The GSP published the following editorial on Radical Islam. It’s worth the read.
Just for everyone’s edification, the term “radical Islam” was coined back in 1979 by Senator Henry (Scoop) Jackson in reference to the rise of the Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran.
Everyone wants the answer on how we can stop Islamic radicalism, but I’m not so sure it can be done by just using military operations or even by the use of extreme vetting. Islam is not in and of itself a radical dogma. Radical Islam is an offshoot that has been promoted by those who seek power and control.
When we talk about the war on terror we are not talking about an ideology or a set of beliefs, what we are talking about is a tactic. It is a form of asymmetric warfare whereby a weak player attempts to force a strong player to change their behavior by subjecting their combatants, government institutions, and civilian population to random acts of violence.
Terrorism is successful because it is inexpensive and doesn’t require a lot of people to execute a terror plan. Much of the reason radical Islam has grown is our reluctance to acknowledge the true nature of the threat to the U.S. and its strategic interests. Because of our political correctness, we have been afraid to put a name to the problem and so over time, it has become a real threat to the world.
The commonality among jihadist groups is as follows:
- They believe in a literal interpretation of the Koran.
- They want to organize political, economic and social institutions in accordance with the practices that existed during the time of Mohammed.
- They want to impose their particular view on how society should be organized, by force, on both Muslims and non-Muslims, which is where the larger problem lies.
We are engaged not in a war on terror or in a struggle against radical Islam but in a war with some 60 or so jihadist groups around the world who are now called ISIS, which is a consolidation of these groups. ISIS needs to be dealt a crushing blow militarily, but to root out radical Islam; we are going to have to enlist the help of the 1.5 billion Muslims in the world because they must change the culture and educational process that has produced these radicals within their religion. Without their help, I’m not sure this war is winnable.