Internal Culture War and Self-hatred in the West Allow Islamic Inroads
06 Nov, 2007
- There are three major ideologies competing for influence in the World today - Secularism, Christianity and Islam. All three ideologies have internal divisions and there are other competing, relatively minor ideologies that add to the overall complexity.
Part of the problem the West is having in resisting Islam and in recognizing the degree of the threat posed by Islam is the culture war between the Secular Left and the vestige of Christian culture remaining in Western society. This cultural war between these Western ideologies is acting much like the conflict between the Byzantine Empire and the Persian Empire in the Seventh Century. It is making both vulnerable to Islam.
In addition to the culture war in the West, the Secular Left has developed an ideology with beliefs that have become so strong that they act much like religious belief. Those beliefs are deeply affecting resistance to advancing Islam. One of those beliefs is multiculturalism. At its best, multiculturalism has some great truth to it. It has taught Westerners to appreciate that which can be appreciated in other cultures and to accept that which is acceptable in other cultures. Multiculturalism at its best has helped offset a natural tendency toward unbridled xenophobia.
At its worst, however, multiculturalism has created a situation wherein all facets of other cultures must be accepted ― no matter how malevolent ― at risk of great penalty to those who refuse to do so. That penalty for unorthodoxy is ostracism and the label of bigot or racist for refusing to accept any and all foreign cultures and religions as equally worthy.
This dark side of multiculturalism results in the West's refusal to take an appropriate stand against Islam. The Secular Left, for example, makes excuses for Islamic treatment of women and other intolerant behavior that it would condemn with violent ferocity if exhibited by Westerners. Multiculturalism makes some Westerners refuse to even admit that Islam raises serious dangers. It forces many to claim that Islam itself is not to be feared. Multiculturalism acts much like the Aztec mythology that led the Aztecs to believe the Spaniards were returning Gods and which allowed the Spaniards to obtain a strategic advantage before the battle lines were ever drawn.
Multiculturalism is having the same effect on Western culture. It is allowing Islam to make major inroads into Western culture and it is hindering the fight against Islam. In fact, it is hindering the recognition of exactly what the enemy is and what drives the enemy. So much so that we are fighting a war on terror and not a war on the religion that drives that terror and which will continue to drive that terror until it is contained. By the time Westerners realize the degree of the mortal threat presented by Islam, they may well find themselves in the same untenable position as the Aztecs.
Even the suggestion that it is Islam that threatens peace and safety and that it is Islam that we must contain causes many Westerners to cry "bigot." Such a suggestion, you see, is like a heresy to an ideology driven by multiculturalism.
It is the interplay between the cultural war and the threat of Islam that may well cause catastrophic damage to the West. Islam should be easily contained by the West given the West’s vastly superior technology and resources. But to hear many Leftists describe the current state of affairs, they fear Christianity more than Islam. They perceive George Bush as far more evil than Osama bin Laden. They see the United States as the greatest threat to World peace and they search far and wide for intellectuals like Ward Churchill and Noam Chomsky to tell them why that is so. Many Leftists are so steeped in anti-Western belief that they see the events of 9/11 as a Western conspiracy. Such disunity is allowing Islam to continue to advance into parts of the West where it has never had any prior significant influence. It is simply the nature of the advance by immigration, propaganda, and disinformation that has changed.
Islam has advanced because of ignorance and oil money. Left-leaning Secularists seized control of a large segment of Western education and, therefore, dominate much of the formal public education that occurs in the West. These Leftists use control of the education system to advance multiculturalism. They have either willingly or deceptively played a role in the re-writing of the history of Islam such that many Westerners have no idea how much destruction and horror the religion has historically caused. Ask many Westerners when Islam and Christianity first came into conflict and many will ignorantly and adamantly swear it was when the "evil West" attacked "peaceful Muslims" during the Crusades. Leftists ignore or rationalize the hundreds of years of assault on Europe and other civilizations by Islamic invaders leading up to the Crusades.
Many Westerners are repeatedly spoon fed every possible criticism of Western culture that fertile minds can imagine, but any negatives about other cultures are often ignored or rationalized. In fact, negatives of other cultures are even blamed on Western culture. Ask Noam Chomsky and he will tell you that what went wrong with Islamic culture occurred as a result of Western Imperialism. As Bernard Lewis has pointed out, Noam Chomsky seems oblivious that something else must have gone wrong to allow the West to become so relatively strong that it could, after centuries of nearly being overwhelmed by Islamic invaders, now dominate the Islamic world. To many Leftists, Noam Chomsky is the foremost expression of political morality and enlightenment in the West. The irony that foreign tyrants such as Hugo Chavez that express a rabid hatred of the United States find Noam Chomsky equally appealing seems not to faze them.
