Violent Islamists vs. Non-Violent Islamists Posted by Shadi Hamid

There was one part of Obama's Al-Arabiya interview which really struck me. For me, this realization - this willingness to make careful distinctions in the Middle East - is paramount, and perhaps even key to a general re-orientation of America's policy in the region:

[Our administration will be] very clear in distinguishing between organizations like Al Qaeda — that espouse violence, espouse terror and act on it — and people who may disagree with my administration and certain actions, or may have a particular viewpoint in terms of how their countries should develop. We can have legitimate disagreements but still be respectful.

Maybe it's because I specialize on Islamist parties, but when I think of "people who may disagree with [the Obama] administration and certain actions" or have a "particular viewpoint of how their countries should develop," I think of Islamist groups and parties, the vast majority of whom are both nonviolent and committed to the democratic process, organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the Islamic Action Front in Jordan, Morocco's Justice and Development Party, Turkey's AKP, Kuwait's Islamic Constitutional Movement, Yemen's Islah Party, the Islamic Salvation Front in Algeria, and al-Nahda in Tunisia (sorry, it's a long list).

I obviously don't know what Obama had in mind here. However, the basic point is crucial and should really be one of the underlying principles animating our Mideast policy. There are violent groups which seek to attack and harm America, and nonviolent groups which may dislike or even hate American policies, but are legitimate political actors with large constituencies, massive grassroots support, and religious legitimacy.

There is an Islamist dilemma. It has paralyzed our policy toward the region for decades, and most acutely since the tragedy of 1991 Algeria. Perhaps we can move now toward resolving it and freeing our policy from the false choice between ideals and interests. It will take time, and it will be difficult, but we should begin.

Comments

[Don Bacon]

[Our administration will be] very clear in distinguishing between organizations like Al Qaeda — that espouse violence, espouse terror and act on it — and people who may disagree with my administration

The situation is a bit more complex than a simplistic illustration would imply. It isn't merely a case of al Qaeda vs. Muslim Brotherhood.

The main characteristic of the bogus 'war on terror' is that any organization or person opposing the US and Israel is terrorist, and everyone who is in any way connected with these organizations or people, whether by tacit support, outright support, geographic proximity or by any other reason that might occur to the anti-terror warriors is reason enough to employ the death sanction or lesser penalties like imprisonment or displacement.

So in Iraq, the country the US "liberated," it has been fine to shoot Iraqis, often in cold blood, or imprison them and torture them, if they were determined to be doing anything that might imply occupation resistance. This policy has contributed to high civilian casualtied, tens of thousands in prison, un-punished massacres, wanton urban destruction with accompanying loss of life, and other atrocities not permitted by the Geneva Conventions or by any rational rules of warfare. The efforts to kill known occupation resisters with drone aircraft or manned aircraft strikes, or by other means, have resulted in many "collateral" deaths, but they have been okay too. Physical proximity can be a proper death warrant. The rule has been that any strike on a given wanted person is permissible if it results in the deaths of less than thirty innocent people in the vicinity, in a dwelling for example. And of course this "collateral damage" includes women, children and infants. continued --->

[Don Bacon]

There are similar situations in Afghanistan, Somalia and Gaza. In Afghanistan for seven years it has been any Taliban supporters (once US allies), including most recently drug-growers who might contribute financially. If you live in a known Taliban neighborhood you're fair game. Somalia -- anyone connected with the Islamic Councils. Gaza -- anyone who has sympathized with Hamas, which is most of the population, of any age, is a target for Israel with vigorous US support.

I obviously don't know what Obama had in mind here.

What we do know is that there was precious little "careful distinguishing" when Obama supported Israel's recent genocide in Gaza or when he ordered Predator strikes in Pakistan which killed children. And we know that the tens of thousand of additional troops being sent to Afghanistan aren't going to do much careful distinguishing before they call in an air strike on a village housing an occupation-resisting opposing rifleman. And as the occupation increases in scope so will the resistance.

Why do Islamists hate Americans? Duh.

[Don Bacon]

There are similar situations in Afghanistan, Somalia and Gaza. In Afghanistan for seven years it has been any Taliban supporters (once US allies), including most recently drug-growers who might contribute financially. If you live in a known Taliban neighborhood you're fair game. Somalia -- anyone connected with the Islamic Councils. Gaza -- anyone who has sympathized with Hamas, which is most of the population, of any age, is a target for Israel with vigorous US support.

I obviously don't know what Obama had in mind here.

What we do know is that there was precious little "careful distinguishing" when Obama supported Israel's recent genocide in Gaza or when he ordered Predator strikes in Pakistan which killed children. And we know that the tens of thousand of additional troops being sent to Afghanistan aren't going to do much careful distinguishing before they call in an air strike on a village housing an occupation-resisting opposing rifleman. And as the occupation increases in scope so will the resistance.

Why do Islamists hate Americans? Duh.

[Vic]

This is a joke - and the writer an apologetic. To even begin to presume the Muslim Brotherhood is against al Qaeda is farcical. They are fighting the same fight albeit in slightly different ways. AQ is focused on jihad to establish the caliphate primarily through terrorism and terrorist propaganda, and the Muslim Brotherhood in its own words fighting a grand jihad to destroy from within (at least in the US).

If Obama concludes as this writer has, that the Muslim Brotherhood is anything but a Wahhabist, pro-sharia, anti-Western, pro-terrorist organization then it is clear that the war on terror and Islamic terrorists is over.

[Don Bacon]

Vic,
The fact that Al Qaeda and the Muslim brotherhood are Islamist doesn't make them anti-Western, and the fact that they employ terror in a different manner than the West does (in far greater numbers -- see above) doesn't mean that they are terrorists and the West is not. Both organizations are in opposition to autocratic rule in Muslim countries -- is this not a worthy cause?

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I think Obama is right...now the challenge is how do we convince the rest of the Muslim world that we are only focused on the terrorists. I think there may be too much water under the bridge in terms of the Muslim countries viewing us as the Great Satan. Hopefully, Obama will be able to overcome this challenge.

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