Book Summary

Book: Islam And The West [Conflict or Cooperation]

Submitted to: Ma`am Sadiya Tasleem
Submitted by: Jawad Ali Khan
Semester: IV
Date: December 9, 2013

Chapter 1
September 11 and its aftermath
The 9/11 attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon, perpetrated by Osama Bin
Laden

and

his

extremist

Islamic

network,

Al-Qaeda,

proved

to

be

multidimensional because it killed many, destroyed property and economic

opportunities and broke the bubble of US invulnerability. Before this incident, US
had been investing all its energies in bracing herself up to meet any aggressive
state who might threaten its status quo. However, the September 11 attacks
changed her paradigm of security because they were carried out by a non-state
actor, who has an extensive international network, for which US was not ready at
all. Hence, US was confronted with international terrorism. It prompted the US
administration to revise its policies to reinforce the status of sole superpower, by
firstly identifying and secondly waging war against the enemy. Inquiries were
made into the security collapse and weaker points of defence. A Super-Department
of Homeland Security was created on the proposal of George W.Bush. Military
expenditure was increased to build more sophisticated and deadlier weapons; and
the policies of containment and deterrence were swapped with pre emptive strikes,
which means bomb first and explain later. What worried Washington was the
possibility that the state sponsored non-state actors might acquire nuclear weapons

and inflict more severe irreparable loss. Although, America is the main beneficiary
of globalization since she controls the information technology and exercises
expansive corporate influence, but she had never thought about how prone she was
to the phenomenon through which a bunch of men with cheap and effective use of
transcontinental means of communications, finance and technological innovations
could cause apocalyptic attacks. This drove America to adopt strict laws with
respect to the movement and transfer of people, capital and technology, which are
anti-globalization in their nature, and could have serious consequences in the
coming years. There was a general belief in the West that poverty, lack of
education and social deprivation generated violence and terrorism. Paul
Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank, regularly urged the richer countries to
help poor countries to have peace at international level. However, less
consideration was given to the fact that religious extremism, wealth and political
causes could prove to be a more deadly combination than poverty and social
deprivation in the making of terrorists. The discourse that was generated after 9/11
brought Samuel Huntington and his theory Clash of Civilizations to the center
stage of debate. He suggested the West to strengthen itself to ward off enemies
especially Islam. Edward Said criticized him for his theory by saying that his
theory overlooked the heterogeneity within a civilization. But despite the criticism,
Huntington said his theory was vindicated by the 9/11 attacks since the terrorists

did not act because of poverty. Amin Saikal writes, what provoked Osama Bin
Laden was not civilizational rather political in nature, backed by previous
historical experiences and the 9/11 attacks does not speak of a homogeneity within
the Muslim World-when the Afghanistan was liberated from Taliban regime,
people celebrated the topple and welcomed West to fight religious extremism.
The Bush administration chalked out short term and long term objectives. The
short term objectives were to soothe public anger and despair within US and
restore Americans` confidence; to tell the hostile forces, US would not tolerate any
transgression or offence and to reassert its superpower status at home and abroad.
Whereas, the distant objectives were to shape world environment conducive for
widening and safeguarding the US interests while making life difficult for anti-US
elements and thirdly to challenge anti-status quo developments. To achieve short
term objectives, President Bush used political and military tools. He accused the
prime suspect Osama Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network for being immoral,
devoid of virtue or reason and praised US to be the repository of morality,
freedom, justice, democracy and civilization. It was also announced that the
perpetrators would be punished by launching military, economic and diplomatic
campaigns. Although, Al-Qaeda`s network is widespread over 60 countries,
Afghanistan was where the campaign had to start from because Bin Laden and his
lieutenants were based there, protected by Taliban regime. America started gaining

public support and international community`s consent, thus patriotism and

international moral legitimacy justified US move which divided the world into
good and evil: You are either with us or against us. America promised rewards
for her supporters whereas isolation and castigation for who failed to extend their
support. It brought her European allies, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and a
number of key Muslim states from Africa, Middle East and South Asia, most
importantly Pakistan who has remained the main sponsor of the Taliban who are in
alliance with Al-Qaeda. Within a month of the 9/11, an operation Operation
Enduring Freedom was launched and by December 2001 Taliban and Al-Qaeda
were bombed out of power. A new government was setup under the US influence,
stating Hamid Karzai as the new President of Afghanistan, who was moderate and
modern pro American Pashtun figure. The change in regime created a rare
opportunity for peace after the past two invasions-one overt by USSR and another
covert by Pakistan through Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
US was very prudent while portraying its campaign and insisted, the campaign was
not against Islam or Muslims rather against the terrorists who had hijacked Islam.
British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, tried to reinforce Bush`s narrative through
visits and well-crafted speeches in an effort to soothe the anger of Muslims. He
maintained that West had high regards for Islam but barbaric and evil acts could
not be defended rather it has demeaned Islam whereas Islam is the religion of

