A Review of the Arab Spring

The Arab Spring continues apace as one Islamic Dictator after another falls to popular uprisings. The US has either quietly stayed on the sidelines as in Egypt and Iran or played an active role as in Iraq and Libya. Although US involvement in Libya was sort of a one off since it was conducted via NATO which is a military euphemism for the US. The US along with the western powers see these uprisings as an effort by the people to be free and struggling for democratic representative government. While these uprisings may establish new representative governments any resemblance to any western style democratic government is wishful thinking. The western powers seem incapable of grasping the realities of the Middle East and Islam. In spite of the politically correct position of the US government and the West, the reality is Christendom ( read the West) is engaged in religious war with Islam.

The Obama administration has declared that all American Troops will withdraw from Iraq. For the anti-war crowd this appears as a victory instead of the disaster it may be because to the Islamic community they won and have succeeded in driving American Forces out of Iraq. Iraq is not politically stable and that instability is being driven by Iran whose objective is to create another Islamic Nation dominated by Iran. It is almost a certainty the current government cannot remain in power once the US leaves and any new government will be Islamic, not secular, and certainly anti-American and anti-Christian.

Currently the West is celebrating the fall of the Gadhafi Government with the belief (read hope) that the new government will be democratic, pro-west, and secular. The first step of the new government was to declare Sharia Law. Of course this doesn’t mean that will stand because like most of the Arab nations, Libya is tribal and each of these tribes is now fully armed and struggling to gain power. It is probable that Libya will remain unstable for the foreseeable future but regardless of who finally emerges as the new dictator he will not be secular or democratic but Islamic and certainly not pro-west. Abdul Jalil – the head of the Libyan transitional government has already announced that he intends to establish Sharia Law in Libya – thus firmly returning Libya to the 8th Century.

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia died recently and now who will be the new Crown Prince is undetermined but the probability is that the logical candidate Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz will be chosen. Saudi Arabia is strictly Islamic and rules with Sharia Law. World opinion has increasingly pressured Arabia to abandon or at least not enforce some of the more barbarous parts of Sharia. While Saudi Arabia has supported the US in some ways that support has largely been because the Royal family is not loved and needs international support. This is why the current Saudi government has been softening its enforcement of Sharia. If Aziz comes to power there is little doubt but he would return to the strict enforcement of Sharia law and reduce his support for the US. With Aziz in power Saudi Arabia could become very unstable and it is feasible that the Monarchy could fall and be replaced by an Islamic dictator.

As a further example of the failed US foreign policies we have Syria. The US was quick to step into Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya and to support the uprisings in Egypt but have done nothing to support the uprising in Syria. It is no secret that Syria has a well organized and capable military and Assad is supported by Iran. If the people of Syria by some miracle manage to overthrow Assad, can the US expect their support? Not very likely but if Assad manages to suppress his opposition which he is likely to do, he will be indebted to Iran and Hezbollah. He would then pose an even greater threat to Lebanon and Israel. What the US policy is toward Syria has never been very clear and the failure to support the rebels in Syria will strengthen the current government just as it did in Iran and America will once again appear to be an unreliable friend.

Iran is actually Persia and at various times in history Persia has been a mighty empire and it seems clear that the current government is intent on re-establishing that empire, if not directly certainly indirectly. As the Arab Spring progresses Iranian influence has spread from Iran across Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. How Turkey, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia react to this is to be determined but the intransigence of America cannot make them overly comfortable in relying on America and that is before Iran gains nuclear power, which they are sure to do. And when they do gain nuclear capability there is no doubt they will use it as intimidation on all of the Islamic Middle East in their bid to re-establish the Caliphate and the Persian Empire. In the meantime the American public should not be so quick to celebrate the Arab Spring as an example of the rise of democracy because these governments are not going to resemble anything like western democracies and with a Nuclear Iran as the central power a major military confrontation may not be far off.

