Radical Islam – Globalization for Losers

Globalization is hardly limited to spreading American or western concepts. The phenomenon can take on many forms, used by governments of all sizes as well as individuals – anyone who catches media attention, intentional or otherwise. The forms can extend philosophies of freedom or safety, choices or control. Author Jonah Goldberg suggests that Osama bin Laden’s call upon Muslims to attack UN peacekeepers, headed to the Darfur region of Sudan to stop genocide, shows that radical Islam appeals to a marginalized population: “those left out of “modernization, industrialization and prosperity, particularly to young men desperate for order, meaning and pride amid the chaos of globalization.” From hiding, bin Laden attempts to organize Islam – a religion of local saints and customs – into a rigid and united front that eliminates cultural diversity. Yet with modern technology and communication, any movement that refuses to tolerate competition of ideas or debate inevitably faces an uphill battle. – YaleGlobal