Fueling Terrorism: Middle Eastern vs Western Values
The respective cultures of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have many common values. All three worship the God of Abraham and govern themselves by the Laws given by God to Moses. In fact, the Ten Commandments and their derivatives form the basis of the justice systems for many of the nations on earth. Over the past fifty years, cultural values in Islamic societies have remained fairly constant as opposed to the cultural values of many Western societies which have become “liberated”.
Presently, those in the West with liberal values are living in a mindset of self-promotion and doing whatever feels right to the individual. In essence, they feel that they are liberated from the Laws of God. Those who hold to the tenets of Judaism and Christianity are branded by the liberals as intolerant and noninclusive. Those who practice Islam have similar tenets of faith to hold onto and are likewise branded. All who are believers in God/Allah and who practice the tenets of their faith are deeply saddened by the lack of moral restraint practiced by those of the liberated mindset.
Examples of Western culture’s impact on the world include the internet, media, and entertainment. Perhaps the best-known source of Western culture is found in television, which is broadcast around the world via satellite. There are many locations on earth where anyone with a satellite receiver can tune into the signals and watch the programs. For devout followers of God/Allah, the casual sex and homosexual themes coming out of Western broadcasts are in direct violation of scripture. So, as popular as these themes may be with the liberal mindset in the West, the conservative view, and especially the Islamic view of Western culture are adversely affected by these “liberated” values. It’s no wonder that Muslims have branded Westerners as infidels, led by America the Great Satan. Their disgust is well-founded and, when targeted at the liberal mindset, entirely justified.
In Western governments, the will of the people is expressed by those elected to office. Conversely, those elected to office reflect the will of those in their electorate. Therefore, when a majority of society believes in values advanced by the liberal mindset, then the lawmakers are inclined to enact laws in their favor and the judges are inclined not to enforce laws that go against the tide. Such has been the trend in Western countries for some time. As viewed by conservative Islamic societies, the moral decline of Western governments perfectly supports the terrorist’s jihad – their war against the infidels.
As noted in my 8/12/2006 posting “What Makes a Terrorist Tick”, Muslims believe that all people on Earth fall into one of three categories: (1) the faithful followers of Islam; (2) the people of the Book (Jews and Christians), subjugated to second class status and paying the Dhimmi tax; and (3) Infidels who must be killed by the hands of the faithful. Those in the West who practice “liberated” values fall into this third category and are, thus, considered lawful targets by terrorists based on their interpretation of the Koran.
The point is that terrorism is a political movement and, as practiced by Muslim extremists, fueled by the tensions created by Western liberalism. This is a fundamental clash in values between these respective societies – one that I don’t believe can be fixed by mankind.
Presently, those in the West with liberal values are living in a mindset of self-promotion and doing whatever feels right to the individual. In essence, they feel that they are liberated from the Laws of God. Those who hold to the tenets of Judaism and Christianity are branded by the liberals as intolerant and noninclusive. Those who practice Islam have similar tenets of faith to hold onto and are likewise branded. All who are believers in God/Allah and who practice the tenets of their faith are deeply saddened by the lack of moral restraint practiced by those of the liberated mindset.
Examples of Western culture’s impact on the world include the internet, media, and entertainment. Perhaps the best-known source of Western culture is found in television, which is broadcast around the world via satellite. There are many locations on earth where anyone with a satellite receiver can tune into the signals and watch the programs. For devout followers of God/Allah, the casual sex and homosexual themes coming out of Western broadcasts are in direct violation of scripture. So, as popular as these themes may be with the liberal mindset in the West, the conservative view, and especially the Islamic view of Western culture are adversely affected by these “liberated” values. It’s no wonder that Muslims have branded Westerners as infidels, led by America the Great Satan. Their disgust is well-founded and, when targeted at the liberal mindset, entirely justified.
In Western governments, the will of the people is expressed by those elected to office. Conversely, those elected to office reflect the will of those in their electorate. Therefore, when a majority of society believes in values advanced by the liberal mindset, then the lawmakers are inclined to enact laws in their favor and the judges are inclined not to enforce laws that go against the tide. Such has been the trend in Western countries for some time. As viewed by conservative Islamic societies, the moral decline of Western governments perfectly supports the terrorist’s jihad – their war against the infidels.
As noted in my 8/12/2006 posting “What Makes a Terrorist Tick”, Muslims believe that all people on Earth fall into one of three categories: (1) the faithful followers of Islam; (2) the people of the Book (Jews and Christians), subjugated to second class status and paying the Dhimmi tax; and (3) Infidels who must be killed by the hands of the faithful. Those in the West who practice “liberated” values fall into this third category and are, thus, considered lawful targets by terrorists based on their interpretation of the Koran.
The point is that terrorism is a political movement and, as practiced by Muslim extremists, fueled by the tensions created by Western liberalism. This is a fundamental clash in values between these respective societies – one that I don’t believe can be fixed by mankind.
