|
Trending Topics
|
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/08/opinion/08FRIE.html
After the Storm
(New York Times) - Thomas L. Friedman In the end, 9/11 will have a much bigger impact on the Arab and Muslim worlds than it does on America. 9/11 has been a trauma for Arabs and Muslims as well - a shock to their systems that ranks with Napoleon's invasion of Egypt, the creation of Israel, and the 1967 defeat. Since 9/11, the Arab-Muslim world has passed through three basic stages: shock, denial and, finally, introspection. Will introspection lead to a Stage 4 - fundamental political and economic reform? The leaders understand that this is a storm they can't ride out, but they don't know how to change without losing the control they've enjoyed. This tension will be the drama of Arab-Muslim politics for the next decade.