Naming the Enemy
- Информация о материале
- Автор: Daniel Pipes
New York Sun
August 17, 2004
http://www.danielpipes.org/article/2021
http://daily.nysun.com/standard/ShowStoryTemplate.aspPath=NYS/2004/08/17&ID=Ar00701&Section=Foreign
In a striking admission, George W. Bush said the other day that that
"We actually misnamed the war on terror. It ought to be [called] the struggle
against ideological extremists who do not believe in free societies and
who happen to use terror as a weapon to try to shake the conscience of
the free world."
This important concession follows growing criticism of the misleading
term "war on terror" (how can one fight a tactic?) and replaces it with
the more accurate "war on ideological extremists." With this change, the
battle of ideas can begin.
But who exactly are those ideological extremists? The next step is
for Mr. Bush to give them a name.
In fact, he on occasion since September 11 has spoken candidly about
their identity. As early as September 2001, he referred to the enemy being
"a fringe form of Islamic extremism" which seeks "to kill Christians and
Jews, to kill all Americans, and make no distinction among military and
civilians, including women and children." This Islamic extremism also is
heir to "all the murderous ideologies of the twentieth century," including
"fascism, and Nazism, and totalitarianism."
In January 2002, Mr. Bush was more specific yet, adding that the terrorist
underworld includes "groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, [and]
Jaish-i-Mohammed." In May 2002, he pointed out that a "new totalitarian
threat" exists whose adherents "are defined by their hatreds: they hate
… Jews and Christians and all Muslims who disagree with them" (implying
that they are Muslims). Those adherents, he noted, feel entitled to kill
"in the name of a false religious purity."
A year later, in May 2003, the president provided details about the
Islamists' goals, observing that "nineteen evil men—the shock troops of
a hateful ideology—gave America and the civilized world a glimpse of their
ambitions. They imagined, in the words of [Ramzi Binalshibh, the Al-Qaeda
leader accused of directing the 9/11 operation], that September the 11th
would be the ‘beginning of the end of America.'"
The terrorist acts of the past two decades, Mr. Bush noted in April
2004, are the work of fanatical, political ideologues who "seek tyranny
in the Middle East and beyond. They seek to oppress and persecute women.
They seek the death of Jews and Christians, and every Muslim who desires
peace over theocratic terror."
Last month, Bush for the first time used the phrase "Islamic militants,"
perhaps his most explicit reference until now to the Islamist threat, saying
that until he closed a so-called Islamic charity based in Illinois, the
Benevolence International Foundation, it "channel[ed] money to Islamic
militants."
Rolling these comments into a single summary statement establishes
how Mr. Bush – and by extension the whole of the U.S. government – sees
the enemy: A false doctrine of Islamic purity inspires a totalitarian ideology
of power and domination. In its ruthlessness, murderousness, and global
ambition, it resembles the Nazi and communist ideologies. The extremists
who advocate this doctrine see America as the chief obstacle to achieving
their goals. To defeat America, they initially seek Washington's retreat
from the outside world. Ultimately, they hope to bring about a collapse
of America as it now exists. Toward this end, they are prepared to murder
any number of Americans.
This is a fine description of Islamism, its mentality, methods, and
means. It also shows that Mr. Bush draws the subtle distinction between
the personal faith of Islam and the political ideology of Islamism (or
militant Islam).
In this, he parallels what a number of Muslim leaders – including even
some Saudis – have said. Following acts of terrorism in Riyadh in May 2003,
Interior Minister Prince Naif publicly attributed this violence to "ideology"
and "fanatical ideas." And if Naif – himself an Islamist – attributes the
problem ultimately not to acts of violence but the ideas behind them, surely
Americans can say no less.
Mr. Bush has already alluded to America having to confront its third
totalitarian ideology. Now he should name that ideology. I hope he will
surround himself with a group of distinguished anti-Islamist Muslims, foreign
and domestic alike, and formally announce America's acceptance of leadership
in the war against Islamism.
Only with such specificity can the civilized world start on the path
to victory over this latest manifestation of barbarism.
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Rusian version
An introduction to MAOF
Haim Goldman
Haim Goldman
Dear Friends,
Would you believe that the undersigned has anything in common with
-- Professor Victor Davis Hanson (Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University),
-- Dr Charles Krauthammer, (Washington Post, Time, The Weekly Standard),
-- Caroline Glick (Deputy Managing Editor of the Jerusalem Post),
-- Jonathan Tobin (Executive Editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent).
Amazingly, the editors of the MAOF website decided that the missives of the undersigned are worthy of translation and posting along the articles written by these distinguished authors.
The first letter was published without the consent of the undersigned.
However, after thorough examination of the laudable attitude of MAOF and of the excellent contents of the website, the undersigned had most graciously granted his permission for publication of his missives in both English and Russian.
“Analytical Group MAOF” [1] is an organisation founded about ten years ago by Russian-speaking Jewish intellectuals. The attitude of MAOF is definitely pro-Zionist -- unambiguously and unapologetically.
One of MAOF’s primary purposes is providing information and analysis about Middle-Eastern and world affairs as well as about Israel’s history, values and dilemmas. In addition to extensive publication activity in various media, MAOF also organises excursions and seminars. While the vast majority of the contents of the MAOF website is in Russian, texts originally written in English are provided in the original [2] as well as in Russian.
There are arguably about 250 millions of Russian-speakers worldwide and many of them do not read English. The indisputable motivation for the author’s permission was to grant those millions of disadvantaged people the grand benefit of reading the author’s ruminations. If the author is ever maliciously accused that his tacit motivation for authorising the publication was his craving to be listed along with the above-mentioned distinguished writers, his plea will definitely be “nolo contendere”.
The editors of MAOF expressed their gratitude by granting the undersigned a privilege that no other author got – the opportunity to review and correct the Russian translation before publication. The original letters of the undersigned are at [3] and their Russian version is at [4]. At of today, only two letters are posted but several other letters are pending translation.
You are kindly ENCOURAGED TO RECOMMEND the MAOF website to your friends and colleagues worldwide, particularly those who speak Russian. Those who do not enjoy the benefit of proficiency in the exquisite Russian language can find many thought-provoking and inspiring articles about Middle-Eastern and world affairs in the English section [2].
Sincerely,
Haim Goldman
28.10.2006
REFERENCES:
[1] http://maof.rjews.net
[2] section.php3? sid=37&num=25
[3] authorg.php3? id=2107&type=a
[4] authorg.php3? id=2166&type=a