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Source: https://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/2026/07/07/can-islam-live-in-peace-with-the-west/
Can Islam Live in Peace with the West?
(Jewish Policy Center) Dr. Harold Rhode - Peaceful coexistence between the Islamic and non-Muslim worlds is possible only under specific political and theological conditions. Current realities make such coexistence difficult. Many Western observers fail to appreciate how deeply religion and inherited legal traditions shape political behavior in Muslim societies, leading them to expect agreements, compromises, and diplomatic formulas that may not mean the same thing to all sides. One of the key barriers to peaceful coexistence is the Western concept of permanence. Westerners believe disputes can be permanently settled. The Muslim world does not. Another is the concept of "peace" itself. The Muslim world does not see "peace" as the natural state of mankind. Lasting harmony between Muslim and non-Muslim societies would require both the reinterpretation of Muslim sources and strategic clarity within the non-Muslim societies. We are not there yet. Coexistence is possible - but only when ideas, incentives, and power align. Territorially, the Muslim world divides the world into two realms: the world where Islam rules and the world where Islam does not yet rule. These worlds are in constant conflict and will continue to be until the entire world succumbs to Muslim rule. Does this imply that all Muslims are united in this fight against the non-Muslim world? Clearly not. Muslims live in unending conflict with each other. Their differences are based on the social structures in their societies and on unending/unsolvable conflicts between families, clans, and ethnic and religious identities. If Muslims cannot live in peace with each other, how can we expect them to live in peace with non-Muslims? There are many Muslims who do not accept this view of the world, but these Muslims rarely dare to say so publicly, because they fear being assassinated by Muslims who disagree with them. While Western governments may view a signed agreement as a permanent legal settlement, the Muslim world, by and large, sees such agreements as nothing more than steps toward achieving its own political goals. Their signatures on these pieces of paper are not as sacrosanct as they are in the Western world. The Muslim world now sees the West as weak and unwilling to stop it from overwhelming us. The writer, a fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, served as an adviser on the Islamic world for the U.S. Department of Defense for 28 years.