In all fairness, the political Right is at least as blameworthy as the Left for the massive transfer of wealth to the Middle East in exchange for oil. That wealth has given the Islamic world the financial wherewithal to spread Islamic doctrine worldwide. It was nothing more than ignorance as to the nature of Islam that allowed such a massive wealth transfer to occur with little, if any, understanding of the long-term implications. In fact, even when the undisputed evidence revealed that the oil wealth was funding radical Islam within our own borders, very little was done to stop it. Even worse, very little can be done to stop it without amending the Constitution. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution is being used as a weapon against us to shield the spread of an ideology that expressly seeks to undermine our society and the very First Amendment that allows its advance. Leftists will never allow an amendment to the Constitution that would allow anyone to halt the spread of radical Islamic doctrine even though the values advanced by the Left seem quite at odds with Islamic doctrine.
In summary, all attempts to contain Islam and resist the terrorism caused by Islamic doctrine takes place in the context of a Western cultural war. Leftists seem more interested in continuing to fight that cultural war and to treat encroaching Islam as a weapon in that cultural war rather than uniting with the vestiges of Christian culture to defeat an enemy that is a mortal threat to both Western belief systems.
It is not necessarily that all Leftists are ignorant as to Islamic doctrine, many choose to ignore the threat for a variety of reasons. Many Leftists seem to believe that they must deny the reality of Islam to avoid fanning the flames of war or to avoid betraying the principles of multiculturalism.
Leftists can no more admit that multiculturalism taken to its extreme is dangerous than can Muslims admit that Jihadist doctrine is immoral and dangerous. Both groups are slaves to their ideology and beliefs. While the West fights a war on terror, the cause of that terror continues its assault on Western Civilization not only unopposed, but welcomed as a desirable addition to the multicultural mix. This is true despite the fact that the overwhelming evidence in Europe reveals that when Muslim immigrants become sufficiently strong, they will oust most other cultural influences and most non-Muslims from any area in which Muslims predominate and they will not only not assimilate, but will seek to turn their host culture into a part of the Islamic world.
The evidence reveals that some Muslims will also terrorize the host culture. This is not to say that all Muslims will participate. Most will not do so. But a significant enough percentage will and the rest will, perhaps inadvertently, act as a shield to hide and legitimize that portion that will seek to destroy us.
How long will it be before, for example, no non-Muslims will even dare venture into all or part of Dearborn Michigan? When it happens do not think for a minute that Leftists will recognize their error. Rather, they will claim that it is poverty, racism, bigotry, discrimination or some mix thereof causing the problem and that, you guessed it, we can solve the problem by implementing the Leftist political agenda.
Many Leftists have such a rabid hatred of Western culture that has been indoctrinated into them and indelibly imprinted on their psyche that many of them no longer seem to even believe that Western culture should be preserved. If anything, they seem to have a vision of what Western culture could become that is worth preserving.
Leftists seem as destined as Fifth Century Romans in the western half of the empire to experience the destruction of their culture by a less advanced culture and for many of the same reasons.
Our democracy can only withstand so much Islamic influence. We will either stem the tide of Islamic influence or our culture will either disappear or become so altered that it will be unrecognizable. It may take fifty years or it may take five hundred years, but it will happen if we do not alter the course we are on.
| If you like this essay: |
Stumble it
 |
digg it |
Andrew Stunich is a practicing lawyer in California. He specializes in civil litigation. He has studied the Middle East for the last twenty-seven years. In addition to his Juris Doctorate in law, he studied business, economics, and history at Humboldt State University. After September 11, 2001, he undertook an intensive self-study of Islam. Mr Stunich has also appeared on a regional radio program in Northern California to discuss Middle East related issues and Islam. He has also debated Islam on a popular Northern California website and in newspaper editorials with a Humboldt State University professor and Islamic apologist.
Name:
Date: Monday November 05, 2007
Time: 23:34:14 -0700
Comment
A very perceptive analysis. I think, however, that Islam is such a fly in the ointment as far as multiculturalism is concerned that it is becoming widely accepted that some re-thinking will have to be done. The 'religion of peace' mantra has come to look increasingly fatuous to most of the population. Merkel and Sarkozy's opposition t Turkey's EU membership are, perhaps straws in the wind. By the way, "Ali Sina runs away" and "Mo in Hinduism" guy, do you have to hang around these comments sections like a whiff of old sewer gas?
