Post-WWII silence about the decades of Arab League-Nazi alliance was due to the thirst for OIL for postwar reconstruction and development. Oil was a factor in 20th century wars. Pan-Arabism spread ethnic and linguistic hegemonic supremacy across thousands of miles, shoving Arabic and Arabian culture (especially as relates to girls and women) down dozens of indigenous tribal throats. As the British did with the Irish, who seem to forget that it’s now Arab states, not Israel, forcing foreign culture onto conquered peoples. This continues today in Africa and now Europe. The Hamas charter of 1988 (the one they mean) is filled with residual Nazi ideology and violence from that era of collaboration. shalom / salaam
"As someone who has struggled to make sense of Islam, the Arab world, and the Muslim sensibility- ever since my parents moved to the Arab Gulf in 1971- this part of the world continues to perplex and worry me.
In 1989, when I criticized India’s banning of Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses (as well as Khomeini’s Fatwa against the author), the secular, liberal establishment of my city, Bangalore, effectively boycotted me. In their eyes, Muslims in India were an exceptionally protected minority and any criticism of them would not just embolden the Hindu Right wing but would be an attack on ‘secularism’ itself. Years later the Progressive Left in the West, would similarly adopt Islam and Muslims as deserving of special concern, consideration and protection- even from democratic norms and laws that this group found ‘offensive’.
In the past decade or so, my concerns about (i) Arab states and their illiberalism and authoritarianism, (ii) The average Muslim’s intolerance of free speech and criticism, and (iii) the collective inability of Muslim’s to engage in self-reflection have made me question whether there can ever be real peace between the Muslim world and the West. I question also whether Muslims who live in the West have the capacity to integrate, assimilate or even be loyal to their Western passports- after all the Muslim’s primary loyalty is to the global ummah (Muslim brotherhood), not to the state.
I am looking forward to reading Pax Arabica carefully in the hope that Daniel Clarke Serret can provide me some insights."
Post-WWII silence about the decades of Arab League-Nazi alliance was due to the thirst for OIL for postwar reconstruction and development. Oil was a factor in 20th century wars. Pan-Arabism spread ethnic and linguistic hegemonic supremacy across thousands of miles, shoving Arabic and Arabian culture (especially as relates to girls and women) down dozens of indigenous tribal throats. As the British did with the Irish, who seem to forget that it’s now Arab states, not Israel, forcing foreign culture onto conquered peoples. This continues today in Africa and now Europe. The Hamas charter of 1988 (the one they mean) is filled with residual Nazi ideology and violence from that era of collaboration. shalom / salaam
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From Ashok:
"As someone who has struggled to make sense of Islam, the Arab world, and the Muslim sensibility- ever since my parents moved to the Arab Gulf in 1971- this part of the world continues to perplex and worry me.
In 1989, when I criticized India’s banning of Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses (as well as Khomeini’s Fatwa against the author), the secular, liberal establishment of my city, Bangalore, effectively boycotted me. In their eyes, Muslims in India were an exceptionally protected minority and any criticism of them would not just embolden the Hindu Right wing but would be an attack on ‘secularism’ itself. Years later the Progressive Left in the West, would similarly adopt Islam and Muslims as deserving of special concern, consideration and protection- even from democratic norms and laws that this group found ‘offensive’.
In the past decade or so, my concerns about (i) Arab states and their illiberalism and authoritarianism, (ii) The average Muslim’s intolerance of free speech and criticism, and (iii) the collective inability of Muslim’s to engage in self-reflection have made me question whether there can ever be real peace between the Muslim world and the West. I question also whether Muslims who live in the West have the capacity to integrate, assimilate or even be loyal to their Western passports- after all the Muslim’s primary loyalty is to the global ummah (Muslim brotherhood), not to the state.
I am looking forward to reading Pax Arabica carefully in the hope that Daniel Clarke Serret can provide me some insights."
An excellent review of your groundbreaking book, Daniel!
This is absolutely fascinating!
I will finally be subscribing in next day or two.