really beautiful parts about democracy is that the people get a government that more accurately represents the people. When I asked my friend what he thought about a terror organization being elected in Gaza, he simply said “The people have spoken”.
Nina Shea explains the plight of non-Muslims in Iraq. The idea of encouraging devote Muslims to form Democracies has been hotly debated. Can you have a true Democracy without succumbing to a tyranny of the majority? The answer is yes, if there are fundamental rights guaranteed to minorities, among those are freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Unfortunately Islam allows neither. Should we support Egyptians who want to vote in the Muslim Brotherhood? Would that be worse than Mubarak? My thinking is let people have the government they think they want. After living the Iranian life for a bit I think most Egyptians would want to get rid of the MB. They may not have that opportunity though, sometimes an election can be one man, one vote, but only one time.
“Unfortunately Islam allows neither”
From where on earth did you come up with that??!
If you said “Unfortunately many Muslims allow neither”, I would have no objection at all.
Islam allows freedom of religion and the freedom to criticize. It’s clearly stated in the Quran.
Anyways thanks for your thoughts.
Cheers.
Correct me if I’m wrong but does the Koran allow criticism of Mohammed or Islam? I know Islamic regimes like Egypt’s equate criticism of the regime to criticism of Islam, a stretch by anyone’s imagination, but can you actually criticize Islam according to the Koran? Also, you may keep your religion if it is from the book, Christian or Jew, but does the Koran allow Animists to practice their religion? Can Islam be said to be tolerant if non-Muslims have to be Dhimmis and pay the jizya tax? Are those practices in the Koran or were they adopted later? As for what is Islam, I interpret Islam as the religion practiced by Muslims today so if “Muslims allow neither†I see little difference other than semantics. Again please let me know if any of these assumptions are false, I am here to learn.
Rancher you ask very important questions.
Criticism is allowed in Islam and this can be seen in various examples such as when the Caliphs used to be criticized openly and when Islamic philosophers would debate the Koran in the courts of the Islamic state during the golden. I do admit that the nature of freedom of criticism in Islam isn’t exactly like that of the Western model.
Freedom of religion is guaranteed to the people of the book. However freedom to other religious groups is debatable. That becomes a matter of interpretation.
As for the jizya and dhimmis, I don’t think that applies to today’s context. Moreover I believe many dhimmis in the past were happy in an Islamic state. Yes the history of the Islamic civilization and how Muslims spread it isn’t all rosey for sure but that doesn’t mean dhimmis were necessarily “humiliated”.
I believe tha disagreement between you and me stems from our different understandings of Islam.
“I interpret Islam as the religion practiced by Muslims today”
If that is your interpretation, then I would defintely agree with you about Islam being screwed up but that’s *not* what Islam means to me. Islam as it’s practiced today is I admit as I said, pretty damn screwed up.
I would love to go deeper but time isn’t allowing me. I’m not running away or anything. Keep dropping by. I’m going to make a post on Islam and what it means to me in the coming days of early January.
Cheers.
The fact that you answer posts at all puts you ahead of most bloggers, so thank you for that. I’ll be looking forward to your next post on what Islam means to you. As to how dhimmis felt about living under Muslim control you are most certainly correct, the jizya was usually less than the taxation by Medieval Kings and the tolerance for other religions was very liberal given the times. For the most part I would be willing to bet Jews at that time had it better in a Caliphate than a European Monarchy. How times have changed.
I just read an article linked to in another blog – & the content of that link remembered me to your
exactyl when I read there:
ah yes & link was this:
an article in jpost
ah & it needed me some time to find your article again – because I searched it in the blogs, while it was in this e-zine (anyway what’s the difference between blogs & e-zines (whatever e-zines are)?)