Name: No Sharia
Date: Tuesday November 06, 2007
Time: 04:02:17 -0700
Comment
The article doesn´t break much new ground regarding multiculturalism but illustrates that the basis of its proponents is a deep hatred of the market society and all the norms that it is based on. It is just a variation of an earlier critique which was then presented as a communist/marxist one. Probably many of the multiculturalists have a background as socialists. They failed then. Now they try to use islam to destroy the free West. Therefore we have to destroy their interpretation of multiculturalism. Regards, No Sharia.
Name: vbv
Date: Tuesday November 06, 2007
Time: 06:38:52 -0700
Comment
Multiculturalism is an excuse. These countries wanted cheap labour ,so they allowed immigration left and right without proper counsel. In the process they also allowed fake political asylum seekers who entered with their own agenda - "convert the kaffirs to islam and claim all their economic and scientific achievements for islam". They have pushed themselves in to a corner with their meek secularism that they find it difficult to come out of it without raising questions about "racism", "islamophobia" and the like. Their polticians certify that "islam is a religion of peace" ,look the other way when attrocities are committed by these islamic radicals except where their interest lies like in Iraq (or is it just OIL).Hypocrites and time-servers ,these Western politicians ,especially the US. Therefore it is pointless to whine and whimper that their values are decimated and islam is on the rise in their countries!
Name: Andy Stunich
Date: Tuesday November 06, 2007
Time: 11:11:56 -0700
Comment
Islamic immigration to America cannot be reasonably attributed to a desire for cheap labor. In Europe, I agree that was a factor in allowing the immigration, but read Eurabia by Batt Ye'or. It appears that Islamic immigration into Europe was also the result of a backroom deal between European elites and Arab/Islamic groups to ensure the flow of oil. Multiculturalism is just part of the toxic stew in Europe although it is a very strong component. As far as the rethinking that is being done regarding multiculturalism as mentioned in a preceding comment, I agree that some people are waking up in light of the overwhelming evidence, but I spent more than a year debating on and following left-wing web sites. I have appeared on a left-leaning radio program three times to discuss issues directly or indirectly related to Islam. My experience has convinced me that there is a militantly ideological segment on the Left that will never stop assimilating all evidence into some type of argument to advance the Left's political agenda. They will never wake up to the threat of Islam and they will resist almost all steps needed to stop the spread of Islamic influence in the West other than simply using police methods that scrupulously adhere to Leftist notions of appropriate techniques to stop specific acts of terrorism. I do not think that this segment of the Left can be persuaded by any arguments or any evidence to admit to a need to halt the advance of Islamic influence in the West. I believe that their beliefs have risen to the level of a new religion and their ideology is, therefore, immune to all evidence that contradicts their world view. Fortunately, I believe this segment of the Left is a small subset. Many on the Left remain deep thinkers and well-educated people that simply empathize deeply with the down trodden. I actually share some of their liberal values, but the militant segment of the Left has made me realize how it was that communism proved to have such a devastating impact in the Twentieth Century.
Name: Godot
Date: Tuesday November 06, 2007
Time: 13:41:34 -0700
Comment
Multiculturalism must be reciprocal among the multiple "cultures", otherwise it is self-destructive.
Name: Kathy
Date: Tuesday November 06, 2007
Time: 14:07:35 -0700
Comment
Good article! I think the West is going overboard in using the "R" word - Racist. Being labeled "racist" is just about the worst thing possible anymore in America, - and it's gone too far. Islam is not a race, so being against Islamic ideology does NOT MAKE ONE RACIST! And Multiculturism - yes it sounds pretty. But nobody will die defending it - we need to remember OUR IDENTITY. We need to know who we are and defend it. We have to stand for SOMETHING - we have to define ourselves/values and remember what we are all about here in America, the best place on earth. It's nice to be kind to other folks and to a degree, be polite and respecting of their culture, - BUT ONLY TO A DEGREE, NOT AT THE SACRIFICE OF OUR OWN. We have to defend ourselves first. Like Roosevelt said in 1907 - we have room but for one flag, we have room but for one language.
