Islamic Challenge and the United States : Global Security in an Age of Uncertainty by Ehsan M. Ahrari read online book DJV, DOC
9780773548169 English 0773548165 On September 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden declared "global jihad" on the West. In response to the day's attacks, the United States has waged its own global war on terrorism, which the Pentagon has described as a generational conflict similar to the Cold War. In The Islamic Challenge and the United States, Ehsan Ahrari takes a close look at this ideological conflict, focusing on the Middle East, Africa, and South and Central Asia. Arguing that the war on terrorism is founded on secular fundamentalism (an ideology that envisions Islam as dangerous and volatile because it mixes religion and politics) and the Enlightenment narrative, Ahrari suggests that the US sees global jihadists as absolutist, irrational, obscurantist, and anti-modern. While violence on behalf of the Muslim community - ummah - is thus framed as reprehensible, violence on behalf of the Western nation-state is seen as sometimes necessary and often praiseworthy. Unsettlingly, this framework does not encourage careful scrutiny of the US's historical dealings with the Muslim world. The belief that religion causes violence, Ahrari argues, may blind the West to its own forms of fanaticism. A timely analysis of one of the most contested issues of our times, The Islamic Challenge and the United States is a must-read for global security practitioners, policymakers, and general readers., The terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001 were also a declaration of 'global Jihad' on the West by Osama Bin Laden. The United States responded by declaring its own global war on terrorism. Since then, both sides have conducted a war, which the Pentagon has described as a "generational conflict" similar to the Cold War. From the Islamist side, the religious nature of this conflict is quite apparent. In The Islamic Challenge and the United States Ehsan Ahrari takes a close look at the ideological conflict between the United States and the Islamists, with a focus on the Middle East, as well as South and Central Asia. Ahrari argues that America's global war on terrorism is founded on secularism and fundamentalism. Based on the Enlightenment narrative, Ahrari suggests that the United States envisages Islamists as absolutist, irrational, obscurantist, and anti-modern. Thus framed, while violence on behalf of the Muslim Umma is reprehensible, violence on behalf of the Western nation-state is sometimes necessary and often praiseworthy. A unsettling aspect of this frame of reference is that it does not require careful scrutiny of America's historical dealings with the Muslim world. The belief that religion causes violence, Ahrari argues, can be used to blind the West to its own forms of fanaticism and violence.
9780773548169 English 0773548165 On September 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden declared "global jihad" on the West. In response to the day's attacks, the United States has waged its own global war on terrorism, which the Pentagon has described as a generational conflict similar to the Cold War. In The Islamic Challenge and the United States, Ehsan Ahrari takes a close look at this ideological conflict, focusing on the Middle East, Africa, and South and Central Asia. Arguing that the war on terrorism is founded on secular fundamentalism (an ideology that envisions Islam as dangerous and volatile because it mixes religion and politics) and the Enlightenment narrative, Ahrari suggests that the US sees global jihadists as absolutist, irrational, obscurantist, and anti-modern. While violence on behalf of the Muslim community - ummah - is thus framed as reprehensible, violence on behalf of the Western nation-state is seen as sometimes necessary and often praiseworthy. Unsettlingly, this framework does not encourage careful scrutiny of the US's historical dealings with the Muslim world. The belief that religion causes violence, Ahrari argues, may blind the West to its own forms of fanaticism. A timely analysis of one of the most contested issues of our times, The Islamic Challenge and the United States is a must-read for global security practitioners, policymakers, and general readers., The terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001 were also a declaration of 'global Jihad' on the West by Osama Bin Laden. The United States responded by declaring its own global war on terrorism. Since then, both sides have conducted a war, which the Pentagon has described as a "generational conflict" similar to the Cold War. From the Islamist side, the religious nature of this conflict is quite apparent. In The Islamic Challenge and the United States Ehsan Ahrari takes a close look at the ideological conflict between the United States and the Islamists, with a focus on the Middle East, as well as South and Central Asia. Ahrari argues that America's global war on terrorism is founded on secularism and fundamentalism. Based on the Enlightenment narrative, Ahrari suggests that the United States envisages Islamists as absolutist, irrational, obscurantist, and anti-modern. Thus framed, while violence on behalf of the Muslim Umma is reprehensible, violence on behalf of the Western nation-state is sometimes necessary and often praiseworthy. A unsettling aspect of this frame of reference is that it does not require careful scrutiny of America's historical dealings with the Muslim world. The belief that religion causes violence, Ahrari argues, can be used to blind the West to its own forms of fanaticism and violence.