[New York Times] Michael Slackman - Today, the search for identity in the Middle East no longer involves tension between the secular and religious. Religion has won. Across the Middle East, young people who are angry, alienated, and deprived of opportunity have accepted Islam as an agent of change and rebellion. Through Islam, they defy the status quo and challenge governments seen as corrupt and incompetent. These young people - 60% of those in the region are under 25 - are propelling a worldwide Islamic revival, driven by a thirst for political change and social justice, that has popularized a more conservative interpretation of the faith. "Islamism for us is what pan-Arabism was for our parents," said Naseem Tarawnah, 25. The long-term implications of this are likely to complicate American foreign policy calculations, making it more costly to continue supporting governments that do not let secular or moderate religious political movements take root.
2008-12-24 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive