Pipes is right but the clarity of his message is obscure

Submitted by Rick House (United States), Feb 2, 2007 at 16:41

What we see in Islam today is the creation of Islamic institutional structures. When Islam joins with political structures, it's forced to adapt itself and create corresponding structures of its own. When the Saudi Kingdom joined with Islam in Saudi Arabia, Islamic schools were created. When Islam joined the political movement to oust the Shah in Iran, Islam created a theocracy to replace it. When muslims fought French colonialism in Algeria, Islam created and maintained military cells to aid in the fight. It did the same thing in Palestine, Egypt, Indonesia, etc...

What I'm saying is...

Islam is the simplest of the Desert religions. It is focused almost entirely on an individual's personal relationship with Allah. The five Pillars define this relationship. Historically and textually, it has no institutional hierarchy. However, because of Islam's simplicity, it is also highly adaptable. With each new threat -- either perceived or actual -- followers of it are gradually creating Islamic institutions, perhaps even an Islamic church. .. Think about it. Today, when we talk of the conflict, we talk about newly created quasi-political and militant entities and personalities, not Islam. These selfsame entities and personalities are what Pipes is calling radical... The religion of Islam is something entirely different. It exists, as it always has, as one of the three major belief systems in the world.

Pipes and Bush are right. The problems we confront are not derived from Islam. The problems stem from the entities and personalities that are using the faith as a binding agent to achieve political, economic, sectarian, cultural, and criminal goals of their own devising.

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