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Re:Sara

Reader comment on item: The Arabs as Seen Fifty Years Ago
in response to reader comment: Islam was indeed different 50 years ago

Submitted by Rohit Patnaik (India), Mar 7, 2012 at 02:50

Post 9/11, there has been an extremely disturbing tendency to humanize or even understand the fundamentalists who plague Islam. It's a view that's popular in the West and even in the White House, for reasons that I can't understand, no matter how much I read or think about it. Maybe it's because of my up-bringing or culture.

Your statement about a 'liberal' Arab world fifty years ago is as mistaken as it is romantic. Radical Islam had it's origins 1500 years ago when the Prophet Muhammad declared war on the infidels of Mecca; and even though Americans and Europeans didn't feel it's effects till 9/11, India and the ertswhile USSR have been dealing with it since the 1950s. Terrorism in the Holy Land started when Israel was established- far earlier than your claim of 1979. No wonder, both India and Russia are not part of the War on Terror- even though their armed forces are the most experienced in such matters.

In my opinion, your statement is just part of a malady that is the direct effect of national blindness over the shortsighted American policy of the past 50 years. Radical Islam has been traditionally the US's closest ally- even now the Pentagon is extremely eager to drive a deal with the Taliban and the Shia rebel factions in Afghanistan and Iraq respectively; so much for 'democracy' and 'freedom'!

The Americans saw the Soviets, the Chinese and the Indians and these brave desert warriors engaged in a struggle against Communism and Socialism. The US and NATO never realized that they were fighting against us simply because we, at least, believed in democracy, in free speech, allowed girls to go to school and frowned upon murdering 'infidels' on the streets.

No matter how many times they may have had a fling with democracy; such radicalism is only to be expected when the people themselves don't understand their situation. The 'Arab World', ridiculed in this article, spoke the truth- in a way. The leaders then believed in the Modern civilization; and they weren't reluctant to force their views into their subject's throats- a move that the preachers and the man in the street didn't enjoy. The power vacuum you spoke had always existed- the British simply used to kill everyone who tried to muscle into it.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (39) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
< In 2062, tell me how Im doing > [6 words]Jay1Mar 12, 2012 21:24194308
2The dark age [67 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
YovenMar 10, 2012 14:29194229
1Dominant religion [116 words]UgriMar 12, 2012 04:10194229
15Cairo and Egypt almost fifty years ago [409 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
dhimmi no moreMar 8, 2012 10:23194157
Arabs' imperial past [58 words]BenMar 7, 2012 09:18194079
6Islam was indeed different 50 years ago [133 words]saraMar 6, 2012 19:43194036
9Re:Sara [384 words]Rohit PatnaikMar 7, 2012 02:50194036
2Going out to the kings of the earth [178 words]UgriMar 7, 2012 03:10194036
from exotic to unicultural [117 words]mythMar 7, 2012 07:23194036
2This was a miniscule liberal elite [84 words]AsokMar 7, 2012 12:19194036
1Response to Rohit [269 words]saraMar 7, 2012 18:22194036
I agree, Rohit, with some caveats [558 words]saraMar 8, 2012 17:23194036
11Sayyed Qutb and el-ikhwan [504 words]dhimmi no moreMar 10, 2012 07:29194036
1Historical details [265 words]saraMar 10, 2012 17:45194036
What lands? [55 words]Amin RiazMar 23, 2012 14:44194036
2Lands that were at any time considered Muslim lands [85 words]saraMar 26, 2012 19:00194036
5You also forgot [174 words]Peter HallMar 26, 2012 19:57194036
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Go back 92 years [22 words]smg45acpMar 6, 2012 19:20194034
The Arabs as seen over a century ago [618 words]Isa AlmisryMar 11, 2012 00:30194034
Isa, your comment just doesn't make sense! [18 words]Peter HallMar 14, 2012 03:59194034
This Was My Comment. [303 words]Isa AlmisryMar 16, 2012 00:29194034
9I guess it took a while, but you have shown your true position [547 words]Peter HallMar 16, 2012 20:33194034
Colouring Racism [242 words]Amin RiazMar 23, 2012 15:03194034
8... Amin, the master of double standards. [483 words]Peter HallMar 24, 2012 05:30194034
1peter [91 words]cmtljnpkirptsvji1683Jul 7, 2013 08:48194034
2Your Views are rather narrow! [292 words]Peter HallJul 8, 2013 20:53194034
Fifty Years Ago [188 words]Peter HerzMar 6, 2012 18:55194029
The Arabs As Seen Fifty Years Ago [196 words]JudithMar 6, 2012 14:28194014
1I can only wonder who had funded such misinformation. [80 words]David FiresterMar 6, 2012 12:30194007
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2The coming dark age. [134 words]
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Asif W.Mar 6, 2012 12:22194004
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1Islamic tolerance [35 words]trans-parereMar 6, 2012 11:59194000
The Arabs as Seen Fifty Years Ago [213 words]
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Daniel Pipes Seen From 2062 [51 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DaveMar 6, 2012 09:10193982
12012-onward will make the 60's seem like the 50's [24 words]Michael Hanni MorcosMar 7, 2012 00:21193982
1Camel [28 words]AlbertEl.Mar 10, 2012 17:17193982

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