69 million page views

Still not connecting the Strategic Dots?

Reader comment on item: What I Remember: That Unforgettable Morning
in response to reader comment: More aware, but still not enough ...

Submitted by Ron Thompson (United States), Sep 10, 2011 at 21:13

I relate strongly to Daniel Pipes saying he felt safer after the attacks, because he thought Americans would finally wake up to the threat of 'Islamism'. I did not think in such terms in 2001, although I did within weeks begin to wonder what would have happened if we had had a President who was aware of the threat posed by bin Laden before the attack.

But I do think in those terms now - are we safer because of all the attention given to this somber anniversary? I'm not sure, because it seems that we still have not identified our strategic enemy. We still assume that 'Islamism' is some sort of mutant strain, or that it has "hijacked" the 'true' Islam, rather than asking ourselves whether Islamism is the logical apotheosis of Islam. Jave the jihadist "hijacked" islam, or are they the true children of Mohammed's message, and of whom he would be proud?

When we have the religious capitol of Sunni Islam, Saudi Arabia, practicing the most intolerant form of islam for the past 250 years, and the religious capitol of Shia Islam, Iran, pursuing nulcear weapons with all their might, and talking repeatedly, in religious terms, about 'wiping Israel off the map',and of a 'World without America', you might think that the only possible, rational reaction would be for Westren leaders and thinkers to debate whether our strategic enemy was ... the religion itself.

But we're still not there yet, so it's hard to feel safer despite this heightened attention to the anniversary.

Last night i heard Tom Brokaw refer to "perpetual instability" in the Middle East. Now I wouldn't expect a mainstream figure like him to take the next logical step, but since most Moslems everywhere believe, or are incessantly told by their leaders that the most important element of their personal and collective identity is their religion, you .... might .... think that the conclusion, or at least the strong speculation, would be that perhaps ... just perhaps, it is Islam that is the cause of this "perpetual instability."

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (9) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Whose Memories Will We Remember? [69 words]M. ToveySep 13, 2011 17:37189317
What I remember ... [107 words]S BSep 12, 2011 23:45189298
September 11th, 2001 Began My Education About Islam [170 words]AnneMSep 12, 2011 08:26189291
1Should America Feel Safer Today? [263 words]Jim MiddaghSep 11, 2011 14:37189270
Remembering 9/11 [238 words]Isaac FlaksSep 11, 2011 07:26189252
2What I remember that Unforgettable morning. We never saw such bravery, and sacrifice. response to Dr. Pipes. [337 words]DebbieSep 10, 2011 08:01189223
2More aware, but still not enough ... [115 words]kmanSep 9, 2011 22:19189212
2Still not connecting the Strategic Dots? [344 words]Ron ThompsonSep 10, 2011 21:13189212
2You make an important point ... [182 words]kmanSep 12, 2011 01:04189212

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)