The Arab Spring of 2011

The Arab Spring is worrisome on several levels. It seems that few in the Western World understand the dynamics of the area and American foreign policy over several administrations seems to be based more on wishful thinking (my opinion)than any true understanding of how things work. There is a reason why these countries have been unstable for generations if not for centuries. The Ottomans ruled this area for 500 years but did so with an iron hand and disagreements and disagreeable people were dealt with harshly. The Arab world is tribal in nature with fierce opposition between tribes. Khadafi (sp) in Libya is hanging on to power because his military is drawn from and led by his tribe. The opposition is not some group or groups of people grasping for freedom and democratic government, these are people who think it is time for their tribe(s) to rule. Once Khadafi is out nothing will change and in fact there is a high probability that Al Qaeda could seize power because of the fragmented opposition to Khadafi.

The West and America in particular seems to labor under the misconception that the Arab World is in turmoil because the people want representative government and freedom. There is nothing in the history of this region that would lead any thinking person to that conclusion. Even if "democratic" governments come out of these conflicts they will not resemble any democratic government that would be recognizable by the average American. Their press will be controlled, the government will be corrupt, the legal system will be controlled, there will be no freedom of religion,no freedom of speech, and in general what will emerge is the usual Islamic strongman dictator clinging to power for life or at least for decades.

America is withdrawing from Iraq leaving behind a fragile "democratic" government. It is unlikely that government will survive and very likely that a civil war will occur driven by Al Sadr and other religious leaders. It will be Sunni versus Shia and tribe against tribe with the Christians and Kurds playing a minor role. People seem to forget that the British and French tried to bring democratic governments to this area following WW I and it failed. Those goverments collapsed into strong man dictatorships run by "Presidents" for life. The best thing America can do now is to cut our losses and leave these people to sort it out for themselves. The alternative would be to stop playing this ridiculous game of moral superiority and attempting to establish our rules over them. They regard our freedoms and rules as weaknesses and act accordingly. A few public executions, mass bombings, and an emasculation or two would send the only kind of message these people understand because those are their rules and the rules they understand.

The upheaval in the Arab world is driving out dictators who supported America but what they are being replaced by may be -- and probably will be -- much worse for American security than what it has been under the dictators. Egypt is abandoning their peaceful coexistence with Israel, Syria is in play over Lebanon and Israel. The Iranians are pushing their anti-west and anti-Israel agendas in the background. Our foreign policy is non-existent or at least doesn't give the appearance of being a coherent policy.

Royce

Islam Today

The drum beat of multi-culturalism continues unabated throughout the liberal world. We are told that we should honor all cultures and they are all morally equivalent. Hence the native headhunter who wears a discreet loin cloth is equivalent to any Wall Street banker because they are both hunters one of men and the other of men’s money. This lunacy is extrapolated to all cultures including even those whose very foundation is based on hatred of all who differ and the sworn destruction of those they oppose and their societies. Of course this refers to Islam and the constant stream of excuses and assurances that not all Muslims are like the Islamofascists and there are good ones – who can best be described as the silent minority. Without doubt there are exceptions – there always are – but the silence of the Islamic community relative to the murder and destruction being wrought by Muslims worldwide is thunderous. Of particular interest is the internecine warfare going on between the Shi’ia Muslims and the Sunni’s. This is equivalent to the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s with the US Military playing the part of the Federal Agents. True to form the guilt and blame lies not on the irrationality of the Muslims but is laid on the US and the US Military.

This internecine warfare has been going on since the death of Mohammed and is really nothing more nor less than a battle over the successor to the Caliphate – a battle that has lasted over a thousand years and one that shows no signs of abating. In fact this ongoing battle is encouraged by the Saudi’s – the keepers of the Holy Places of Islam. A close look at the situation reveals some very interesting – and speculative – motives. First until the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1917 Arabia was really not a country and it was inhabited by various Bedouin Tribes who can best be described as nomadic goat herders. When the Ottoman Empire was carved up by those ever helpful British and French governments, SAUDI-Arabia was created with the House of Saud put in charge. The discovery of oil changed everything and the goat herders were separated into the Royal Family and everybody else. Things have gradually improved but Arabia continues to be an absolute Monarchy governed by Shar’ia Law which can only be described as draconian. Under Shar’ia women have few rights and true Muslims are sworn to the destruction of all unbelievers. Thus this commandment was the driving force behind the massacre of Hindu’s by the Muslims when India became independent and the genocide carried out by the Muslims in Armenia, and Bosnia. This commandment to kill all unbelievers continues to justify the murder and destruction being carried out by Muslims worldwide even today. Ironically it is also the justification for the blood feud between the Shi’ia and the Sunni’s.

