Expect jealousy and desparation from fundamentalists

Submitted by Abhi (United States), May 13, 2009 at 02:30

Dear Dr Pipes: A lot of non-muslim countries in the world are adopting progressive policies that are centered around freedom of thought and expression and spiral outward from there. On the other hand, fundamentalist Islamic societies are sticking to their regressive molds centered around slavery of thought. The economic effects of these regressive policies on the Islamic world are apparent -- Israel is more advance than most of its Islamic neighbors, Pakistan is on the verge of collapse, Afghanistan is barely a nation, Islamic countries along the eastern coast of Africa are trailing behind their non-Islamic neighbors (compare Somalia and Sudan with Kenya).

What I am afraid of is that Islamic societies will hardly realize that they are themselves responsible for their plight and gradually get more and more desparate and jealous. As a result, they will increase their atttacks on their more prosperous and peaceful neighbors. For example, the state of affairs on Pakistan has deteriorated so much that the entire country of Pakistan is now not able to play host to international cricket matches. This may prompt Pakistani fundamentalists may now escalate terrorist attacks inside India out of jealousy and desparation.

What we are currently involved in is a race between freedom and slavery. And we have to run and win this race very delicately or we may become like the forces we are trying to oppose.

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