American government erroneously urges democratizing Muslim societies. In those undeveloped societies, Islamists are the only opposition to corrupt regimes, and free elections invariably bring Islamists to power. Civilized countries like Iran eventually develop semi-secular alternatives to mullahs, while Palestinian peasants can only replace Islamists with a civil war between gangs. Democracy is a simple, self-evident form of government. Where it didn’t develop, it was for a reason. It is astonishingly arrogant on the part of US administration to imagine that in Iraq, Ukraine, Lebanon, or Palestine locals didn’t know about democracy but now, when taught, will embrace it. Most societies, especially poor, discontent, and fragile do not need democracy.
Take Turkey where the popular approval ratings of America sunk to mere 2%. Would it be better off if democratic elections in Turkey bring Islamists to power? Is there a freedom to sell oneself into slavery? Who needs democratic elections which result in Islamist government that bans democracy? Yet America and the EU constantly criticize Turkish military for influencing the politics. A friendly military government is better than democratically elected Islamist government; if that’s not self-evident, learn it from the done deals in Lebanon and Palestine. A democratically elected Islamist government in Turkey – the seat of the caliphate and most prominent Muslim empire – would hold enormous credibility among Muslims worldwide. A strong, heavily militarized Islamic Turkey at Europe’s borders will repeat the Gates of Vienna scenario – defeated, yes, but at a great cost.
The main peddlers of democracy in Islamic world are Western leftists who cling to the old socialist doctrine of destroying the old world and consciously building a bright future on its ruins. So far, they did well at making ruins. Islamic democracy is leftists’ best hope. What their darling Stalin didn’t achieve, democratically elected nuclear mullahs and Pakistani sheikhs can do. They can rip the Western world – not annihilate it, but inflict tremendous damage and possibly clear the scene for leftists to build a new, rationally designed West. Russian Bolsheviks likewise cooperated with Germany during the WWI. Socialists need devastation, and Islamic governments can deliver it.
The West cannot uphold oppressive regimes in Islamic lands indefinitely. Foreign-sponsored regimes failed in Vietnam, Iran, Afghanistan and plenty of other countries. Common Muslims resent Western support for their oppressors. Nasser and Khomeini took power in two major Islamic states despite Western wishes. Foreigners cannot stem the tide of social changes. Whatever support is now offered to Mubarak, Muslim Brotherhood will come to power in Egypt. The problem is not democracy or absence thereof. The West must wage a three-pronged war on Muslims: a propaganda war against Islam (as the US fought communism in the minds of Soviet people), military containment, and economic boycott (Osama says the oil is underpriced, let him drink it; buy Russian oil).
Any other policy would end up in Reconquista.
Sir,
In my view, democracy has never been a feature-permanent or even temporary-of the Islamic world.Right from the time of their Prophet, they have been ruled by despots and dictators, be it the first four Caliphs or the Abbasids, Umayyads,or the Pahlavis in Iran.The Muslims have always needed an iron hand to govern their largely unruly societies and prefer such iron hands to preside over their destiny even to-day.The Indian subcontinent provides a classic instance of the point I am trying to make.Both the Hindu-Buddhists, Sikhs, as well as the Muslims were exposed to colonial British rule for an equal number of years.And yet,sixty years after independence (and partition)what is the picture to-day? While in India, democracy and its attendant benefits are virtually a way of life with the people, Pakistan never has been able to get the democratic values ingrained into its ethos,always preferring to be guided by one dictator or the other. And it is never always the power-usurping Army who can be said to be responsible for this sordid phenomenon. The people ultimately get the form of government they deserve. Let America be guided by this simple axiom in all its efforts directed at restoring democracy in the Islamic world.
Jaisingh Thakur
Jaisingh Thakur.
I find the comments by Jaisingh without basis. Every historical event, moment has its political and economical basis. Democracy is not a monolithic entity but evolves within societies.
Jaisingh excuses the abomination of colonialism and slavery forgetting the damage done to the very individual nature of freedom and liberty. Colonialism stole from all people their very basis of democracy, whatever its form, and replaced it by dictatorships and war mongers around the Arab world and most of Africa.
The responsibility and criminality of today lies upon those that colonized these lands and people and not on the people that were subjugated to the point of slavery. Colonialism is racism.
a boycott on oil doesnt work very well.
For every barrel you refuse you buy you just make that barrel slightly cheaper for china or whoever else feels like buying it. And the west's strategic policy in that sort of context is in the hands of the liberals, they can't start propoganda campaigns against a religion or ethnic group. Military containment is ok as long as they define their objectives in an achievable manner.
A boycott is not good. Seems cruel.
Why does some of American, Gooverment exactly, make difference between Islam with other religions? I think it's same with the other religions, they have to reach one goal and they have God, isn't it?
