69 million page views

The Somalization of The Islamic World?

Reader comment on item: Further Thoughts on Not Intervening in Syria

Submitted by Ron Thompson (United States), Jun 14, 2012 at 13:01

I'm glad to see the vigorous response Dr. Pipes has received to his strong column against US intervention in the death struggle of the Alawite government in Syria, both as to his bottom line and the reasons he gives. We need to have this debate not only with regard to the increasingly deadly and no-end-in-sight struggle in Syria, but to the related struggles throughout the Muslim world from Morocco to Pakistan, and not excluding that darling of those who believe that something like a 'Muslim democracy' can EVER be created, Turkey.(I believe Turkey has produced something like a one-election-only democracy).

The larger question is whether the entire world of Islam, possibly if not certainly excluding Indonesia and Malaysia - nations not originally Islamified by the sword - are not collectively on a path to 'Somalization', an awkward word first heard from a correspondent.

Looking beyond Somalia to Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, Libya, Tuniisa, Egypt, and Nigeria,do we not see a pattern that the more these countreeis, or their most active political minorities, see their salvation through 'More Islam', do we not also see increasing fragmentation, disintegration, violence, chaos, anarchy, and the wholesale suffocation of Rights for everybody? At the same time, in all these countries do we see any remotely competitive politcal impulse, except the retention of authoritarian military autocracies/kleptocracies?

Maybe sometime, we should face; however belatedly and overdue, the possibility that what is wrong in all these societies is what is most important to their identities, namely the core beliefs and, much more, the core practices, of their religion?

When you hear that all the Muslim societies named WANT to be governed by Sharia law, and understand that Sharia law mandates the death penalty for blasphemy and apostasy, mandates virtual slavery for women (regarded as half the worth of men), hates democracy as 'man-made' law opposed to the perfect 'divine law' of Islam (which calls all believers to wage international and perpetual war on all non-believers), perhaps it's time to conclude that such societies are incompatible with the liberty, prosperity, and good order of all other societies. and that our dealings with them should be limited, to the largest extent possible, to our own national security and economic interests, keeping as far as possible out of their hopeless internal struggles.

to those who say, Oh we can't be uninvolved with their struggles because of our humanitarian beliefs, and because they present a threat to our own safety, I would reply, in agreement with Pipes, that we cannot ultimately determine their fate. And second, that while there is certainly some danger of terrorist threats, the more likely result is that they will implode on themselves and become, collectively, less of a threat and nuisance to the other civilizations on this crowded planet.

Ironically, as these societies make themselves weaker by 'doubling down' on a religion that is incompatible with civilized life, the bigger threat from that religion may be coming, not from countries smothered beneath it many centuries ago, but from its burgeoning aggression among large immigrant communities in the prosperous societies to which its adherents have immigrated, societies which have foolishly financed their aggression by irresponsibly generous welfare programs which should be confined to citizens and immigrants not imbedded and psychologically trapped in an totalitarian ideology.

Ron Thompson

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

Reader comments (38) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Dr. Pipes-How is It That the Pin is Dropping in Syria and No One Will Hear it? [227 words]M. ToveyAug 9, 2012 13:54197774
1We should stay out of the Middle East!!! [30 words]Doug ReesJul 8, 2012 21:53197080
A bit of truth, anyone? [111 words]Simon SalosnyJul 8, 2012 00:45197063
Why Not the Whole Truth..... [224 words]M. ToveyJul 12, 2012 10:52197063
Why not the whole truth? [233 words]simonsonJul 12, 2012 20:43197063
Whole Truth-Seriously? [279 words]M. ToveyJul 13, 2012 18:31197063
Why not the whole truth? [420 words]simon salosnyJul 14, 2012 19:22197063
Whole Truth - Who in the Middle East is Seeking It - Indeed, Who in the Entire World? [892 words]M. ToveyJul 16, 2012 14:25197063
THE WHOLE TRUTH [256 words]simon salosnyJul 17, 2012 11:28197063
The World and Its Lack of Seeking the Whole Truth [1370 words]M. ToveyJul 19, 2012 16:13197063
Truth [464 words]simonsonJul 19, 2012 20:32197063
Truth Will Conquer All [375 words]M. ToveyJul 24, 2012 13:34197063
About the Christians in Syria [170 words]BoogiemanJul 6, 2012 02:11197030
Infidel disbelief [45 words]steveJul 2, 2012 13:13196893
1Solution [18 words]Dan SchnittkerJun 19, 2012 12:03196457
Who's unhappy about what's going on in Syria? [235 words]Waell MurrayJun 19, 2012 00:48196446
1The biggest reason to stay out of Syria [17 words]There is NO Santa ClausJun 18, 2012 20:56196442
Damned if you do, damned it you don't. [68 words]peter LegurJun 18, 2012 08:29196423
1Syria vs Sudan vs Libya [168 words]StasJun 17, 2012 21:13196416
We should stay away from all conflicts but one [128 words]Lujack SkylarkJul 2, 2012 20:50196416
2another point to consider [257 words]deeJun 15, 2012 14:41196377
1helping other nations liberate themselves is always an opportunity, but Obama is not a liberator [541 words]CyrusJun 14, 2012 19:14196357
Determining Appropriate Sources of Humanitarian Aid [502 words]M. ToveyJun 14, 2012 16:37196355
Syrian Christians [56 words]jgetsJun 14, 2012 16:33196354
2Yes but, [175 words]dannyboyJun 14, 2012 14:13196350
Syria and the great Islamic Schism [125 words]Paul JefferyJun 14, 2012 13:20196349
3The Somalization of The Islamic World? [550 words]Ron ThompsonJun 14, 2012 13:01196348
American Foreign Legion ... [231 words]ben hJun 14, 2012 12:54196347
I agree [125 words]stanley bJun 15, 2012 16:35196347
1Non-intervention by the US is the correct path [196 words]Carey PageJun 14, 2012 09:02196340
USA help with Muslim Obama? [129 words]simon salosnyJul 9, 2012 10:22196340
1The sword of Islam [17 words]Costas KalotarisJun 14, 2012 08:57196339
1Further Thoughts on Not Intervening in Syria [197 words]JudithJun 14, 2012 07:48196338
2Partition should be the goal [35 words]Gregory RodbanJun 14, 2012 07:20196337
2We have to think and think before we Act [100 words]Michael Hanni MorcosJun 14, 2012 23:54196337
Partition can never happen [109 words]saraJun 15, 2012 14:58196337
Syrian people [102 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
StasJun 14, 2012 02:03196333
1Isn't Western intervention how all the trouble started in the first place? [72 words]stanley bJun 9, 2012 22:30196188

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.)