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Why the Revival of Islam [it seems redundant to use the adjective fundamentalist] has not yet Peaked

Reader comment on item: Predicting Middle Eastern Politics

Submitted by Ron Thompson (France), Apr 16, 2012 at 10:35

While I agree almost completely with the first Nine of Dr Pipes' answers, I do not agree with the Tenth, even if the theocracy in Iran should collapse in the near future. I disagree because of the still vigorously advancing threat of the Islamization of Europe. I see no sign that this threat is dependent on the success or failure of the Shiite regime in Iran. The multi-country threat in the biggest (and smaller) countries of Western Europe - all the countries that were foolish enough to open their doors wide to unrestricted Muslim immigration - has been largely composed of Sunni Muslims, and the Islamization project has been largely funded by Saudi Arabia, the center of Sunni/Wahabiist Islam, and Qatar, which I think is also Sunni Arab. If anything, the collapse of Shiite Iran might further invigorate the Sunni millions in Europe.

But here's the real paradox. The more "successfully" the core countries of the Middle East are Islamized, the more likely it is they will all implode from within, because Islamized governments will prove drastically incapable of meeting the basic needs of their peoples. In fact, there is every sign, as Dr Pipes has pointed out, in this and other columns, they will fail even more dramatically than the corrupt autocratic governments they are replacing. Among other calamities, they will dry up tourism (especially in Egypt, but perhaps soon in Turkey too), the lifeline of remittances from abroad will decline, foreign aid (especially again, in Egypt will decline or end), and a brain drain will likely occur throughout the region. in short, as used to be said about the Soviet Empire and should be said here too, the "contradictions" of attempting to lead hundreds of millions of people by means of a violent, hopelessly intolerant, closed-minded religion which hates the human rights of all its women will become more and more obvious.

The picture is very different in Europe. With whole peoples still only partially aware of the enemy within, and the leadership of most countries still hopelessly derelict in their duties of national and cultural self-defense, and the booty of one of the world's richest civilization there for the taking of the young crazily self-confident Muslims, it should be very clear, ominously clear, that Islam has not peaked in Europe even as it may be peaking in its homelands.

The more immediate question for Europe - where I am vacationing and studying for a month, in Paris - is whether it is April, 1914, or 1912, or even 1908, in terms of the coming crisis. It may not be absolutely clear that a violent catastrophe like that of 1914 is coming, but that a crisis of the magnitude of the summer of 1914 is coming, there does not seem to be much doubt. For the belief of many that Islam is somehow going to reform itself is a grand illusion. We may perhaps rely on Islam collapsing in on itself, to the vast distress of its peoples in the homelands of this terrible blight of a religion, but we are not going to be so lucky in Europe.

Ron Thompson

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Reader comments (23) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Problem of conflict between Palestine and Israel [165 words]Sennari MasuyaJan 26, 2013 06:52202804
Akp is an islamist Party and a bunch of liars [1 words]ALPERJul 27, 2012 10:46197470
Future of Islamism [107 words]steviasMay 12, 2012 18:51195571
turkey? [105 words]havasMay 14, 2012 12:59195571
Declining influence of religious certitude [116 words]Stephen BorkowskiMay 24, 2012 15:28195571
Fundamentalist loners [161 words]steviasMay 24, 2012 18:56195571
1What are the problems? [564 words]AlexandrosApr 26, 2012 08:03195264
More than one road [99 words]David W. LincolnApr 17, 2012 13:22195129
Predicting Middle Eastern Politics [19 words]steven LApr 16, 2012 17:51195120
2Islamic Threat to the World? [232 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Dan RusenApr 16, 2012 14:51195118
9.11 was not enough [72 words]saraMay 12, 2012 18:56195118
6Why the Revival of Islam [it seems redundant to use the adjective fundamentalist] has not yet Peaked [523 words]Ron ThompsonApr 16, 2012 10:35195117
AKP and Turkey [54 words]Taner MersinApr 16, 2012 09:23195116
4View of Turkey [51 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
NazimApr 16, 2012 09:04195115
7More than admiration [410 words]IanusApr 18, 2012 19:16195115
Fulfillment of a Destiny Already Formed [241 words]M. ToveyApr 20, 2012 15:18195115
View of Turkey [164 words]NazimApr 22, 2012 17:49195115
3Turkey - a staunch traitor [90 words]IanusApr 25, 2012 16:25195115
Turkey will always be considered a great Muslim nation [205 words]slayhyApr 28, 2012 14:45195115
1Is it possible? [106 words]AlexandrosApr 30, 2012 06:47195115
What was Turkey Before Constantine? [477 words]M. ToveyApr 30, 2012 15:27195115
3Predicting Middle Eastern Politics. Truth is so important for man. [204 words]AnneApr 16, 2012 08:56195114
8Changes are still coming [54 words]Michael Hanni MorcosApr 16, 2012 06:34195111

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