Editorial

Abstract

Have the tragic events of 9/11 resulted in a profound change in the interactions
between the Muslim world and the West, or has the carnage simply
accelerated an already present trend of strained relations? It is too early
to know, but when historians begin looking back, they will likely find evidence
to support both assertions. With the introduction of the USA
PATRIOT Act, which allows the government unprecedented opportunities
to spy on people, greatly infringing upon their civil liberties, the treatment
of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, racial profiling, and the harassment
and deportation of Muslims residing in the country, the Bush administration
appears to be leading the “free world” into a new variant of right-wing
authoritarian government.
On the other hand, the American occupation of Iraq and the Bush
administration’s plans to reshape the Middle East bear an uncanny resemblance
to a policy paper published in 1996 by an Israeli think-tank, the
Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies: “A Clear Break: A
New Strategy for Securing the Realm.” Of course the symmetry between
the 1996 proposals (i.e., remove Saddam Hussein and weaken Syria and
Iran) and the current policies are no surprise, since three of the eight coauthors
now hold key Bush administration positions: Richard Perle, member
of the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board; Douglas Feith, undersecretary
of defense for policy; and David Wurmser, Vice President Dick Cheney’s
Middle East advisor. Thus, 9/11 has simply given the neo-conservatives an
excuse and the ability to execute what had already been envisaged. The
Middle East, long under colonial subjugation, is re-experiencing western
aims to dominate, control, and reshape it. Thus, from a Muslim perspective,
9/11 appears to have confirmed, with a vengeance, global power structures
instead of ushering in a new era.
In Covering Islam, published by the late Edward Said in 1981, Said
observed: “For almost every Muslim, the mere assertion of an Islamic
identity becomes an act of nearly cosmic defiance and a necessity for survival
(p. 72).” Though written more than 20 years ago, how more true is
this observation now? Even the simple act of naming a child (especially
boys) is fraught with difficulties. Many of the best-loved Muslim names, ...