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Crusades and Jihads. A Clash of Civilizations or Two World Views in Conflict?. Chain of Equivalences?. Al Qaeda = Taliban = Islamism = Islam. Ultra-Conservative Point of View. Nuke Mecca Occupy Middle East oil fields Transform the Muslim world on the pattern of post-1945 Germany and Japan.
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Crusades and Jihads A Clash of Civilizations or Two World Views in Conflict?
Chain of Equivalences? • Al Qaeda = Taliban = Islamism = Islam
Ultra-Conservative Point of View • Nuke Mecca • Occupy Middle East oil fields • Transform the Muslim world on the pattern of post-1945 Germany and Japan
Disaffected Islamic Point of View • War on Terror = War on Islam • Muslim resistance to repression seen by Western world as terrorism • Repression that Muslims face is ignored
Descriptive Terms • Authoritarian • Barbaric • Civilized • Democratic • Egalitarian • Genocidal • Modern • Progressive • Racist • Tolerant • Totalitarian • Traditional
WEST Modern Democratic Civilized ISLAM Authoritarian Traditional Barbaric Western Perspective
WEST Totalitarian Genocidal Racist ISLAM Tolerant Progressive Egalitarian Islamic Point of View
The Dilemma • To modernize the Muslim world must accept the Western view of Islamic civilization as authoritarian, traditional, and barbaric and see Western culture, as modern, democratic, and civilized. That’s not going to happen.
The Solution • Allow the Muslim world to modernize its institutions and enter the 21st century on its own terms with its self-esteem intact.