peace and tolerance. Meanwhile, the West wanted President Musharraf to be at the
frontline in war on terror. They offered him rewards, forgiveness to him and
Pakistan military for demolishing democracy in Pakistan and supporting Taliban
and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. While in the backdrop of such developments, there
emerged three views in the West. The first was contained in the official statements
of US that the war was not a crusade as Bush had earlier tongue-slipped which had
attracted widespread criticism and White House had to take back their words. The
second view was that Western civilization was superior to Islam as it guaranteed
wellbeing and respect for humanity in contrast to Islam. Hence, West needed to
conquer Islam as it had earlier done with communism. And the third view
denounced Islam as a religion which inspired terrorism and produced terrorists.
Muslims were suspicious of the US motives and objectives after 9/11. US and its
allies framed new policies that adhered to the afore mentioned views and
monitored, especially the visitors and immigrants from Muslim world. These
procedures proved to be fruitful as a number of Al-Qaeda activists were arrested;
but the procedures also undermined the human rights for which the liberal
democracies of West publicly stand.
A diverse reaction was seen in the Muslim world. Everyone at their official level
appreciated America`s initiatives except Saddam Hussain who stated US policies
to have been the cause of the 9/11. Some of the governments, who had supported

US in its war, did not stand on common grounds with their populations. There
were outbursts in some countries where the Islamic radicals protested and sided
with Bin Laden but were suppressed by their governments.
Muslims found themselves squeezed and suffocated between domestic repression
and external vilification which bred anger and hostility in them towards the West.
They were further infuriated when America gave freehand to right wing Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who envisioned on making a Greater Israel by
inflicting sufferings and confiscating Palestinian lands.
There are actually four types of Muslims who hold four different types of views
about 9/11.
The first type of Muslim is moderate Islamist. He views Islam as a dynamic
ideology of political and social transformation, meaningful ideology of opposition
to authoritarian regimes at home, but also rejects resorting to violence for
achieving objectives, unless and until his religion, his life and liberty are at stake or
invaded. Most of the informed and intellectual Muslims belong or fall under this
heading. They reject the 9/11 attacks as unacceptable and dissociate Islam from
violence. A moderate Islamist blames US and its allies for not making enough
efforts at comprehending Islam in its true nature. On one side, he loves West but
on the other detests their policies towards Muslims.

The second type of Muslim is radical Islamist. He shares some commonalities with
the moderate Islamist with respect to the fundamentals of Islam; but differs in
puritanical disposition, orthodox political and social strategies. He is the proponent
of Shariah law to be imposed as the law of state and has fluctuations in his views
when it comes to the imposition of political and social views and application of
violence. Sometimes he thinks it is legitimate while at other times thinks of it as
illegitimate. He is not against modernity but holds West as responsible for the
cultural, economic, political and social decay of Muslims. He approves the actions
of a violent Muslim to be legitimate against the US behavior. He also believes the
9/11 attacks to have been carried out by the orthodox Christians who dominate the
West administrative machinery and have replaced Islam with Soviet Union as their
enemy.
The third type of Muslim is neo-fundamentalist Islamist, who is strict in the
interpretation and implementation of Islam, based on the teachings of a particular
school of thought. He is more of an extremist than radical Islamist, who prefers
violence as not only a means to bring about change but also to govern. He is poorly
educated but well groomed in a particular religious setting. He can be best
described as far more puritanical, sectarian, self-righteous, single-minded,
discriminatory, xenophobic and coercive. The Taliban militia, Saudi-based Wahabi
and Pakistani Deobandi groups are some of its examples. A neo-fundamentalist is

exploited by the radical Islamist to further his interests, including armed or

unarmed operations. It can be best understood by the example of the linkage
between Al-Qaeda and Taliban, in which Al-Qaeda gave money and fighters to
Taliban who reciprocated with providing home and security to them.
The fourth type of Muslim is ordinary Muslim, simple and occupied by his daily
life, who can be mobilized and manipulated by neo-fundamentalists and radical
Islamists. He is recruited by the Taliban, brainwashed and his thoughts are shaped
by them or the local preachers. The views of such type of Muslims about 9/11
ranges from dislike to indifferent attitude.
These diverse attitudes and views in the West and in the Muslim world have
created a lot of confusions and misunderstandings which needs to be understood in
order to improve the relations between the West and the domain of Islam.

