"The Enemy Within"

Submitted by Dov Sussman, Esq. (United States), Dec 3, 2003 at 08:47

The astonding fact which emerges from your article on the "social" side of Islamofacsists is that they appear to be normal, well educated and well liked within their communities.

While I agree with our analysis that a "root cause" theory is inapplicable to these individuals or the movement they represent, I wonder if the laudatory comments by their friends and family members are not indicative of the need for a more pervasive cognitive analysis.

The Nazi and facist movements managed to stand logic on its head. These movements were masters of what Orwell would refer to as "doublethink". It may be the case that the Islamofacists, the inheritors of the Nazi ideaology, are engaged in much the same intellectual exercise. The societal compatriots of the terrorists may sincerely believe the comments they make regarding the terrorists simply because they emotionally connect on the fundamental level of hatred for America, Jews and Western Traditions such as democracy and capitalism.

If this analysis is substantially correct, then the proponents of democracy and free enterprise face a challenge similar to that faced by England in 1940-41. Perhaps it is time to heed the admonition of Mr. Churchill when he pointed out that if the forces of Naziism, (read terrorism), are not confronted and destroyed, the world will enter upon a new "Dark Age", of umimaginable horrific proportions.

Perhaps it is not sufficient for free societies to wait patiently for the Islamofacists to recant and reform themselves. Perhaps the price of living in a free society is the wholehearted committment to the values of that society. If the commitment to freedom, as defined by western thought and culture, is not a part of the zeitgeist of the Muslim community, then it is time for them to remove themselves to a more intellectually hospitable environment such as Iran, Syria or Saudi Arabia. it is simply not possible to tolerate an ideaology which requires the destruction of our value system. I believe Mr. Churchill once said that self defense does not require that one be shot dead before shooting back.

It is important to embrace dissent. It is equally important to combat treason.

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