Name: allat
Date: Tuesday November 06, 2007
Time: 17:36:52 -0700
Comment
vbv: You stated: "These countries wanted cheap labour ,so they allowed immigration left and right without proper counsel.' ------------Good god, it's not as if the deal wasn't two-way! The "Cheap" labor does earn much more than they could in their own country, ya know. Figure out how much a laborer would earn per day - say in Bangladesh or even other poor countries - maybe the equavalent of a couple of US dollars a month. ---------Not only that, but they do have a chance to make a better living, and even put their children in school, a public school.------And remember something, the are laws here protecting individuals - that when corruption is found or injustices - there is a public outcry to correct the wrong.-----------There seems to be an apathy and an acceptance of injustice in poor countries. You should realize that the great majority of Americans are compassionate.-----Don't confuse the U.S. gov. with the average Americans.
Name: Allat
Date: Tuesday November 06, 2007
Time: 17:43:13 -0700
Comment
vbv: "Therefore it is pointless to whine and whimper that their values are decimated and islam is on the rise in their countries." It isn't pointless. Don't give up on us. Keep barking away - and talking and complaining and insisting. Remember how long India - (an ancient, ancient land) - has held out against the islamics. NEVER GIVING UP THEIR OWN - while the U.S. has never had islamic problems. It's only creeping up now. India knows what it's all about, we don't. Give us a break, will ya.
Name: Tim
Date: Wednesday November 07, 2007
Time: 04:05:29 -0700
Comment
Death to Islam. Death to multiculturalism. Its time we became energy sufficient as a requirement of war and stopped feeding the hand that strikes us. ALL Muslim migration must be stopped and all attempts to build mosques cancelled. Cancel ALL Muslim student visas, recall all expiates from Muslims lands. Retain Kosovo and demand true human rights for non-Muslims in Muslim countries. Show Islam for the charlatan religion it truly is.
Name: Joann
Date: Wednesday November 07, 2007
Time: 04:24:34 -0700
Comment
Why do Leftists always blame America and the West for every ill imaginable that happens in the Islamic world? History has shown that Islam eventually destroys itself after gaining power. Take "The Golden Age of Islam" (TGAI for short) that Muslims keep whining about that happened eons ago. What brought an end to that? Not the "backwards" Christian zealot Europeans. It was powerful caliphs who wanted to return to true Islam by a strict adherence to the Quran. Science and reason have all but evaporated in the Islamic world b/c of this. You would think that the Islamic world would have learned their lesson by now and actually embrace the West (and East). Needless to say that they haven't b/c anyone who's not a Muslim is a kaffir dog that must burn in hell. Hence Muslims have their Quran, and commit an empire of racism, bigotry, misogyny and terrorism.
Name: kafir/infidel ( & Ex-communist ).
Date: Wednesday November 07, 2007
Time: 10:07:27 -0700
Comment
Why nobody is touching the basic curtesy of any decent,good neighbourly,whole hearted,helpful,cooperative,mutual respect,recognition,acceptance that is so much needed & a must to sustain any relationship,any understanding,any progress,any goodwill,any peace,any help from each other ? You talk about multiculturalism !!!? what does it mean? is it one sided affair ? When ISLAM / MOSLEMS ? QQURRAN do not accept you ,your multicultural interpretation,your honesty,your goodness ,your generosity ,your magnanimity ,your liberal values,your open societies ,your acceptance of them as equal --- but in return treat you with disdain,contempt ,utter humiliation and finally makes every effort to destroy you ,kill you. One sided giving will not work. It will fail. ISLAM / MOSLEMS knows only cruelty,barbarism,terrorism, take and enjoy all the generosity that is offered from liberal countries like INDIA,USA,U K ,CANADA , AUSTRALIA . But in return the MOSLEMS try to occupie your house ,kill you . That is what their religion ISLAM teaches ,preaches,instigates them. How can it work. It must be based on both sides- mutual respect,mutual understanding,mutual recognition & based on equality. BUT ISLAM ? MOSLEMS are with their demonic value system are interested in receiving,in destroying,in ruthlessness,in selfishness, in subjugating,in enslaving you. This will never work....... Immediately, the nonmoslem world must demand & see to it that all human rights,equality,equal laws, equality of all religions,freedoms,democracy,equality of women must be implemented & made into their constitutions ( of every Moslem country ) . This is the minimum. As such ISLAM / MOSLEMS are cruel,evil,wicked,barbarous,bloodthirsty,racist,terrorist ,intolerant, as long as they practice QQURRAN & it's hate ,fear,terror messages. In other words make Moslems that they must reciprocate,recognize,accept, give , part of the same multicu;ltural values they are demanding. ---- It is funny to see the world - The values MOSLEMS lack, do not recognize, do not accept , do not believe in - are forcing,demanding, and getting away with murder. This one sided affair will not work. Multicultural values will work if Moslems also recognize you ,accept you,your culture,your values,your religion,your beliefs - but this is not the case. Naturally you will be the loser & destroyed ultimately, by Moslems. Why nobody is talking this commonsense thing ?
