What does more to galvanize radical anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world: Israeli settlements? or America's culture?
In his 1951 essay “The America I Have Seen,” Qutb gave his account of the U.S. “in the scale of human values.” “I fear,” he wrote, “that a balance may not exist between America’s material greatness and the quality of her people.” Qutb was particularly exercised by what he saw as the “primitiveness” of American values, not least in matters of sex.Link to “The America I Have Seen”:
http://www.scribd.com/Syed-QutubThe-America-I-Have-Seen/d/6412907
america isn’t the only country with pop music vixens. if that’s what riles up the terrorists, why is america the only target? even the arab countries should be a target. after all, the belly dance didn’t start in america.
There have been other targets. [URL=http://gospain.about.com/od/spanishlife/a/madridbombtime.htm Spain[/URL] , [URL=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,161827,00.html England[/URL]. But USA is the only one they call the great Satan, I think.
I don’t believe our moral decadence is the cause, personally, but it sure makes it easier for them to make the case that we deserve to be eliminated.
(Then again, for these folks the definition of moral purity is women wearing burkas, not being permitted an education, and things like washing your sinuses out three times a day)
I don’t believe our moral decadence is the cause, personally, but it sure makes it easier for them to make the case that we deserve to be eliminated.
(Then again, for these folks the definition of moral purity is women wearing burkas, not being permitted an education, and things like washing your sinuses out three times a day)
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
I don’t think it is only an issue of our having a sensual pop-culture. It is an issue of our exporting it. You can find advertisements for American pop-culture nearly any place in the world. As Christians in our own culture we notice the sensuality of it, imagine it in the Middle East.
Second, America is targeted because we are the World’s leading nation (at least currently). Al Qaeda and other Islamicists know that to dominate the world they have to bring down America. It is the stated goal of groups like Al Qaeda to bring all the world under Islam.
A Third reason that we have seen the violence against America is the radical change even in the Muslim world. 40 years ago in Egypt or Iraq very few women wore the Hijab (head covering). In the early 1990s it was about 50%. Today a vast majority of women in secular Muslim nations like Egypt and Iraq are wearing the Hijab. The Hijab is a Wahabi export. The oil money that has flowed into Saudi Arabia has been used to build madrassas (schools) all over the Muslim world (including secular Muslim nations like Indonesia and Egypt). Those schools have radicalized those previously more moderate nations. It has even reach the point that in some areas of England secular and Christian English women now wear the Hijab just to avoid violent responses in those Muslim neighborhoods.
The problems include our pop-culture, but they are much broader than that. Our pop-culture may inflame the tensions, but is not the source.
Second, America is targeted because we are the World’s leading nation (at least currently). Al Qaeda and other Islamicists know that to dominate the world they have to bring down America. It is the stated goal of groups like Al Qaeda to bring all the world under Islam.
A Third reason that we have seen the violence against America is the radical change even in the Muslim world. 40 years ago in Egypt or Iraq very few women wore the Hijab (head covering). In the early 1990s it was about 50%. Today a vast majority of women in secular Muslim nations like Egypt and Iraq are wearing the Hijab. The Hijab is a Wahabi export. The oil money that has flowed into Saudi Arabia has been used to build madrassas (schools) all over the Muslim world (including secular Muslim nations like Indonesia and Egypt). Those schools have radicalized those previously more moderate nations. It has even reach the point that in some areas of England secular and Christian English women now wear the Hijab just to avoid violent responses in those Muslim neighborhoods.
The problems include our pop-culture, but they are much broader than that. Our pop-culture may inflame the tensions, but is not the source.
T. J. Klapperich Winter Garden, FL www.cbwg.org
TJ… pretty consistent with what I’ve read.
From what I’ve seen in other countries, though (not much… Brazil, Israel, some airports in Europe), their advertising is even more sensual than ours. But perhaps they do not export as aggressively?
I suspect the shift toward radicalism via madrasas etc. is a bigger factor along with our friendship with Israel. The moral decadence factor just makes it easier to propagandize against us.
I wonder though, if the oil revenue is enough of an explanation either. That is, oil money was pouring into the region back in the 40s and 50s as well, wasn’t it? Perhaps the required catalyst was a combination of increased oil revenue to radicalism plus the establishing of a Jewish homeland in Palestine… then just time for several generations of radicals to rise up.
Edit:…Isn’t also true that the more radical elements of the Muslim world were mostly interested in fighting Israel directly in the 50s and 60s… then perhaps came to see America as an ally and financier that Israel could not survive without? (Though their thinking is probably not accurate on that point—but maybe. Would the Soviets have sold them Migs if we’d refused to sell them F14s and the like?)
From what I’ve seen in other countries, though (not much… Brazil, Israel, some airports in Europe), their advertising is even more sensual than ours. But perhaps they do not export as aggressively?
I suspect the shift toward radicalism via madrasas etc. is a bigger factor along with our friendship with Israel. The moral decadence factor just makes it easier to propagandize against us.
I wonder though, if the oil revenue is enough of an explanation either. That is, oil money was pouring into the region back in the 40s and 50s as well, wasn’t it? Perhaps the required catalyst was a combination of increased oil revenue to radicalism plus the establishing of a Jewish homeland in Palestine… then just time for several generations of radicals to rise up.
Edit:…Isn’t also true that the more radical elements of the Muslim world were mostly interested in fighting Israel directly in the 50s and 60s… then perhaps came to see America as an ally and financier that Israel could not survive without? (Though their thinking is probably not accurate on that point—but maybe. Would the Soviets have sold them Migs if we’d refused to sell them F14s and the like?)
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
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