The importance of understanding the culture of Islam as a trigger of worldwide tension • Western liberals do not understand people for whom religious faith is the central force of their personality * In contrast to the Western value of freedom, Islamic culture emphasizes the values of respect and power • A ruler who is not seen as strong and cruel cannot survive in Islamic society • Muslims are commanded to impose their religion through war; when faced with a strong enemy, only a temporary reprieve is permitted • Obama is mistaken when showing weakness towards Muslims, and also insulting in his demand for them to adopt Western values
Increasing tension between the West and Muslims
Focal points of conflict between Muslims and non-Muslims have gradually increased in recent years, to the point where in the opinion of many, they represent the most serious risk for world peace. It is not merely a conflict between Israel and the Arabs, but rather, the attitude of Iran and Al Qaeda, who openly express sheer hatred of Israel and the West. In the words of the Iranians, the United States is the “Great Satan”, while Israel is the “Little Satan.”
Moreover, dangerous conflicts are going on between India and Pakistan, between the Chechnya rebels and Russia, and between the people of Uyghur and China. In the major cities of Europe – from France to Russia – tensions between the local population and Muslim immigrants is on the rise, as well. It appears these conflicts are not coincidental; rather, they reflect a core problem which, if not thoroughly understood by the Western world, will lead to increasing tensions, until the conflict is likely to result in terrible bloodshed throughout all of Europe and the Islamic countries.
Failures of Western Policy and “Experts”
In previous articles, I criticized U.S. President Barack Obama’s position, when in his keynote speech in Jerusalem, stated that young Muslims want “the ability to make their own decisions; to get an education and a good job; to worship God in their own way; to get married and have a family.” He thereby expressed the prevailing view among those who believe that liberalism is the supreme aspiration of all mankind, while ignoring the extraordinarily powerful religious values that have motivated people and nations throughout history.
“To worship God in their own way”, is the ambition of a person who believes in liberalism and wishes to reserve a certain spot in his life for spirituality, irrelevant of how it is expressed. However, for someone motivated by time-honored religious beliefs, “to worship God in their own way” is highly inadequate. This is the reason why the U.S. and Western countries, whose positions are guided by basic liberalism, fail to understand Muslims, and consequently, do not know how to deal with them – despite the enormous resources at their disposal.
First, one needs to understand Islam’s exceptional strength – together with its virtues and shortcomings. I am far from being an expert on this, and I am also sure that the few books I have read on Islam were not accurate representations seeing as they were written by academics who find it difficult to properly understand what faith and religion are all about. But it seems that precisely as one who fully identifies with his faith, I am able to add a dimension missing from the understanding of Muslim culture and religion. Instinct tells me my inaccuracies are in the details, whereas most Western “experts” err in essence.
The Religious Point of View
The fundamental approach of Islam lies in a religious perception which views God as an all-powerful hero, to which everyone must submit and accept his absolute authority. Out of the five major precepts of Islam, four deal directly with the honor of god and submission to him: 1) accepting faith in him. 2) Praying to him five times a day, mainly involving bowing-down and reciting seven verses praising Allah, seventeen times and accepting his authority. 3) Fasting in the month of Ramadan. 4) Making the pilgrimage to Mecca. (An additional precept is giving charity to the poor, which also expresses submission to Allah – for money belongs to him, and not man).
Even praise and confession to Allah is performed out of a feeling of submission and honor.
Islam’s Influence on Personal Behavior
This approach extends to all interpersonal relationships, all of which are based on honor. A wife must highly respect her husband, and a husband is obligated to take care of, support, and protect his wife – this is his honor. Needless to say, children are also required to honor their parents. Interpersonal relationships as well are based on great respect, producing a sense of noble generosity, which allows room for hospitality and brotherhood.
Seeing as honor is so essential, offending a Muslim is intolerable, because it undermines the very foundation of his existence; if offended, a Muslim is consequently obliged to respond with extreme gravity, leading to the familiar and horrifying expression of “family honor killings.”
Since force and control are vital to Islam, as a result, a ruler who is not perceived as strong and even cruel is incapable of lasting in Muslim society. Therefore, the democratic system is unable to provide stability for Islamic countries. The ideal government for them is an authoritarian rule which protects and provides honor for all its citizens, similar to a compassionate father caring for the welfare of his sons.
The Positive Aspects of Islam
Unmistakably, there are very positive aspects of Islam. The foundations of the religion were derived from Judaism, and tailored to the character of the Arab nation. These positive aspects and their contribution to the world deserve study, to clarify how useful the value of honor could be for the modern world, whose problems to a large extent stem from a lack of respect of God and human dignity. The right to freedom is not a substitute for lost honor. The right of dignity in a democratic society is expressed merely by refraining from humiliating someone; it lacks positive respect. This allows for a feeling of apathy, arrogance, and contempt for others and their values.
However, the aim of this article is explore the roots of the conflict with the followers of Islam, and in the nature of things, will present its less attractive sides.
