A common claim of supporters of the Global War Without End on Terror is that the enemy, al-Qaeda will create a new Islamic Caliphate if we let them. The image is of a rabid, Islamic empire bent on conquering the world and getting your girlfriend into a Burqa. Them's fightin' words, eh?
Reuters UK reports that the Caliphate idea is an al-Qaeda pipe dream:
"Since September, U.S. President George W. Bush has warned several times that al Qaeda wants to set up a violent, radical Islamic empire based in Iraq, to unite Muslims under one aegis.
Baghdad was once the centre of an Islamic empire that lasted for four centuries -- but experts say the chances of a revival of the ancient Islamic institution are remote.
"'Al Qaeda could set up an Islamic state in the west of Iraq, if there is no American army there. But it would be difficult for them to penetrate any other state where there is an army and state apparatus,' said Saudi analyst Faris bin Houzam.
"'Their big dream is to set up an Islamic state, but there's nothing to suggest it could happen,' he added.
The emergence of an Islamic emperor just wouldn't fit too well today in a Muslim world already facing a severe Shia/Sunni divide and where few political bodies could be expected to surrender their power.
However a form of caliphate may be here already. London based anthropologist Madawi Al-Rasheed says it exists for some Muslims on the internet:
"However, the word caliphate, or khilafa in Arabic, still conjures up positive images for most Muslims.
"Al-Rasheed said the word is being used more and more in a variety of contexts to signify a morally correct order. It is used by mainstream political parties, Muslim communities and politically interested activists on the Internet.
"'With new communications there is a revival of the idea of a caliphate but as a virtual community with no territorial boundaries,' she said, pointing to "diaspora" Muslims in Europe."
No comments:
Post a Comment