Gamal: I don't think that Blacks or Muslims enjoyed liberty before being occupied by colonial powers. Tribal societies were oppressive.
GNZ: But China can buy only so much oil, much less than the West.
Spectre: What makes a cruel measure wrong?
The EU/Europe would be effectively paying a massive subsidy to Chinese energy prices (by making Russian oil scarce and expensive and Iranian oil cheap and Chinese) and they wouldn’t be happy doing that while China is already on the fast track to taking their productive jobs and owning all their currency.
As it is they should already be concerned about the massive disparity in the source of production and consumption and the Kyoto effect.
Gamal: don'to forget that slavery was sponsored, to a great extent, by local african leaders, who traded their brothers and sisters for money and bric-a-brac. Jaisingh raises interesting point: why all muslim societies, with the possible exception of Turkey, did not embrace democrasy as a way of life? Care to answer?
Spectre: difference between Islam and other religion (at present time) is that too many Muslims want to impose their beliefs and way of life on others.
to continue:
Spectre: statement about cruelty of boycott doesn't make much sense. By refusing to buy oil from Middle East countries, the world could stop subsidizing terrorism. You think it's cruel for Osama?
Islam does not want violence. We love peace. If some muslems do not look peaceful, it's not Islam's problem. It's because of the situation .We do not confirm their violent works and try to show all muslems that Islam hates killing innocent people.
Why don't you think that Zionists (not Jews or Israelis) are making some situations that cause a violent world to use that to show themselves right?
Lucknow: A teenage Muslim girl was killed by her parents last night and her body chopped into pieces because she dared to elope and marry the man she loved.
Mohsina Akhtar's murder came to light when Muzaffarnagar police stopped three persons carrying a huge gunny bag. Inside were pieces of the 18-year-old's body and a chopper and an axe used in the "honour killing".
Superintendent of police (rural) Arvind Pandey said the three Mohsina's mother Iqbal Jehan, maternal uncle Kallu Mohsin and brother Mohsin - confessed they were on their way to dump the pieces in a canal near Lalauna, the west Uttar Pradesh village where Mohsina was murdered.
Pandey said Iqbal told him it was the body of a "shaitan" (devil). "Yeh shaitan meri beti thi. Humne unko maar dala (This devil was my daughter. We have killed her)."
"All three admitted that they killed Mohsina because she loved a Muslim boy from a neighbouring village and married him after eloping a month back," the officer said. "I have handled many such incidents of honour killing but this was one of the most gruesome."
Police sources said the girl's father, Mohammad Akhtar, who hasn't been arrested, will be questioned tomorrow.
Senior superintendent of police Sushil Kumar said Iqbal, who has another daughter, didn't betray any remorse. "When they were produced in court today, she was silent, as were Kallu and Mohsin. Iqbal said she had to kill her. She said she was not feeling good after the murder but has no regrets," the SSP added.
Residents said one reason for the lack of regret is the increasing social recognition such honour killings - common in the northwest frontier region of Pakistan - are getting in western Uttar Pradesh.
"Villagers often pool money to bear the legal expenses of a family that kills a wayward daughter," said a resident of adjoining Baghpat.
"An elopement makes it difficult for a family to get a match for other daughters," said Rajiv Soni, a social worker.
According to police files, 23 cases of honour killings have been reported in the Baghpat-Muzaffarnagar-Saharanpur-Bijnor region since 2006, including six this year in Muslim families. Yesterday, a woman who had been forced into marriage was shot dead by her brother for refusing to go to her marital home.
"I suspect hardcore fundamentalist elements are encouraging these incidents," said Shaista Amber, a member of the All India Muslim Women's Personal Law Board.
Mohsina had fallen in love with Mukhtar Mahmud, 20, a resident of Bilaspur, a village about 2km from her home. The family had recently shifted to Lalauna, where Mohsina's maternal uncles live, and found that neighbours knew about the affair. Her uncle Kallu told the police that the family tried to stop her as society frowns upon such relationships.
But Mohsina and Mukhtar eloped and got married last month. Soon, the whispers "inki ladki bhaag gai hai" - got louder. The family's instant reaction was fear of social ostracism. Iqbal had to marry off another daughter. So Mohsina had to be killed.
Unconfirmed reports said a small group of elderly residents also ruled that Mohsina should be killed to protect the family's honour.
The young couple made the mistake of returning home last week. Last night, Mohsina was hanged from a ceiling fan of a room in her maternal uncles' house. Her body was then taken to a cattle shed where it was cut into pieces.
Correption and Democracy are Synonymus to each other, because democracy is dependent on mass support which is regulated by mob psychology and violence. The people of world profess that you go to hell with your ideology tell me what profit I may gain through my vote.