It seems the enlightened and ever faithful Saudi’s provide capital for the construction of Mosques and textbooks to be used to teach Muslim children. Of course the multi-culturists in the West would never think to look at these textbooks to see what the Saudi’s are teaching – that’s too bad because the Saudi’s talk out of both sides of their mouth. According to the official Saudi (religious) teachings, it was the Jews who were behind those who became the Shia. It was the Jews who conspired to divide Islam and to plant Jewish thoughts into the minds of Muslims and these apostate Muslims became the Shia. This is used by the Saudi’s today to justify their continuing subjugation of the Shiites who have few rights in Saudi Arabia and cannot be represented in Saudi Courts because they are considered Jews -- so much for the Saudi view of human rights and cultural diversity.

But the Saudi’s are really the driving force behind Muslim extremism and the root of the Islamofascists whom they publicly repudiate on one side and quietly support on the other. We wonder why the Islamic community is so silent regarding the murder and mayhem being conducted in their name – look no further than the Saudi’s. In the textbooks being provided by the Saudi’s to Muslim children in America we find the following quote “The unbelievers, idolaters, and others like them must be hated and despised. We must stay away from them and create barriers between them and us.” So while the simple minded westerners continue to preach multi-culturalism and love of all, the Muslims are teaching isolationism and hate. The unbelievers and idolaters they are sworn to destroy consists of everyone except Sunni Muslims – and this means YOU.

But the hypocrisy of the Saudi’s and the Islamic states goes even deeper. First, despite vast sums of revenue and huge tracts of unoccupied land, the Saudi’s will not accept any Palestinian as a citizen. Instead they contribute money to train and arm suicide bombers and reward the families of suicide bombers. Lebanon has actually passed legislation that prohibits any Palestinian from working full time, purchasing land, or becoming a professional. These are Muslims but no Muslim nation will accept them so they deliberately remain marginalized as refugees and a destabilizing force throughout the Middle East as a government policy of the Muslim states. The Muslims seem to thrive on lies, libels, and ignorance and blame everyone but themselves for their poverty, misery,and lack of success. They blame the Jews for their plight rather than themselves and the rigidity of Islam.

To this day there are many Arab politicians, journalists, and “intellectuals” who tell their audiences, which are largely illiterate Arabs that Jews are Nazi’s because they siphon the blood of non-Jewish children for their religious observances. Incredible as it may sound this ridiculous libel has been stated publicly by the Syrian Defense Minister. The Arab Lawyers Union has circulated posters showing a vampire toothed Israeli Soldier with Nazi Flags standing guard over a boarded up Palestinian Office, where the boards formed a swastika. There are many of these types of things being circulated by Muslims, the same Muslims who rioted all over the world because of a cartoon showing Mohammed as a bomber - a double standard that is tolerated by the politically correct media, politicians, and multi-culturalists.

Islam today is firmly anchored in the sixth century and continues its tribal orientation. It is an exclusively male society where masculinity is demonstrated through the obligatory moustache and domination of women. They suppress their women and exercise such control over them that they are little more than sex slaves. Islam today has no room for equal rights for women or freedom of religion, speech, or the press. Islam today is a petrified religion that must either change or fracture and increasingly it appears it will never change because change requires enlightenment and reformation, neither of which can happen as long as they fail to accept responsibility for their plight.

Are There “Moderate” Muslims?

