A Clash of Cultures

Harvey Birdman wrote an excellent post that touches on a topic I am very passionate about- Muslim society and culture. Harvey writes about Osama Bin Ladin's "jihad" against Western Culture. Harvey talks about the great misconception of Islam within our society. He specifically outlines how religious factions interpret their holy books so literally that they end up falling away from their own religion. Harvey remarks that "Osama Bin Ladin and his movement are lacking culture" because of their fanaticism.

I agree with much of what Harvey says- either Osama is twisting his religion to support personal motives or he believes that he is following his faith with utmost purity. The problem with purity- it usually means a "cleansing" of those considered "unpure" ( a completely separate topic of my favorite book "Shame" by Salman Rushdie).

The following was my reply (I hope my Muslim friends will correct me if they disagree):

Christy said...
As someone who graduated with a Political Science and International Studies major- I really appreciated this post. It is so important in a world where cultures come into contact more often that we understand each other and the reason behind others' actions.

Osama Bin Ladin does deviate from Muslim teaching in his "jihad". He is not at all supported by main stream Islam. Yet, his actions are rational- he is deliberately reacting against something that he feels is a threat- Western Culture. He feels (even if wrongly so) that our culture is unraveling Muslim values. There are plenty of Muslims who agree, to some extent, but they would never condone his terrorism.

Today Muslims face a huge rift as American culture is exported across the globe. Many believe in a cultural reform that would embrace Western democracy while many others feel Western democracy contradicts the traditions and laws laid out by Allah.