Islam and Islamists, and the changes over time.
Reader comment on item: Preface

Submitted by Gabe Newhouse (United States), Nov 24, 2007 at 04:09

Re: Islam vs. Islamism and the changes over time: Two very important factors, it seems to me, are at work and are never acknowledged in the major media. One, the economics of oil, which has become predominant in the Islamic world in the last 50 years, gives rise to extremist politics which seek to protect their economic assets and thus their power. It also provides them the fuel for spreading the extremism to other countries. Second, even more important, the new information technology now requires that those who wish to maintain power must brainwash their subjects ever more thoroughly at earlier ages.

They must instill such irrational hatred against all aspects of what we consider the "good life", democracy, or freedom that no exposure to these can penetrate their people's emotional mindset and thus upset the control that those in power wish to maintain. The rise of global television coverage has made free access to all news a dangerous thing to many governments and to many cultures. This didn't use to be a threat to them. Now it is.

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