Posted on 12/16/2004 3:57:23 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
A new wave of progressive thought has begun to emerge in the Arab press, with a number of recent publications denouncing traditional Muslim views and anti-American ideology.
According to quotes translated by the Middle Eastern Media Research Institute, an editorial in the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyassah recently declared, "Arab regimes must understand that the U.S. administration supports the freedom and rights of the Arabs."
Editor-in-chief Ahmad Al-Jarallah blasted a Middle Eastern mindset that has "always led us to conflicts with the outside world invariably ending in defeat for us."
After offering a fairly balanced picture of U.S. involvement in Iraq, Al-Jarallah noted, "The only thing left for Arab regimes, which are out of tune with the rest of the world is to understand that standing against the United States is no longer the right way to show their patriotism."
What about that savior of civilization, the United Nations - which refused to sanction the U.S. invasion of Iraq? The world body is "no longer able to control the relations between different countries," Al-Jarallah said.
Like-minded Kuwaiti scholar Ahmad Al-Baghdadi took the argument one step further in a series of articles denouncing Middle Eastern "religious thought," saying it led to misogyny, tyranny and terrorism.
Al-Baghdadi makes a clear distinction between the beliefs of Islam and the hate-fueled militancy that infects much of the region, complaining in one report, "[Islamic] religious thought reveres things that religion itself does not instruct [us] to revere."
The Arab scholar even invokes a kind of divine providence to explain the success of the West, saying, "Do you know why Allah helps the secular country? Because it is just. Why doesn't He help countries that build mosques every day? Because these countries are oppressive."
Hope it's the start of a trend and not just wishful thinking.
I read at least 3 articles in the last week alone that sounded like a few Arabs are coming around.
a mighty brushfire always starts with a single spark or two
The authors of these articles better have good security.
Thanks for the post.
Notice also that the writer is Kuwaiti, writting in about the only Arab country who thought dragging Saddummy out of a hole was a good idea. When articles like this start being commonplace in Eqypt, Saudi, and Quatar,...then I'll have a slight, low level glimmer of "maybe"?
I've been pushing his book, since finishing it several weeks ago, as I think it offers great insight into how to approach the war on radical Islam.
My favorite passage from the book:
/Shanansky/Sharansky/
I'll put this book on the list; I really like that passage you quoted - thanks.
I've seen mostly positive reviews for the book and it will be good to read something positive for a change!
Heh heh. But, I think I have seen some sanity out of Eygpt on occasion...but I'm not sure.
Add to that the Kuwaitis also have benefited from the US military back in GWI.
One of the things I have found out about on the Iraqi blogs is just how tolerant the Iraqi society is as a whole.
John Gibson (FOX News) was commenting about reading an article that said:
"the only countries in the Arab world who were going to be able to vote and decide for themselves are those countries that America helped liberate".
Maybe there is hope yet. You can only keep people mushroomed for so long.
Another comment, regarding "moral clarity" - the lack of moral clarity, primarily from the Left, is discussed at length in the book. Understanding this was an "ah-HA!" moment for me, as it explained much seemingly totally irrational behavior from the Left.
Seems tigers really will change their stripes under due pressure.
And I'm not talking about the Arabs...
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