Re: Is the West at war with Islam?
Not sure the question/poll is phrased the right way. If anything, Western ideologies are in competition with ideologies more prevalent in nations where Islam is dominant. In that context, it matches with history as those ideologies have always been in competition with plenty of war along the way. I've often said that the aptitude of the people in those nations where Islam is dominant are incompatible with more western social and governmental thinking. It seems to be true throughout history, and is still true today.
The question is right. I am trying to highlight, or at least am hoping too, that we are not at war with Islam. But we are not at peace with it either. It is Islam that is in need of change. I mean actively killing Muslims by Isis? Really any radical group. The west will not peacefully coexist with Islam until Islam changes. That is my view anyway.
If we are at war with Islam, then by default we would be at war with better than 40+ nations (roughly the number of nations where Islam is dominant by say 75% or more of the population.) On that point alone I would agree with you. The problem though is much deeper than that.
I'll elaborate on my earlier point.
Islam does have some growing up to do, just as other religious ideologies have already been forced to do historically. The issue is Islam, of the monotheistic religions, has the most text designed to bridge the gap between "religious authority" and government. As such has the most in it designed to be a social control mechanism that itself is incompatible with more Western sociological and governmental thinking. We know this is true as nations that lean Islam tend to have more more oppressive style governments. Islam is the furthest behind the curve when it comes to sociological evolution. Not always the case but explains well the tension in the region among the various splinters of Islam. Military dictators and/or other ideological dictators where freedoms are diminished is the expected result one way or another.
That as an ideology tends to put into competition dealing with Western sociological and governmental ideologies. On that level it is kin to dealing with other "oppressive" governments, like our prior fights against Communism and Socialism. Our problem, and our inconsistency with foreign policy, is if there is something in it for us we tend to overlook these things, like Saudi Arabia or United Arab Emirates or many others. Try walking down the street out in public in Saudi Arabia with a Bible in your hand and see where that puts you. But when there is little to nothing in it for us, they are more likely to be labeled a problem.
In that sense we are at war with Islam, but it is a larger ideological competition that has been going on ever since monotheism. It has cost plenty of lives along the way in this underline and never really taking a break fight. Sure, the nations change and the conditions change but at the root of it all is a real difference of opinion on what is and is not acceptable society.
Your issue is those that make up ISIS did not show up yesterday, those people have been there a very long time and are taking advantage of several situations both in Syria and Iraq. A civil war on one and a weakened government/military in another. The ideology of their splinter of Islam is not only incompatible with their Islamic neighbors but is also incompatible with everyone else. Then again, in the right hands any religion can become totally incompatible with everyone else. History proves that, just as it proves an ideological fight is always around the corner. Social, governmental, religious, or otherwise.
Now do you understand why I question how the question/poll was phrased?
