The General cocked his head and his eyes narrowed. “I didn’t think a Muslim woman had a choice in divorce.”
The Cleric smiled thinly. “In some communities it is virtually impossible for a woman to divorce without her husband’s consent. But my point to you concerns the absolute control Muslim men exercise over their women and families, a precept that extends fully through their social hierarchy and into their political life. Control is hammered into these people by the mandatory exercise of religion, a concept not at all understood in the West. Where, when and how often a man prays is specified and enforced. Everything is controlled, both within the family and outside it.”“Okay, but why is that reason to start a war?”
“We have not yet addressed the reasons, General. The information is additional background for your understanding. The second critical issue you need to understand is ‘honor’, but it is a different view of honor than defined in Western terms. Muslims live and die by ‘family honor’. A Muslim man is even entitled to kill for the honor of his family. These are the so-called ‘honor killings’ you hear about.”
The General leaned forward, clasped his hands together, and placed them on the edge of the table. “Like the one in New York, where the abused wife filed for divorce, and the husband decapitated her. As I understand it, the husband felt a special need to control his wife because his business was failing.”
The Cleric nodded. “Indeed so, and such stories bring shame on Muslims in general. Nevertheless, the stories illustrate the point I’m trying to make. In a Muslim family, if a woman brings shame to the family, through allegations of premarital or extramarital sex, by refusing an arranged marriage or attempting to obtain a divorce, her male relatives are bound by duty and culture to murder her. The problem of ‘honor killings’ is not a problem of morality, or of ensuring that women maintain their own personal virtue. Instead, it is a problem of domination, power and hatred of women who, in these instances, are viewed as nothing more than servants to the family, both physically and symbolically.”
“You’re talking about tradition?”
“Yes, exactly. The murder of females in the Middle East is an ancient tradition. Even prior to the arrival of Islam in 622 AD, Arabs occasionally buried infant daughters to avoid the possibility they would later bring shame to the family, and that practice still occurs among Bedouins, who consider girls most likely to sully the family honor.
“Another example that might help you understand honor in a Muslim’s life is that all sexual encounters, including rape and incest, are blamed exclusively on the woman. Men are presumed innocent. In all cases, the woman must have tempted him into raping her or enticed him into having an affair. Some even believe that a woman who does not wear a burka invites rape! A woman is expected to protect her honor, even at the cost of her life and, if she sur
vives a violent rape, she is condemned for her ‘mistake’ and might be brutally killed by her family.”
The General shook his head in near disbelief. “Seems a little harsh.”
“Yes, perhaps a little harsh. Honor concepts are also behind the practice of female circumcision, and that practice is integrated into the Muslim religion by some followers. What the Arabic actually says is circumcision is obligatory, for every male and female, by cutting off the piece of skin on the glans of the penis of the male, and by cutting out the clitoris of the female. This is called HufaaD. Shafi’i law requires circumcision of girls by excision of the clitoris. This is mandatory and is widely practiced in Egypt, where the Shafi’i school of Sunni law is followed.”
The General’s disgusted look projected his inner feelings. “Clearly the West understands male circumcision, a Hebrew tradition from the same ancient basis, but female circumcision is harder to fathom. In fact, the whole concept that man can, in the name of religion, ‘surgically improve’ the body that God created is hard for some Westerners to swallow.”
“Yes, General, I understand. This is hard for many nations, but I mention it here only to illustrate how far Muslims will go to protect what they see as their honor. Even to disfiguring their children to prevent a ‘possible’ breach of honor in the future.
“As with control, the concepts associated with ‘honor’ in daily life can extend to a Muslim’s public and political life. When a Muslim loses honor, he can become like an animal exhibiting ‘uncontrollable rage’, yet not be held accountable for what he does in that state. It is the equivalent of ‘innocent by reason of insanity’ in America.”
The cleric slowly stroked his long white beard, giving the General time to assimilate the concepts. “Consider then that Muslims may well view actions of the West, whether to embarrass Muslim nations or to mock their God, in whatever way they define it at the moment, from cartoons of Muhammad to rumors of mistreatment of one of their Holy Books, a loss of honor. Perhaps then you will understand their reactions of rage and destruction.”
The General became serious. “This concept, their concept of honor, that can bring them to war?”
“Indeed it can, General, and has, but more issues might be in play. A third concept you need to consider, to understand the Muslim mind, is ‘situational honesty’. For example, one Shiite innovation is the use of pragmatic dissimulation, the denial of faith in public while maintaining it in private.”
The General looked the Cleric in the eyes. “Excuse me for interrupting, but that’s another difficult concept for the West because it’s exactly opposite Christian beliefs. Christians believe a man should worship and do good deeds in private, unseen by others, and not live a hypocritical life—that his public and private life should be equivalent.”
