It should be redefined
Reader comment on item: The End of Treason

Submitted by Amitabh tripathi (India), Aug 17, 2005 at 04:22

Mr Daniel Pipes has raised very relevant question.Treason is not a concept now as it was some centuries before. Fundamentalist Islamic terrorism is a new phenomenon which needs policies and definitions to be revised in persepective of this new threat.
After the evolution of modern theory of nation state freedom of expression was made as major component of this institution.Other constitutional guarantees were also essential part to this institution, but new threat of terrorism has put a serious question before every democracy how to make balance between these guarantees and security of nation.
Modern society allows every group within its framework to express its opinions and defend its intrest group as well, but talking about violence in name of Islamism is something different. After the emergence of powerful Islamic groups like Al Quaeda muslims in every democracy showing less adherence to their countries rather than utopian world of Khilafat.
On the one hand these Islamists exploits the lacuna of constitutional provisions and on the other hand absence of some subsitute provides these group to operate freely.
Need of the hour is to take stock of the situation collectively by those countries who are allies in war on terror. No democracy on its own can initiate because they are under pressure from those who are supporters of Islamists in name of freedom of expression.It is high time for all democracies to get together to chalk out a comprehensive plan to evolve a policy which can become substitute of treason.
When America attacked Iraq some groups in this country not only protested this action but rallied behind Saddam Hussain as well. Same happens in democracy like India where any tough action against Islamists is termed by some groups as attack on democratic institution.These groups not only provide safe passage to Islamists but also protect and propogate their poisionous ideology.
Each and every democracy should wake up to this problem otherwise qualities of their system will become reason of their decline and fall.Treason should be defined in new persepective immediately to draw a line of difference between propogation of an ideology and treason.

---

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 for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.