Islam and the West at War

The West, led by the United States, invaded Afghanistan and Iraq to eliminate dictatorial and extremist forces. Civil war has raged in Syria since early 2011; not long afterward, Islamic State terrorists took advantage of a power vacuum to assert rigid controls and slaughter Christians, Shia Muslims, Muslim troops from nearby countries as well as journalists and aid workers. The conflict’s roots are many. “Across a wide swath of territory, in Iraq, in Syria, in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, in Yemen, the West has been or is at war, or near-war, with the Muslim world, in a failed bid to eradicate a metastasizing Islamist movement of murderous hatred toward Western civilization,” writes Roger Cohen for the New York Times, expressing frustration over vague analysis. The assessments, both from Cohen and those he blasts, overlook how many Muslims are targets of extremism when bizarre interpretations of religion are used as a tool for gaining power. Some blame the West for favoring Israel and Middle East dictators who left many Muslim communities ignorant, impoverished and marginalized. Others blame Middle East governments. Muslims must battle the scourge of extremism. The West must extend support, respect and gratitude. – YaleGlobal