The Jihadist And His Number One Source For Jihad

Guest Douglass asked:

"But I have a question:

John, What is the #1 source of international Islamic terrorism?"

It seems to be a combination of factors, but let's try to get to the root of it:

Imposed dictatorships like Saddam Hussein's and theocracies like the Taliban have been targeted by the war strategists as the main causes of culture-wide Jihadism, the former creating oppressive environments that create frustration, festering hostility, and violent eruptions, while the latter an enabling, hospitable environment for Jihadists--rich and poor alike--to be readily indoctrinated, flourish, and plot mischief.

It is hoped that representative, constitutional--and indigenous-- government will allay the former and marginalize the latter, and that ensuing modernization and cooperation with--and exposure to--the West will, gradually, perhaps in a generation or two, lead to the same type of liberalizing effect that, say, the translation and dissemination of Greek philosophy had on the "progressive" Mediaeval caliphate.

We're not looking for Jeffersonian, New England type republics to spring up. Forget about that. They're Middle Eastern Muslims.

Functional, constitutional, and anti-terrorist capitalist democracies like India or Turkey will suffice.

The dearth of all the other material factors which contribute to the frustration, rage, religious frenzy, and both suicidal despair and eagerness-- like poor schooling, the stress of poverty, the oppression of women and disenfranchized minorities, the lack of liberal institutions, and the suppression of individual creativity-- would be addressed and remedied by competing, representative political parties vying for votes by at least promising to deliver the most opportunities for goods and services in a free market system with a heretofore unseen economic vibrancy and standard of living.

That should--to one extent or another-- take care of the problem of Jihadist popularity among Muslim commoners who had hithero been--under the squalidness of Third World conditions-- dictatorially oppressed or hospitably encouraged towards terrorism, or at least the support and cheering of them.

The wealthy, Jihadist sophisticate will be marginalized as an anarchist (as they already are in the stable monarchies, which themselves are already feeling pressure for reform as the Western wind blows across the land).

These new, politically-enlightened republics--for theirs, ours, and indeed the world's good-- will, indeed must, learn to co-exist peacefully and cooperate beneficially with the united nations of the civilized world.

And that, of course, includes Israel.

I will not delve into the history of all that now, but suffice it to say that Israel is Israel and Muslims should learn to accept it, deal with it, and let millennia-old bygones be bygones and embrace their fellow Semites, who have proven more than willing to try for that effect on their end.

The Jihadist would say--and have said--that the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is "The #1 Source of International Islamic Terrorism," but it can't be.

The mania of "Wiping Israel off the map" by Jihadists does not begin in 1947, else why would we hear this emanating out of the 8th Century, as harped upon by a Sheik preaching on Palestinian Authority Television, last year, in May of 2005:

Allah has tormented us with 'the people most hostile to the believers' – the Jews. 'Thou shalt find that the people most hostile to the believers to be the Jews and the polytheists.' Allah warned His beloved Prophet Muhammad about the Jews, who had killed their prophets, forged their Torah, and sowed corruption throughout their history...Listen to the Prophet Muhammad, who tells you about the evil end that awaits Jews. The stones and trees will want the Muslims to finish off every Jew.

Indeed, The #1 Source For Terrorism, is, as I've been saying, and as Douglass realized in the commentary of the "Christian Vs. Muslim Part III" post:

...The particular effect that strict interpretations of Islamic scriptures has on Muslim society at large, like the production of fanatics at an exponentially increasing rate.

Yes. Whether it's Commands to "fight-fight-fight" and "crucify" infidels like Christians, or "finish off the evil Jews," that attitude is programmed by a sacred tome they consider to be eternally and omnipresently urging them towards the pursuit of Jihad, against all unbelievers: The hated Jews, the infidel Christians, the polytheist Hindi, Buddhists, and even fellow Muslims if they vary about a piddling point against that kind of Muslim who holds the sword.

That is the root, the #1 source, Douglass.