Name: coldjoint
Date: Wednesday November 07, 2007
Time: 20:24:05 -0700
Comment
seems to me the left is missing the point. it is not time to change western culture . it is time to save it. the comparison to rome is a good one. self seeking roman elites ignored the dangers of the barbarians figuring their government could handle it. this apathetic way of life pervades our society today. we need to participate and speak out against islam until all have heard and recognize the danger.
Name: donvan
Date: Thursday November 08, 2007
Time: 08:06:14 -0700
Comment
Perhaps we need to approsch this as a mental health issue as well. Individuals with homicidal/suicidal ideation, violent and hostile thoughts, and internalized hatred of 'others' is sympomatic of maladaptive behaviors. The fact that this is unique to indivduals who have 'Become' 'Muslim' and have become a danger to themselves and others is a "Muslim Personality Disorder". While it is true that not all who have internalized the mythology act out the violent dogma, the percentage who have,do and will indicate that the maladaptive behaviorsoriginate with the mythology itself.
Name: bobby
Date: Saturday November 10, 2007
Time: 13:38:56 -0700
Comment
echo what Tim said. In addition, US should colonize an oil-rich midde-eastern country to provide energy needs. Whats the point in having military superiority if you don't claim what is rightfully yours after a hard won battle. Muslims would laugh at the idea of trying to win hearts and minds after they would invade and conquer a country. They only know plunder, looting and killing!
Name: Bobby
Date: Saturday November 10, 2007
Time: 13:53:14 -0700
Comment
The expatriate population in the Gulf countries are much higher than the native population for decades. They are living with essentialy no rights and as guests even though they have built the country, a country they cannot call their own. In non-islamic parts of the world, people are accepted as citizens with full rights after such long contributions towards the country. The arabs still have the slave mentality. The world tolerates or chooses to ignore it because of their oil-wealth.
Name: coldjoint
Date: Sunday November 11, 2007
Time: 21:34:18 -0700
Comment
islam is using our laws against us. we can use the power of our constitution against them. we just have to declare war on islam. then an amendment and bye bye muslims. they would be deported or detained.
Name: Neutral For Now
Date: Friday November 30, 2007
Time: 19:01:34 -0700
Comment
The author encapsulates many thoughts in a concise manner; Some may agree, some may disagree, however as they say "The proof is in the pudding"... It's hard to argue against the fact that the West has been forced to respond to what amounts to a "Holy War" that has been declared by Islamic fundamentalists, but to be politically correct for the liberal masses, has had no choice but to communicate the fighting is a "War on Terrorism" not a war against Islam. However it would appear obvious that Islamic people broadly support the efforts of the " Islamic martyrs" deemed terrorists by the West, and typically defend their actions as justified retaliation for either Western or Jewish oppression, or any other cause they choose... Sooner or later it will be broadly recognized that well documented Islamic teachings virtually require Muslims to kill the infidel, and consistent with these teachings Islam has declared war on Western civilization. Some may not accept this painful reality easily and cling to the notion that "we simply don't understand them", but to Islamic people, the entire western culture is impure and should be irradicated by any means neccesary. I am staying neutral for now, but my patience with Islam is growing thin!!!
Name: caca
Date: Monday January 14, 2008
Time: 08:36:17 -0700
Comment
this website sucks it really didnt help me at all so can you please put something that helps people researching !!!!!!!!! thankyou have grrreeeaaattt day!!
Name: balam to bobby
Date: Tuesday April 22, 2008
Time: 05:14:24 -0700
Comment
I agree with you entirely. Iraq was once a Christian country beside o lot of other countries. It is time to reconquer all those lost lands to Islam and control the oil. The West should also find alternative sources of energy. It might cause shortage of food for the Muslims. Tough. Do the Muslims ever care for non-muslims? Never. Christians are so badly treated in Muslim countries, like Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi-Arabia. The Muslims in the West should be exchanged for the Christians living and suffering in the Muslim countries. There is no such thing as a good Muslim except dead Muslims. Their brain are infected with the Virus of Islam, which is Incurable.