By Ahmed Charai
A historic tragedy is at play before our own eyes: Another Munich, when some European democracies thought they could avoid the war by appeasing Nazism. Winston Churchill said: "You accepted shame to avoid war, now you will have both." History's verdict was simply merciless.
| When the shooting's over and the last mullah's been hung — always assuming the Marshamallow People don't simply surrender, of course — history's verdict will be equally merciless toward today's Chomskies and Mother Sheehans. |
Today, Arab but also Western diplomats are making the same mistake toward the "green fascism." Thus, their "smart" strategy will consist in involving these groups in a democratic process; Islamists would then, they believe, change their behavior.
| To just about the same extent Hitler did. |
But this is a blatant failure to recognize Islam, history and democracy. Islamism is born out of a reaction to attempts to modernize Arab/Muslim society. Its credo, "There's No Power than that of God," pretends to be democracy's antithesis, which means the People's Power. Forgetting Islamism's origin is tantamount to illusion.
| Gawd knows they remind us often enough. And the world's innalekshuls seem resolutely intent on concentrating on the Abu Ghraib trees while ignoring the Islamic forest. |
Extremism is a form of political activity that rejects the principles of parliamentary democracy. Extremist ideology and practices are based on intolerance, exclusion, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and ultranationalism. Extremism is a danger for any democratic state because its fanatic character may be used to justify violence. Even if it doesn't directly advocate violence, extremism creates a climate conducive to violence. |