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Islam IS radical by just about any western measurement imaginable. It micromanages people's lives down to the iota, it discourages freedom of thought, it is archly misogynistic and it seeks to destroy all systems of humanist thought. What we are calling "radical Islam here is merely those who are EXTRA radical and the only difference between the radicals and the mainstream happens to lie in the methods employed by way of spreading the ideology. What we refer to as "moderate" Islam is still extremely conservative by our standards, and it is only a small percentage of Muslims who are truly liberal (such as in Turkey).
Now, we have certainly facilitated the spread of "radical" Islam by removing the strong-armed leaders that kept it in check, but let's not fool ourselves here -- the radical elements of Islam are built upon a foundation laid down by Islam, and an enormous number of Muslims share the same value systems as the radicals, even if they fall short in supporting the methods.
Besides ideology, one of he chief impediment to liberalizing the Middle east is their family structure. In one province of Syria from which a good many refugees originate, 70 percent of the population is married to their own family members. Men marry their brother's daughters and arrange marriages between their sons and their brother's daughters. The Hatfields and McCoys look downright modern in comparison, and cultures this inbred and this clannish make the acceptance of democratic, humanist principles impossible.
So, yes, we contributed, but what is occurring is primarily a product of culture, make no mistake.
Now, we have certainly facilitated the spread of "radical" Islam by removing the strong-armed leaders that kept it in check, but let's not fool ourselves here -- the radical elements of Islam are built upon a foundation laid down by Islam, and an enormous number of Muslims share the same value systems as the radicals, even if they fall short in supporting the methods.
Besides ideology, one of he chief impediment to liberalizing the Middle east is their family structure. In one province of Syria from which a good many refugees originate, 70 percent of the population is married to their own family members. Men marry their brother's daughters and arrange marriages between their sons and their brother's daughters. The Hatfields and McCoys look downright modern in comparison, and cultures this inbred and this clannish make the acceptance of democratic, humanist principles impossible.
So, yes, we contributed, but what is occurring is primarily a product of culture, make no mistake.
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