Leap Of Faith

Friday, March 21, 2003
By: Tashbih Sayyed

One lesson that the US learned on September 11, 2001, was that evil does not need to be provoked to kill. The existence of goodness is provocation enough for evil to seek its destruction. Another lesson that the world learned on that black Tuesday is that the freedom cannot survive in a world that fosters absolutism. The world recognized the threat to our liberties posed by regimes with a history of reckless aggression, and it resolved to rid society of fascist governments that have a deep hatred of American values. Saddam Hussein is one of the most reckless dictators from such absolutist regimes. He has not only defaulted on his pledge to reveal and destroy all of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, which was a condition to end the Persian Gulf War in 1991, but has also been aiding, training and harboring terrorists.

In my view, there is no doubt that if the world would have removed him in 1991, the attacks on New York and Washington would never have materialized. President Bush acknowledged the inherent risks in allowing such terror to live, "We are now acting because the risks of inaction would be far greater. In one year, or five years, the power of Iraq to inflict harm on all free nations would be multiplied many times over."

After suffering numerous terror attacks that no victim deserved or invited, it was finally accepted that if our civilization is to survive, the sources of terror must be eradicated. President Bush declared, "The terrorist threat to America and the world will be diminished the moment that Saddam Hussein is disarmed." Saddam Hussein was urged to leave. He refused. The world was now supposed to either continue "drifting along toward tragedy," or "set a course toward safety." The free world chose to set a course toward safety."

President George W. Bush said, "The danger is clear: Using chemical, biological or, one day, nuclear weapons obtained with the help of Iraq, the terrorists could fulfill their stated ambitions and kill thousands or hundreds of thousands of innocent people in our country or any other." In an address to the nation, president told Saddam Hussein and his sons that they must give up leadership of Iraq and leave the country within 48 hours or face a U.S.-led war. He told the world, "Before the day of horror can come, before it is too late to act, this danger will be removed."

President Bush talked of his vision of a post Saddam Iraq, "In free Iraq there will be no more wars of aggression" against their neighbors, there will be "no more poison factories, no more executions of dissidents, no more torture chambers and rape rooms." In other words, the people of Iraq will be able to enjoy the fruits of a stable, free and democratic system.

Bush's success or failure in translating this vision for Iraq into reality will define the US for a world of the new millennium, as a harbinger of democracy or a reincarnation of Imperial Rome. Success in establishing a true democratic society in Iraq will surely weaken the forces of religious extremism internationally and Bush's re-election to the White House. Since a democracy in Iraq will mean empowerment of Shiites in the South and Kurds in the North, the US, will, for the first time, have an opportunity to win the hearts and the minds of the Muslim street. The support of the Muslim street, irrespective of its size, can go a long way in transforming the image of our eagle from being a bully to a friend of the people.

If Washington can help the Iraqi masses in realizing a truly democratic, progressive and modern way of life, it can be assured of, for the first time in its history, a place in the hearts of the Muslim people. The victory in Iraq would surely spread democracy in the Muslim world and vindicate its policy of pre-emptive action. Nobody will ever be able to label US efforts to remove Muslim dictators as a Crusade against Islam. Muslim masses will invite Americans to liberate them. "Yankee Go Home" will become, "Yankee Come Home." All the Muslim lands will become a US home without anybody calling it an Imperialist or an occupying power. American success in sowing the seeds of prosperity in the Middle East will surely establish her world dominance and will "usher in an American century where liberty and freedom are the central theme."

But it is easier said than done. One has to be realistic. The democracies take time in institutionalizing themselves. And unless democracy in Iraq becomes a popular state of mind, the common person will not be able to taste its fruit. Meanwhile the obscurantist Islamist will do its best to present free world's efforts to help institutionalize democracy in the country as measures to colonize not only the real estate but also the minds of Muslims. The fundamentalist will try to make sure that the Muslim main street is brainwashed into believing that once again they have been defeated by Judeo-Christian forces. The Muslim masses will be told in the Islamist controlled mosques that once again crusaders have been successful in humiliating their faith and the Muslim Ummah (Muslim nation).

It is a historic reality that Muslims, whenever they experience the humiliation of defeat, yearn for a holy warrior who can restore their honor. They embrace radical religious ideology. That's why ever since they lost their Khilafah - the Islamic empire - they have been following blindly anyone who appeared to be courageous enough to challenge the infidel powers. Ahamd Ibne Hanmbal, Ibne Tamayya, Mujaddid Alif Sani, Shah Waliullah, Syed Ahmad Shaheed, Salahdin Ayubi and Tipu Sultan have all won the hearts and minds of the Muslims just because they were found to have stood up against the perceived anti-Islam power of the time.

Present day Islamist radicals exploit this yearning for the glorious old days when Muslims used to be the rulers and the infidels were their subjects. Being retrogressive, Islamists hide their ignorance and primitiveness behind dogmatic literalism. Gemal Abdul Nasser, Col. Moammer Qaddafi, Ossama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein represent this exploitative mentality. US presence in Iraq will definitely be used by fundamentalists to incite and excite the Muslim sense of helplessness and degradation at the hands of infidels. Washington has to be prepared to counter this Islamist tool.

Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein both are appealing to this very Muslim sensitivity. Muslims are being reminded of their defeats at the hands of tartars, Mongols, Crusaders, Europeans and Americans. They are also being reminded that there is only one way they can defeat the infidels - by returning to the ways of their rightly guided ancestors who never submitted to the infidel ways and always emerged victorious in the end.

Radical Islamist is waiting for US to fail in Iraq. If the US failed in delivering the promised prosperity and the resultant happiness to the Iraqis, Islamists will be the happiest. US failure to deliver will push this world into such a maze of holy wars and crusades that the only way out will be through the hole of death and destruction. Washington will face a protracted and uphill task of maintaining her alliances intact and a long era of a depression will ensue.

It will be very difficult for the Americans to convince the Muslim world that they are not motivated by greed. Each day that they will stay in Iraq will be interpreted as an evidence of an imperialistic design. Fundamentalist leadership will make it certain that the Muslim main street perceive as an anti-Islam Imperialist power. Nobody will see that imperialism is an anathema to the American faith. No body will bother to note that whenever fate has given US a choice between being an occupier or a liberator, the US has always opted for the latter. US did not enter World War II with a declared mission of changing regimes or establishing democracies, but when the time came, she remained true to her national ethos. In Japan, Germany and the Philippines, US did not act as a conqueror - she did not loot or plunder the lands or its people. Instead, she helped the vanquished emerge as victors by becoming democracies. But Islamist will make it a point to misrepresent US.

That's why it is very important for US to make the Muslim world see that they are motivated only by their ethos to liberate the Muslims from the tyranny of their totalitarian rulers. Once the Muslim world sees the Iraqis enjoying the fruits of liberty and freedom, they will have no reason to doubt America's commitment to help the Muslim people become an example throughout the Middle East as a vital, peaceful and self governing nations. They will never listen to the radical tune of fundamentalist pied piper. President Bush said, "The power and appeal of human liberty is felt in every life and every land, and the greatest power of freedom is to overcome hatred and violence, and turn the creative gifts of men and women to the pursuits of peace." Now it is up to the US to make the Muslims see the true power of liberty - freedom from extremism.

To be continued...