Jihadists Failing to Win Muslim Minds ( An Opinion Piece )

Los Angeles Times ^ | September 8, 2004 | Gilles Kepel

[tkathy]

This assumes that both jihadists and Muslims have a mind. A false assumption, IMO.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

thanks for the ping and more on your prior comment

[nyconse]

Sorry, I don't believe it....when I see the terrorists turned over to the Russians by the moderate Chechnyan Islamic people, I will reconsider my opinion. Talk is cheap.

[mabelkitty]

Note to the vicious and nasty Kerry campaign.
Save for future reference - those types of tactics don't win hearts and minds, and therefore, will not win votes.
Please keep at it.

[nyconse]

The Muslim reaction amounts to a few newspaper columns...meanwhile the hate messages continue to flow in Arab schools, from Mullahs (Britian), and in the mosques. Pure BS-we can not win the hearts and minds of followers of Islam because the jihadist are following the Koran. This so called outrage is to buy them a little time- take the heat off of them. I heard a Cair representative on Laura Ingraham's show today. She said Islamic terrorists and the United states are both threats to Islam.. There is your so called moderate voice. This woman was an American citizen. Spare me from anymore arguments about winning hearts and minds-not going to happen. Many American Muslims are not loyal to this country and are rooting for Islamacists in my opinion.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Instead, by concentrating on the military option, Russia and the U.S. are missing an opportunity to mobilize Muslim civil society against Islamist terrorism and dry out the social swamps from which it springs."

But the author forgets that Iraq WAS one of those "social swamps," and the only way to get rid of Saddam was militarily. Twelve years of diplomacy and sanctions had failed. We are doing in Iraq what he is saying we should do - dry out the social swamps. What all these critics really believe in is endless Carteresque diplomacy - diplomacy which repeatedly fails and changes nothing, leaves people suffering, but which satisfies the diplomats that they are doing something; the critics do not want to admit that real change implies real sacrifice, not just sipping martinis in the embassy.

[Kingasaurus]

"It seems to me that the jihad backfired because the U.S. applied the military option and created the environment where differences of opinion were possible."

Right on the money. The problem for these journalists who think the military option is counterproductive, is that they have absolutely no alternative which will take down the repressive governments that fund "jihad" - and use the concept as a tool to deflect blame away from what they are doing to their own citizens.

Simply tut-tutting and wishing the dysfunctional Arab countries had more civilized and rational governments that hinder terrorism instead of fostering it, isn't going to work.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Simply tut-tutting and wishing the dysfunctional Arab countries had more civilized and rational governments that hinder terrorism instead of fostering it, isn't going to work."

I agree (see my post #26). The fans of "diplomacy" really aren't serious about change. Diplomats have been strutting around sipping martinis and winning Nobel Peace Prizes for decades, but the Arab/Israeli conflict remains unsolved.

[Capt. Tom]

Spare me from anymore arguments about winning hearts and minds-not going to happen. Many American Muslims are not loyal to this country and are rooting for Islamacists in my opinion.

I think you got that right. A Muslim should be loyal to Islam and not a country. And definately not loyal to an infidel country like the United States. - Tom

[beckaz]

Instead, by concentrating on the military option, Russia and the U.S. are missing an opportunity to mobilize Muslim civil society against Islamist terrorism and dry out the social swamps from which it springs.

Big part of the (Arab cultural) problem is OUTSIDERS (Russia, US) have to mobilize Muslim civil society???? Author's right that these people won't mobilize by themselves. BUT we CANNOT mobilize them. Either they wake soon, and mobilize against a cancer that is eating them and their future generations, or things are going to end up very badly for them. Someone will get NUKED in the next 10 years (by Russia, China, Israel, US, India, maybe even dare I say France??? bets anyone?)

Given the intensity of the Arab radicals and the bankruptcy and blindness of the others, things are very dim. No right or sane thinking to speak of in the Middlemost, and that includes a lot of people who live in the West and are college educated. Arguments with these people boil down to: "Yes I have a head ache, US says take 2 aspirins?? Hell NEVER, cuz US is evil, imperial, supports Israel etc...."

[Chemist_Geek]

Look here; Rumsfeld seems to agree.

This is a multi-faceted problem. Everyone ought to be able to see that.

[beckaz]

Ooops Middlemost = Middle East

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Note to the vicious and nasty Kerry campaign.

Speaking of the nasty Kerry campaign, see this for an excellent rebuttal put together by a newly signed up lurker, really excellent:

Here Is Why The Boston Globe Guard Piece is a Smear

You can see many of the threads containing the resulting articles in the NYT, AP, etc using
BUSHNGRECORDS
as a keyword search .......