Love-Hate Relationship
Reader comment on item: Combatting the Ideology behind Islamist Terrorism

Submitted by jennifer solis (United States), Sep 20, 2007 at 14:52

Dr. Pipes points out that Muslims themselves have been the largest group victimized by Islamism. Why is this? Borrowing a quote from a favorite movie of mine: "Flesh is not weak; it is strong, and only the sanctity of marriage will contain it." Throughout the Muslim world and their culture, eventually if not immediately peace seems to come to them only through their "marriage" to, or relinquishment towards Islamism. Again, why?

Wherever Muslims immigrate, they bring their religion with them. It seems, ironically, that the very "chains" they seek to escape by leaving their homeland are inevitably the same "chains" they once again slowly wrap around themselves. What other system, besides Islamism, contains them? It's as if they don't have, collectively speaking, the capacity towards individual self-discipline, self-rule. Anarchy of the soul. There is an acceleration of this until someone or something reigns them in. Repeatedly, historically that "someone" or "something" is Islamism.

Quoting Dr. Pipes: "By pushing forward too quickly - and I emphasize too quickly - the democratic process, we're bringing totalitarians to power. Whether it be in Afganistan, Iraq or the other countries I listed, it is the Islamists, it is the radical Islamic forces, which are best funded, most ideally coherant who invariably succeed." - from Civil war likely in Iraq: Pipes, ABC (Austrailia): Lateline, March 2, 2006 ( -great article, a must-read).

In "Combating the Ideology behind Terrorist Islam", Dr. Pipes illustrates: 1. Terrorism, 3. Islam, (and in between) 2. Islamism. How long will it take, and under what circumstance will Muslims as a group world-wide reject the totalitarianism of Islamism? Again, quoting Dr. Pipes, "I believe when one goes to war, one goes to defeat one's enemy, not to rehabilitate them". He's speaking here on the situation in Iraq; however I think it's applicable here in the U.S. "By pushing forward too quickly the democratic process we're bringing totalitarians to power." The average Muslim, when introduced to the democratic process here in America, at first seems to appreciate freedom. But like a child with a new toy, he seems to quickly tire of it; he wants more toys, and before you know it he's spoiled rotten. If the U.S. won't discipline him, Islamism will. -JS

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