You are right on the dot

Submitted by Prashant (United States), Feb 25, 2012 at 14:49

Dear Dr Pipes:

In the US policy that you prescribed about Syria, you are right on the dot. In my opinion the entire non-Islamic world should take the policy of inaction and contentment when it comes to reacting to the events in the Islamic world. Since Islamic politics hides under the umbrella of Islamic religion, there is no way we can do the right action and convince the Islamists that we are doing anything right. If we intervene militarily, we will get blamed for both the violence that we are responsible for and the violence that we are not involved in. If our intervention is humanitarian, it will be accepted thanklessly and probably would be used against us. Further, with all the oil money that is flowing into Islamic nations, they probably do not need any financial aid any way. Our only attitude with respect to the Islamists should be that we sympathize with their misery, we are here to help if they need but we will defend us if they attack us. And we will speak against them whenever they display hypocrisy and dishonesty.

In the usual human settings, enemy of one's enemy becomes a friend (at least for the short term). That logic does not apply to the Islamic world. We do not know that if we help Assad's opponents, will they remain our friends after they win.

A policy of inaction and propaganda against political Islam is what is needed on a sustained basis. As the Islamic world suffers under the burden of its own policies, and as it hears and sees the truth, hopefully, the light will dawn.

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