Is there such a thing as a “moderate” Muslim or is this an oxymoron? Even a quick review of the Koran will show that a Muslim cannot continue to call himself Muslim if they tolerate anyone who is not Muslim. In fact they are instructed to kill all infidels. Sura 9:5 says “Fight and slay the pagans wherever you find them, and see them, belittle them and lie and wait for them in every strategy of war”. For the people who resist Islam – meaning all non-Muslims—the Koran instructs Muslims in Sura 5:33 “Their punishment is execution or crucifixion or cutting off of hands and feet from the opposite sides or to be exiled from the land”. This is merely a small sample of the violence that permeates the Koran. This “Holy” text is filled with exhortations to kill all infidels. Based on the Koran itself a person cannot be “moderate” and still be Muslim because anyone who even considers an non-Muslim as a friend or ally is not Muslim but has become heretic and apostate. The next time you are called upon to view your Muslim neighbor as a friend think about that because in a Muslim society he must kill you or himself be killed.

Jesus was executed by the Romans at the behest of the Sanhedrin because he was a threat to the stability of the region. Jesus was a rebel in the sense that Gandhi was a rebel. Jesus never raised a sword in anger nor did he oppose Rome. In fact when asked Jesus said “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is God’s” In effect Jesus was actually supporting the Roman administration by not overtly opposing it – so what about Mohammed?

Mohammed was in fact a “warlord” not a man of peace by any stretch of the imagination. He preached violence and was directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of people who either followed him or were killed. He participated in 78 battles, a fact proudly proclaimed by Muslims who retain the same level of morality that one associates with tribal societies, Nazi’s, and other fascists. Mohammed approved the beheading of prisoners of war – a feature of Islam – the religion of peace – that continues today. He approved the assassinations of all who opposed him and instructed his followers “Whoever relinquishes his fait – Kill him”. So when Buddha and Jesus are contrasted to Mohammed who is preaching peace and who is preaching death and destruction?

The Muslim community preaches that it was they who salvaged the knowledge of the world and it was their Arabic scholars who contributed the tradition of education while Europe languished in the Dark Ages. Whether this is true or not is arguable since with the fall of Byzantium the Muslims inherited the knowledge of the Greeks and Romans, which they protected. Even if we simply accepted this claim by the Muslims then the question immediately becomes – what happened? If the Arab community was so focused on learning and education why is the illiteracy rate in the Arab World not only higher than the world average but even higher than developing country’s? Illiteracy in the Arab World is more than three times higher than in Latin America and the Caribbean (think Haiti, Dominican Republic) and Arab illiteracy is actually increasing. In fact, over one third of Arab men and half of Arab women were illiterate in 2002.

The scientific and technical contribution by Islamic countries is less than one percent of the world’s total. In fact about 330 books are translated into Arabic by the Arab world in contrast to 1500 books translated into Greek and 100,000 translated into Spanish each year. In 1998 three patents were granted to the entire Arab World while The Republic of Korea was granted 779 in the same period. From 1980 until 2000 the Arab World was granted a total of 370 patents while South Korea alone was granted 16,000 in that same span. Does this sound like a society thirsty for knowledge? Does it sound like a society or culture intent on growing and becoming a contributing segment of society or does it sound like an introverted and perverted society, incapable of mixing with any society other than own?

Islam is a society that still believes in “honor killing” and even a more westernized country like Jordan still considers murder for reasons of honor to be justified. Islam is a society where women are considered property, where females must be virgins at marriage or be branded whore and killed by their male relatives. These are the attitudes and practices dictated by the Koran. These are the beliefs of Muslims worldwide – including your neighbors and the storekeeper on the corner. These are the people who maintain they are “moderate” and “loyal” citizens but that cannot be true because either they are indeed “moderate” and “loyal” or they are “Muslim” they cannot be both. These are our neighbors, neighbors who glorify Ayatollah Khomeini who said “The purest joy in Islam is to kill and to be killed in the name of Allah”. Were the 19 Muslims who flew airplanes into the World Trade Center extremists or simply practicing Muslims?

An Alternative View to Rehabilitation

Until now these articles and essays have been original but recently I came into possession of an unpublished paper regarding Corporal Punishment, that I found very provocative and which forms the basis for these comments.