Islam – A Religion of War
Following the five precepts of Islam, the next most important precept is the command of jihad. The followers of Allah must also act as he did, courageously and forcibly subduing those who do not succumb to his authority. Power and the sword play a central role in the Muslim religion, emphasizing the physical strength of the religion, and enhancing the greatness and honor of Allah by imposing his beliefs on all mankind. Even the calls to prayer over loudspeakers by the muezzin day and night, are an expression of imposing the religion over expansive areas, both towards themselves, and all others.
It is no coincidence that the Arabs have succeeded in imposing Islam on numerous nations, to the point where presently, there are approximately 1,400,000,000 followers. The genetic code of Islam is programmed towards a steadfast war of imposing Muhammad’s religion on the entire world by means of the sword. To achieve this goal, everything is legitimate. If they must kill, they will kill; if they must lie, they will lie. It was not the enchanting beauty of Islamic religion which enticed so many nations to accept it upon themselves, but rather, the clear threat of death.
All nations attained their achievements through confrontations and triumphs. Unlike other cultures however, in Islam, the principle of compromise is intolerable, especially a territorial compromise. Compromise is an expression of weakness, whereas a Muslim is required to represent the heroism and strength of Allah, and must always clutch the sword, prepared to continue the war of imposing his religion.
Therefore, even when Muslims lack the power to defeat their enemy, there is no willingness to compromise. If they are compelled to agree to a cease-fire (‘tahadiya‘ in Arabic), as far as Islam is concerned it is only a respite which must be utilized to prepare for the continuation of the war. In the interim, if possible, they will weaken their opponent by means of terrorist attacks and raids. If they are unable to be victorious, at the very least they will attempt to sedate their enemy with lies, and when the opportunity arises attack once again till he is defeated. This method is based on the conduct of their prophet Muhammad towards the tribe of Quraysh.
The Significance of the Sword in Islam
According to Muslim belief, the world is divided into two parts: ‘Dar al-Islam‘ are territories already conquered by Islam. ‘Dar al-Harb‘ are territories of conflict which the Arabs are commanded to conquer, and after doing so, become Muslim holy territory (waqf) which must not be relinquished under any circumstances. Even if this territory is re-conquered by another nation for hundreds of years, according to Muslim law, it is still considered ‘sanctified’ land which must be returned to Muslim control.
Consequently, the State of Israel constitutes a two-fold problem for them: First, it was established on territory conquered by Islam since its inception (except for a period of approximately 100 years when it was ruled by the Crusaders). Secondly, it is also located in the heart of Arab-controlled areas.
Some Muslims are more devout, others less; nevertheless, they all share the desire to return Arab rule over the Land of Israel. The debate between the moderates and the extremists is over the question of whether they are able to conduct an overt, all-out war against us, or first, to emasculate and weaken the State of Israel by means of agreements and political pressure, and only afterwards, conquer it forcibly.
How to Deal with the Islamic Threat
The only way to exempt a Muslim from war is by creating a situation in which he is entirely compelled – lacking the ability or chance to succeed. Only under such circumstances according to Islamic law is he exempt from the necessity to wage war. In such a case, he will wait for years or even generations, confident that when the opportunity is presented, he will return to wage war.
In contrast, any attempt to compromise with Islam will inevitably lead to the continuation and intensification of war and terror, because it is perceived as weakness. For in the view of Islamic culture, if the Western countries had the power to defeat them, they wouldn’t possibly be seeking a compromise. The search for compromise can only be due to their inability to face the heroic attacks of Allah’s faithful, and hence, their downfall is close at hand. The same is true regarding Israel – any attempt at compromise or looking for a “political horizon”, instills hope within the Arabs that they can defeat us, and as a result, encourages terrorism and war.
Anyone wishing for peaceful and calm relations with Muslims must avoid displaying any desires for peace, or any talk of it, because peace with non-Muslims contradicts their beliefs. The objective of Western countries must be to secure a durable ceasefire, and simultaneously conduct respectable relationships. When this occurs, we can eventually reach a loftier and more profound peace. However, such a peace cannot be discussed at this point in time.
The Mistake in Obama’s Cairo Speech
Instead, when Obama spoke in Cairo four years ago he erred twice: First, by calling the Muslims to peace, thereby intensifying their war against America, and hastening the downfall of Arab rulers who supported the United States. Secondly, despite all the praise for Muslims, essentially he was condescending, humiliating their beliefs by preaching to them to behave democratically, to grant equality to women, and to provide equal rights for minorities – when in fact, Muslim values are based on honor, and not on equality. As a Christian, had he firmly demanded equality for the Christian Copts in Egypt, they would have respected his request, stemming from a position of power. But when he asked for this in the name of democracy and freedom of religious, he undermined his position in their eyes and endangered the Copts – whose situation since then has deteriorated.
Let us conclude with the prayer: “The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace”, and as a result, Islam’s positive values will come to the fore, the nations will come closer to faith in God and fulfilling the Noahide commandments – each nation according to its own qualities and character – and true peace will come to the world.
This article appeared in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper in April 2013. Other interesting and informative articles by Rabbi Melamed can be found at: https://en.yhb.org.il/