I am unable to hide my frustration from watching the dramatization of the role of Al-Qaeda, neo-conservatives, Osama bin Laden, George W. Bush, and so forth, when it comes to the so-called “clash of civilization”. They, and what they have done, are undeniably significant in affecting (not shaping) the future circumstances of the international affairs. However, they themselves are the outcomes of their periods’ events, and are vastly affected by them. What the radicalism, be it radical democratic or secularistic or islamic, did to all moderates of the world would pave the way for rising the people who could have become Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and the like.
There is actually a clash of civilization; however, it is upon the global society how to respond to this clash. The Al-Qaeda does not represent all Muslims of the world; or even, if they represent any at all, they do so perhaps just a minority of Muslims. However, they represent a group of people, who may not be insignificant and may not be so small: the group of people who want to live different, and who want to think different.
No one is supporting extremism, but, what else could be expected as a reaction to extremism in the first place; be it, Al-Qaeda’s terrorism or the U.S.’s militarism. I believe most of those young Muslims, who are absorbed in extremist groups, have once experienced a failed moderate effort in being integrated and accepted as citizens of the society, where they want to just live in, but differently; and where, tolerance was not respected towards them.
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