Can Democracy Save the Middle East?

Submitted by Frank Vosler (United States), Jan 28, 2006 at 13:57

As Daniel Pipes points out, the elections in the Middle East have served only to display the wide-spread favor and fervor for Jihad in the Muslim world. This includes hatred for Christians and Jews and the intent to conquer and rule the world.

I agree with Mr. Pipes advice to the Western nations, one article of which is for the defeat of radical Islam. I believe he means their military defeat. I agree that we will not have peace until the jihadist spirit is so authoritatively suppressed that this evil genie will go back into the bottle and become dormant for another century or so.

But the jihad spirit has its roots in the Quran and the Hadith (life and sayings of Muhammad) which teach hatred for Jews and Christians and the goal of conquering and ruling the world. Only the missionary work of evangelical Christians, some of whom would be native, can deal with those roots and work a permanent change. The jihadist zeal of the Muslims can create suicide bombers, but the salvation zeal of the Christians can also create willing martyrs – one spiritual power against another.

Unfortunately, the two approaches – the military and the missionary – are incompatible with each other. The Muslims interpret the Western military to be Christian and an arm of the Christian West. For the nonce, it may suffice for the military to afford some liberty and protection for the zealous Christians. Both need to be employed in the Middle East for some time to come.

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