The Cleric nodded. “You are correct, but understanding pragmatic dissimulation will give insight into the reason Mohammed Atta chose to spend his last night on earth receiving lap dances instead of communing with his God in prayer. Absolute morality is not a concept understood by Muslims, and there is significant historical backing for this. For example, Muhammad himself clearly condoned dishonesty, as well as murder when it suited his purposes.
“Muslim’s believe it is allowable to tell a falsehood to save one’s life, to accomplish peace or reconciliation, to persuade a woman or on the occasion of a journey or expedition. Because of this, treaties can mean nothing to them. Muhammad also treated truth and deception according his own style of situational ethics, condoning lying to further his goals. From this you can understand the reasons the Iranians were so adamant they were not developing nuclear weapons, when everyone knew they were.”
Slowly stroking his chin, the General added, “Probably the thinking behind the adage, ‘Never trust an Arab’!”
“Perhaps so. You just need to know, and understand.” The Cleric paused again, knowing the information he’d provide next would be very hard for the General to accept. “The fourth concept, sir, is the fear of being wrong. Being wrong is like losing honor. It is not the same in the West. Here, you admit your mistakes and move on, but in Muslim nations, being wrong can lead to loss of honor and outrage. If the West is seen as challenging their beliefs, their customs or literally anything at all they consider Muslim, then that is a challenge to their being right. They will react, sometimes violently.
“Finally, General, relative to the war, there is the most easily understood reason of all, the reason the West most generally considers the basis for the War of Terror, although it is not the whole story, as I have said. That would be that you are not Muslim. That alone is a problem for many Muslims, and it goes to the heart of their being right.
“If Christianity is correct, then they are wrong. If the Hindus are right, then they are wrong. If any other religion is right, then they are wrong. You get the picture. That is the reason this war is global, but this concept goes even deeper. If the Sunnis are right, then the Shiites are wrong. You see, General, they lose honor if they are wrong, and they will fight to be declared right, so the war could go on indefinitely, not only between Muslims and the West, but between Muslims and Muslims.
“And then you must add one final element. Muslims are ‘justified’ in killing those who cannot be converted, and there is a reward in heaven for those who martyr themselves in that way. Not only do their traditions, which are older than Islam, make them prone to war, but the religion condones forcing Islam on others, and rewards it.”
The General took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Pretty damn depressing, almost a hopeless picture, like there’s no way out until every last person on one side or the other is dead.”
“Very depressing, indeed. This war is as old as recorded time and it may continue forever. I hope you now see, General, that many complex issues are at play. Perhaps you would better understand the Muslim’s War of Terror if the name were changed to ‘The Muslim Culture Wars’?”
The General shook his head slowly. “But you are here, on my staff. Therefore, not all Muslims believe these things are worth dying for or going to war. Why don’t more Muslims stand up and be counted, as you have? Why are Western setbacks so vigorously celebrated by Muslims worldwide?”
“Yes. Why? I believe there are many reasons. Some believe the Islamists are winning, that there will come a time when the entire globe is Muslim. At that time, all people will be united under Muslim law, and they strongly support such an outcome, even if achieved by radical tactics. Others simply follow without thinking. Those with the mentality of sheep are at the mercy of the wolf.
“Still others have succumbed to a culture of hatred, brainwashing and fear, a culture that may never be completely eliminated. Generations of young Muslims have been schooled in that culture. The textbooks they read, the television and movies they watch, and the music they hear, all carry messages of hatred of the West.
“The objective of such teaching is to instill the notion that the West in general, and Jews in particular, are evil, and that it is the duty of all true Muslims to exterminate that evil. They are taught to hate from the time they first enter school, and they will continue to hate until they die, or are victorious. Older Muslims either have accepted the propaganda or do not speak up at all because they fear the young, and the radicals who teach them.”
The elder adviser stopped for a moment, and then leaned forward to emphasize his final point, and his words shook the General to his core. “And make no mistake, General, the same message of hatred fuels the domestic terrorism you face in this country. Muslim converts have been recruited within your prisons for years. Those converts have willingly accepted radical and violent views of Islam. They thrive on hatred and are equally eager to destroy you from within, even without benefit of the cultural heritage driving the true believers.”
5. Whether the thoughts above are correct or not, 9/11 has had an enormous impact on my writing. I attribute the following works, in some part, to those events: The Empress of Tridon (xoxopublishing.com), Kill Zone(Eternal Press) and “The Final Experiment” (xoxopublishing.com).
Thank you for reading.
Sincerely,
James L. Hatch
jhatch6@hot.rr.com
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