The West not to blame for Islamism

Submitted by M Taylor (Malaysia), May 14, 2013 at 23:35

Daniel, you jump from a successful Islam in 1200AD to an Islam confronted and opposed by Westerners in 1800. This leaves the reader to believe Islamism is the result of defeat by and resentment of the West. You conveniently omit the annihilation of much of Islamic society by Genghis Khan and his descendants, who decimated all they conquered leaving so little left Islamic societies were reduced to sustenance existences.

Islamic cultures never recovered, with Islam being preached and spread by those now ignorant of past scientific and cultural achievements. Contact with the East from the 13th century onwards rather than contact with the West has detrimentally influenced Islam the most. I also take issue with your somewhat glib notion that Islamism will be defeated by appealing to moderates. Defeat of fascism and communism occurred through strength and resolve, and willingness to fight for liberal, democratic values. islam, like fascism and communism is a doctrine, but Islam absolves individuals of responsibility. Everything is the will of god, from events beyond an individuals control through to their own thoughts and actions. This absolution of responsibility is not what or who we are as a species and in earlier times would have resulted in extinction. It is this fundamental belief that must be changed is we are to live alongside each other or even truly prosper. Without this change Islam will be an enemy of human development for centuries.

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