Although crime in the United States has shown an overall decline of 4.4% the reality is that there is a large criminal element in the US and our prisons are bursting at the seams. While crime has declined in virtually every category, drug abuse, prostitution, and disorderly conduct have shown increases with drug abuse increasing 24% between 1995 and 2005, with much of this increase attributed to the young. The obvious conclusion is that the youth of America are increasingly unruly and undisciplined. The argument has been made that much of this increase in criminal behavior is due to the declining use of “spanking” or other mild forms of corporal punishment, especially in the schools. Teachers today are virtually powerless to provide any discipline to an unruly student. One school in Memphis, Tennessee banned corporal punishment, and found it had adverse effect, specifically[1]:

1.The students know they can’t be paddled so they are more disrespectful than ever
2.The unruliest kids curse at and even threaten to hit their teachers
3.Students taunt their teachers with “What are you going to do? Beat me?
4.Reports of weapons on campus are up 27%
5.Gang related activity is up 9%
6.Threats to school staff up 19%
7.Battery against staff is up 46% system wide and 131% in middle schools.

The use of corporal punishment has been on the decline since the 19th Century and beginning in the 20th Century the focus has increasingly been on ‘rehabilitation” with the idea that felons simply need to be understood and given the education and tools necessary to become productive citizens. The complete failure of this philosophy is not acknowledged even though it is self-evident from the recidivist data.

Prior to World War II spanking was commonplace and virtually all of the men who fought in WW II were spanked as children, but today 67% of the children and grandchildren of those men think spanking or any form of corporal punishment is “child abuse”. The fallacy of this thinking seems to be demonstrated by the statistics cited above and this brings us to the use of corporal punishment as a deterrent. However, in the case of Michael Fay who was caned in Singapore amidst an international diplomatic incident, it appears not to have worked. Since returning to the US he has been injured while sniffing butane, arrested for drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, and alcoholism. On the other hand, he was in the US so it cannot be determined if he would have continued his self-destructive and criminal lifestyle had corporal punishment remained a threat.

So the question becomes should corporal punishment be provided for young offenders as an alternative to prison? These are the results from a recent poll:

1. 62% said it should be a mandatory punishment for young offenders administered by a Judge
2. 63% said it should be a mandatory punishment for adult offenders administered by a Judge
3. 40% said the punishment should be done in public and 33% said it should be done in the presence of the victims.
4. If the offender is an adult 54% think it should be done in public and 24% said it should be done in the presence of the victims.
5. 43% of those polled thought it would act as a deterrent and 39% felt it would enhance the effectiveness of the punishment.

However, virtually all of the research on the effectiveness of corporal punishment has been done relative to children and little to none on criminals – young or old. The studies have also been done primarily by psychologists who start with the a priori position that corporal punishment is ineffective and virtually all of the research deals with spanking as opposed to punishment for youthful and young adult offenders where the punishment can be more severe.

Saudi Arabia employs very draconian punishments generally based on Shar’ia (Islamic Law) and these include floggings up to 1000 lashes and beheadings as well as mutilations. While this level of corporal punishment is unacceptable in any civilized society, the reality is that Saudi Arabia has an extremely low crime rate. Malaysia and Singapore are more Westernized but use judicial corporal punishment in the form of canings. In both places the crime rate is very low and much lower than in the US.

Recently two boys (aged 18) who were unemployed, homeless, and hungry, broke into a church looking for food, but they vandalized the church causing in excess of $100,000 in damages. Had these boys faced the possibility of being given 6 to 10 strokes they might have considered other alternatives, especially if these strokes were delivered in public. Shame and humiliation have virtually disappeared from our society and punishments occur so long after the crime that there is little correlation between the two. However, rapid and public humiliation and punishment would tie these together and based on the empirical evidence, it would lower the crime rate for these petty crimes. The objective should be punishment and humiliation because it is clear rehabilitation does not work, no matter what the ACLU and a gaggle of psychologists say.

[1] Cada, Corporal Punishment, 2007