Chapter 2
Shared Values and Conflicts: The historical experience
The earlier history of the bilateral relations between Islam and Christianity was
marked by peaceful relations. But later, certain elements, from both sides, sowed
seeds of hatred to their self-interests.
Islam, Christianity and Judaism share much in terms of both belief and values. The
three of them were revealed with monotheistic faiths, which command man to lead
his life with piety and truthfulness and cautions strongly against the life on earth
because it defies His commands.
Both, Christianity and Islam, stresses on the need to be just, compassionate,
merciful, modest, humble, and forgiving and promises rewards in the life hereafter.
Allah commands Muslims to respect all the apostles of God and the revealed
books. Not only that but to look after their followers and provide them freedom
and protection if they happen to be living under an Islamic rule. But Allah also
forbids Muslims from confrontation with them, except for the followers of other
faiths. It is said in Surah IX in the Holy Quran, to fight those who violate your
religion and betray your trust: Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last
Day, nor hold that forbidden which had been forbidden by Allah and His Apostle,

nor acknowledge the religion of Truth(even if they are) of the people of the Book,
until they pay the Jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued.
Islam preaches, as does Christianity, and Judaism, to not take anyone`s life for it is
sacred. Allah says in Surah XII: Nor take life- which Allah has made sacredexcept for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, We have given his heir
authority( to demand Qisas Or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the
matter of taking life: for he is helped( by the Law).
Jihad means struggle against one`s evil inclination. However, it has been
differently interpreted to meet ends at different times. It is basically of two types:
the greater Jihad or the personal spiritual struggle; and lesser Jihad or the warfare
form of struggle. Quran stresses upon the first form of Jihad, and so has our Holy
Prophet (PBUH) showcased through his Sunna. But the lesser Jihad has received
much importance as was seen in the shape of Mujahideen fighting against USSR in
Afghanistan, the Palestinian Hamas, Lebanese Hezbullah and Kashmiri Harkat-UlMujahideen. Our Prophet(PBUH) and his followers did get engage in the lesser
Jihad but primarily to defend Islam and the Islamic community. It was defensive
war which is known as just war in the West. Islam does not allow one to commit
suicide while fighting because that is not Jihad. If one engages in self-sacrifice for
ends other than the defence of Islam and takes his own life, it is suicide. As such,
the notion of suicidal action to take one`s own life and lives of innocent

noncombatants for political objectives has no place in the definition of Jihad. Only
a learned and well known religious scholar or jurist can declare Jihad through
Ijtihaad. Ijtihaad was practiced before but Sunni leaders declared it as closed and
ordered jurists to use the past legal decisions because Ijtihaad could lead to creative
interpretations of the application of Shariah. This act created a gap and gave a
setback to Muslims who did not transform and adapt according to the prevailing
conditions and situations. It resulted in their conservation and failure to understand
and benefit from European liberalism, utilitarianism, empiricism, and scientific and
technological innovations.
Muslims had peaceful coexistence with Jews and Christians during the first five
centuries of Islam. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) always persisted on teaching
principles of tolerance, persuasion and cooperation against warfare and bloodshed.
It was instrumental in creating bridges of trust and understanding between the
followers of the three faiths. Even after the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
when Islamic conquests spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula, Muslims maintained
respect for the other revealed religions. It attracted a lot many people from
different faiths to live under the folds of Islam with dignity, freedom and
protection and participate and contribute to its achievements and be rewarded.
There was no perfect harmony but a remarkable degree of peace was achieved.

Everything changed with the invasions of crusaders, Western colonialists, and

imperial encroachments upon the Muslim world. They left distrust, hatred, and
enmity between many of the orthodox followers of the three religions. The
crusaders were bent upon brutality, humiliation towards Muslims and inflicted
such sufferings upon Jews which made them think Christians were to be more
feared than the Muslims. Yet the Muslims did not punish the Christians, in the
domain of Islam, for the acts of the crusaders. Later the Muslim Khalifas continued
with their conquests and expansionism but never stopped or meddled in the
religion of Christian and Jews.
The colonists divided and captured territories of the Ottoman Empire which
saddened the Muslims to have lost control over their territories. Their memories of
the crusades were reborn and they viewed all these invasions as efforts against
their identity, religion, culture and way of life. Few Muslims became secularists
and adopted the ways of West, whereas others were forced out by the colonial
powers who in retaliation wanted to reform and reorganize their communities
according to Islamic teachings. They chose different approaches, while staying
within the premises of Islamic framework. It gave birth to various movements such
as Wahabi movement, Muslim Brotherhood and pan-Islamic movement. Some
chose to go for Jiihad and fight head on. Others got associated with Sufism and
wanted revival through education.