Radicalization in Islam..Where it all began..?
There are those who say that the radical Islamism is the result of something within the doctrine of Islam itself.There are others who say that this terror is actually the consequence of Western interference. I believe that the both group are right in their own ways.
Why do so many people ignore the deleterious impact of Western colonialism on the Muslim world? In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt.In 1830 the French captured Algeria.A decade later,the British annexed Yemen. In 1881 the French took over Tunisia,And a year later the English took over the Egypt.In 1991 Russia annexed parts of Persia while Italy annexed Tripoli-eventually leading the creation of Libya. In 1912 the French occupied Morocco.
A groundswell of resentment against the West was only natural.When colonialism eventually died, it was followed by mass immigration of Muslim into the land of their erstwhile colonial master, and dissatisfied immigrants became the fertile hunting ground for radical imams.
One also cannot ignore the impact of Muslim Brotherhood (Umma).It emerged in 1928 in Egypt,seeking to Islamize society and compel governments in Muslim countries to adhere to Sharia.Several terror groups such as Hamas,Jamaat al-Islamiyya and Al-Qaeda are affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood.In fact the Brotherhood has spawned some of the world's most notorious terrorists.
Then there is the fact that British allowed the Jews to settle in Palestine.The establishment of the state of Israel followed in 1948.The Muslim world was further humiliated when a unified front f Arab armies lost a bitter war to the newly created country of only 600,000 Jews.Muslim resentment peaked.
Frankly though I think that the biggest factor that fulled the growth of radical Islam was the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia in 1938.Until then Wahhabism -the rigid and and fanatic form of Islam-could not really spread far and wide.The discovery of Oil changed that all.The huge inflow of money from the oil wells was used to keep conservative elements of the Saudi state happy.More than 10 Billion Dollars were invested in Islamic charities and the foundation that carried a stark and intolerant version of Islam to different parts of the world.
The overthrow of Shah of Iran as a consequence of the 1979 revolution also gave impetus to Islamist around the world.Iran became the world's first modern Islamic Republic and their new leader,Ayatollah Khomeini,ensured that Sharia became the law of land.
Also one cannot overlook the consequences of the Cold War in accelerating radical Islamist ideology? The Americans used JIHAD as a tool to get the Arab and Afghan fighters to bleed the Soviets out of Afghanistan.Billions of CIA dollars were poured into mujaheddin group through Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence- the ISI. Even the Osama-Bin-Laden was initially supported by the CIA.When the Soviets were defeated,the holy warriors needed the new wars to fight.
America's myopic vision propped up dictators in the Middle East and then toppled then during the Arab Spring.
They did not realize that the choice the Arab world are never about good verus bad.They are often about bad versus worse.While dicators such as Hosni Mubarakh,Saddam Hussein,Basher-al-Assad and Muammar Gaddafi were terible men,they kept Islamist in check and prevented outright Islamization of their countries.They were proverbial lid on can of worms.And we all know what happens when the lid is removed.
Usually the very people demanding the democracy on the streets of Arab world are actually Islamist who look forward to sacrificing all democratic norms at the altar of theocracy,once they are in power.
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