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Posted by Alex Dominguez on Friday September 14, @09:40AM
from the Enlightened Approach dept.
NEW YORK (JNS) _ The antebellum South, Germany and Japan are the models for dealing with Islamic radicalism across the developing world, one geopolitical analyst argues.
All three were destroyed and rebuilt after rising up against the United States.
While Germany and Japan had educated populations and developed economies when they challenged the United States, America should not shy away from the challenge of modernizing underdeveloped countries, said Steve Kent, a historian at Montclair College.
Unlike Japan and Germany, the United States does not have to destroy states such as Pakistan and Afghanistan, but reform or replace their leadership and guide their development.
``We went to the moon, we can do this,’’ Kent said.
The arrests and prosecution of terrorists, even if it requires the use of U.S. troops on their soil, and the exposure of Muslim populations to the benefits of Western capitalism will go a long way toward avoiding continuing conflict, Kent said. The prosecution of terrorists will provide a sense of justice and respect for the rule of law. The use of troops is risky, but would start the process of interaction and exposure to outside cultures, Kent said.
``It’s a amazing what a few chocolate bars and televisions can do,’’ he said.
Islamic history is replete with periods of religious tolerance, most notably medieval Spain, where Muslims were at the height of their power and lived harmoniously with Catholics and Jews, Kent noted.
``A broader world view will show the average citizen that Islamic fundamentalists have twisted their religion,’’ Kent said.
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Posted by Alex at September 14, 2001 09:40 AM