A deep malaise

Submitted by Peter J. Herz (Taiwan), Oct 26, 2003 at 19:13

Mahatir's comments, which involved statements about Jews ruling the world by proxy, show the depth of the Islamic malaise, and why the war on terror is going to be long and painful. It is also likely that when Bush and his crew attempt to set Mahatir straight, the Malaysian leader probably will go away thinking he has found confirmation of his beliefs.

If a leader with international experience and capabilities in several languages believes such things about the Jews, what can be expected from the Muslim street? Some of the examples Dr. Pipes gives offer a chilling glimpse.

But, worst of all, Mahatir's comments (and those of Bashir al-Assad) suggest that the Islamic world is so lacking in intellectual power that it must import another culture's shopworn and discredited superstitions to explain its own inability to either defeat or constructively engage the Israelis.

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