(BESA Center-Bar-Ilan University) Efraim Inbar - The Middle East, more than any other region in the world, is beleaguered by religious fanatics ready to use violence indiscriminately against people who do not adhere to the "right" religious approach. These zealots have a great deal of energy, and many frustrated Muslims are ready to blame their miserable predicament on the West. The majority of Muslims in the region do not condone abhorrent terrorist acts, but they are largely silent. Many who would not participate in such acts show understanding when they are committed by others. Most tragically, they are reluctant to take responsibility for bringing their societies into the 21st century. The West can do little to change this situation. Change must come from within. The ambitious attempt to "fix" Iraq and Afghanistan, which consumed immense amounts of blood and treasure, yet ended in failure, suggests the limits of political engineering. This means that the evil winds blowing from the Middle East will hover over the world for several decades at least. The writer, director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, is professor emeritus of political studies at Bar-Ilan University.
2016-09-05 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive