69 million page views

Different situation

Reader comment on item: T. E. Lawrence, American Tactician
in response to reader comment: finally learning from the islamists, a different approach

Submitted by Lady (Indonesia), Jan 18, 2010 at 23:56

Eventhough I do not know much about history, but I admire historians and their findings. Historians are like a modern fortune teller, who can predict the future base on the events'd data in the past.

I guess Laurence story in the movie was a hearthrobing blue eyed British's soldier in WW1, which happened in real in 19th century, then changed in 21 century to be a fiction story of 007 James bond story.

I guess Laurent, on behalf of British's vested interest, he tried to build up Arab's tribes into a union force of Arab nationalist, against their Turkish master (Ottoman empire). He used his individual personality to win the heart of Arab tribe's leaders and gained trust. So arab leaders followed his advises then decided to revolt againt the Ottoman empire.

I only can guess, probably during that time historians saw the future, that Ottoman empire, the biggest islamic chaliphate emperium, the master of all muslims in the world (in the past including Aceh muslims in Indonesia), with their islamic way of life, soon or after, might oneday invaded or influented Europe. Then probably British historians advised the British generals, to ask someone (Laurent) to do his assignment, to influence and encuraged the Arab tribes leaders, to feel their nationalist pride of Arabia. Probably, before Laurent, those Arabs still thinking that Ottoman chaliphate was their frontier to defend or to spread islam. I do not know, I am so sorry if this is only my own imagination which may wrong. Turkish are not Arab, so Laurent in the end succeded to create Arab nationalist force againts the master of muslims (Ottoman emperium). Arabs tribes splitted the religion of islam as their boundage to Ottoman. So it was much easier for Laurent to influence The Arab tribes.

Now, US Army under Petreus is in a war in the land of Arabia, where Arabs against Arabs against kurd against persian. Sunni agains shie against wahabi (Al-Qaeda), against seculerism, against the west!!! There is no nationalist anymore, because the sect of islam is not devided base on nationalist anymore but by religion sect or tribes doctrines. I guess that is the differences between the Laurent strategy in the past and current Patreus strategy. So, Patreus probably will not be able to win all Arab tribes leader heart and trust as what Laurent got in the past.

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (21) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Conspiracy theory [152 words]VijayJan 24, 2010 09:02167816
LAWRENCE AS AMERICAN STRATEGIST [417 words]DANIEL REDMONDJan 21, 2010 04:36167646
Which Tribal Group Did Omar Sharif's Character Come From? [658 words]M. ToveyJan 20, 2010 13:52167614
Excellent biog. of Lawrence, details time in Arabia pre-WWI [49 words]Mike Smith, M.A.Jan 19, 2010 17:05167580
Orde Wingate [233 words]yuval Brandstetter MDJan 19, 2010 14:06167570
Orde Wingate: could we hear more about him? [109 words]AmfortasJun 6, 2010 14:16167570
Extremely heartening [92 words]DavidNJan 18, 2010 19:16167511
Dissimilarities [107 words]VijayJan 18, 2010 16:58167501
how relevant TEL is nowadays [125 words]mythJan 18, 2010 18:59167501
affiliation solidarity in Arabic and American Indian tribes [127 words]James DrakeJan 18, 2010 15:40167491
American Tribal Warfare [201 words]ArlindaJan 31, 2010 14:57167491
Lawrence [133 words]Barry LeonardJan 18, 2010 08:56167479
Lawrence of Arabia. [96 words]DrewJan 18, 2010 21:30167479
Lesson Still Not Learned [302 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Mike RamirezJan 18, 2010 07:47167477
Perilous Western Pragmatism [455 words]Edward ClineJan 18, 2010 21:17167477
Rare to read something new about this conflict [95 words]Diana BarshawJan 18, 2010 04:41167469
Tribal culture is an oxymoron [48 words]Alain Jean-MairetJan 18, 2010 04:36167468
Beautiful Process. [66 words]YnnatchkahJan 18, 2010 03:38167467
finally learning from the islamists, a different approach [121 words]mythJan 18, 2010 18:36167467
A parallel system of ethics [269 words]Kurt BaskingJan 18, 2010 23:48167467
Different situation [394 words]LadyJan 18, 2010 23:56167467

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)