Deciding what kind of war on terror we want, or if we want one, means we also have to begin getting familiar and comfortable with the societies and politics of some areas we aren't used to. Chalking up terrorism to Islam, or even to Islam-gone-radical, will not serve anyone, least of all Americans.
People, passions, conflicts, politics: these are complex. But there's one simple way to approach that complexity: we need to educate ourselves about the rest of the world, so that we can make our own decisions about what the media, the government, or anyone else (mom and dad, the guy at the gas station, etc.) tells us about who and what really threatens us.
On the weekend before the November 2006 Congressional elections, I watched a highly publicized documentary on the Fox Network called Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West. The documentary was definitely frightening. Part of what made it so frightening was the recurrent montages of Islamist groups, huge crowds, angry clerics–all of whom declared their anger at America or the West, or the supremacy of Islam. Terrifying. The film made it seem that there is indeed a global jihadist movement: numerous groups working together to bring down America, and devastate Western values.
In actuality, the appearance of a global jihadist movement had a great deal to do with how the film was made. It was the effect of splicing. The film's produer created terrifying montages by splicing together different protests by different groups in different parts of the Middle East and Western Asia, in different times. There's no question that there is a lot of anger and a lot of violence out there. Much of the time, that anger is mostly related to local or regional politics. Anger over local politics in much of the Arab world is suppressed by local governments. Free speech isn't permitted. So, anger is communicated through a symbolic vocabulary about the West and about America, and also, with great frequency, about Israel and Jews and Zionism. At other times, groups or crowds declare their anger--but they don't actually have the resources, or even the real will, to go so far as to attack the United States. A number of the groups shown in the film don't have a lot to do with each other and are not necessarily working together.
That's my view after spending years studying these countries, and the languages and history of the region. I feel confident that my views are accurate. But I also know that there are other worlds of knowledge about which I know little. When I take the time to learn a little bit, though, I always feel empowered to assess complex situations better This is especially true when what I learn surprises me, or goes against received wisdom. The fact is, we all can learn more about the rest of the world, and think critically about it. (Coming to this site is a great start!)
The world is complex. But this idea is simple: We Americans need to put the rest of the world on our map, and put global education on our children's curricula in school. Knowing even a little more about the histories of other people and places makes our ability to interpret the frightening images we see with much more ease, and know when we should be afraid--and how often we really don't have to be. One small step in educating ourselves, one giant step toward a more peaceful world.
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