Militant Islam

There is a similarity between the old Soviet Union and the modern militant Islamists movement. There is also a dissimilarity.

Did the leadership of the Soviet Union aspire to have world dominance? Yes.
Did every Soviet citizen share their ambition? No.
Do the leaders in the militant Islamic movement desire world dominance? Yes.
Does every member of the Islamic community desire world dominance? No.
Did virtually every American and citizen of Europe realize the Soviet objective? Yes.
Do citizens of those two societies today realize militant Islamist’s desire world dominance? No.

Back to the members of the Islamic community who are not committed to militant Islamic world dominance. They are in a difficult position. Many easterners are suspicious they are covert militants. Conversely militant Islamists distrust them because they are not overt militants. I see this in Israel a lot when visiting there.

Some few folks in America are harshly critical of Christianity saying Christians want to make America a theocracy ruled by Old Testament laws. I have known a lot of Christian leaders across America and I have known only two who expressed such interest. Neither has any national influence and little local creditability. It simply is not an issue.

Persons concerned about efforts to make America a theocracy need to become activists, but they need to realize the theocracy militant Islamists have in mind is ruled by Sharia Law.

I had a very stimulating conversation with an intellectual leader from Atlanta recently who said the current unrest in the middle-east has no religious basis. This he has concluded in spite of Islamic religious leaders, Mullahs, calling for a global jihad, that is, a Holy war to eradicate all Jews, Christians and other infidels. The politically aggressive Muslim Brotherhood is a religiously based organization. They are the ones who killed Egyptian President Anwar Sadat when he made peace with Israel and tried to create a more inclusive Egyptian society.

The person arguing there is no religious influence in militant Islam explained than “jihad” simply means to do a favor for god. If given that point the favor they are calling for needs to be considered. It is stated by militant Islamists as the annihilation of all Jews, Christians, and other infidels. Persons identified by either of those titles need to pay attention to what is going on in the world.

What is happening in Egypt is an attempt by the Muslim Brotherhood, a religious based movement, to make Egypt an Islamic state, a theocracy. Taking power gives Muslim clerics oversight over all legislation and imposes restrictions on freedom of speech, women’s rights, and basic liberties.

Arab countries are predisposed toward an Islam form of government and though we know a republic is a better form of government, we will never be successful forcing it on them and we should not try. Likewise, we need to be vigilant about encroachments by their form of government.

Let’s hope the present generation is as vigilant and dedicated as the one that stopped the Soviet red tide.