The gap between our interests

Submitted by Lenn Chow (Canada), Apr 13, 2003 at 18:51

It seems true that the Western-Muslim clash is not between religions per se, and more a clash between a Western post-religiosity (religious belief no longer prisoner to some of its infinitesimal}, and one still deep in fundamentals. This is not intending as a put-down of the religion of Islam, but as pointing to the difference in the socio-polititical behavior of each. The clash is, in fact, the result of belief having moved out of theology and into hard reality causing the differing interests of the two peoples. On the one hand, Western interest is about preserving and expanding its comfortable living standard and culture, and on the other, the Islamic world is still reaching forward desperately, to find as yet moderate success at this. Thus it focuses on that bane of religions, that [it] has the truth on its side, and therefore its needs and behaviour must have divine legitimacy.

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