Unfortunately, you can't unring the bell, and to withdraw from Iraq now would plunge the entire region into misery and bloodshed (more so, that is). A more nuanced understanding of the complexities of Islamic societies and the unique problems they face would go a long way toward ensuring that the American intervention in Iraq ends up being a force for good. As such, Gerges gives a shadow of a warning to the prison keepers of Baghdad, Bagram and beyond: "Arab/Muslim prisons, particularly their torture chambers, have served as incubators for generations of jihadis." It should go without saying that it is a grave error for the Bush administration to follow the Muslim autocracies down the dangerous path of torture and degradation. No good can possibly come of it.
Of course, even though we have forcibly taken it upon ourselves, the task of transforming Muslim societies is not up to us. Gerges writes that the role of Western powers should be to pressure their Muslim allies to change. But, in the end, lasting and positive changes in these societies must be built from the ground up. A truly better life can only be created by those destined to live it.
Originally published as Unmasking the Faces of Jihad
Article comments
1 - ss
Nice review, and I plan to read this one. Also, thanks ti Blogcritics, I doubt I would have heard of this book at all if I hadn't heard of it here.
I read the other day that a man publishing a women's rights magazine in Afghanistan had been arrested. The article described sharia scholars who function as advisers to the Afghani Supreme Court.
It seems like Bush might be pushing the idea of 'spreading freedom' here in the States by showing elections and dictators on trial. Meanwhile in Afghanistan and SCIRI controlled Iraq he's letting the al-Qareeb take a leading role in the courts.
The worst case end result, if we play into the al-Baeed's hands by creating more virulently anti-West young Muslims, would be less freedom in the country we bled (and made others bleed with us) in, and more martyrs for the al-Baeed.
Although on the bright side, for us, we can still count on the al-Baeed to use their new found recruits and munitions to kill other Muslims instead of taking advantage of our tactical errors.
There doesn't appear to be much of a bright side for modern Muslims in all of this.
2 - Silvana
No offense, but Fawaz Gerges is a Lebanese Chrsitian from the North of Lebanon. Just wanted to correct this mis-information.
Thank you