[Dialogue] Provocative thoughts about an unlikely book

[jim rippey]

>From Jim Rippey in Bellevue, NE.

I wouldn't ordinarily write about a book like this on Dialogue, but Frederick Forsyth's new book, "The Afghan," is, in my opinion, a real allly in the struggle against  the administration's demonizing of "Islamo-Fascists" in his current fear-mongering pre-election campaign.

I abhor terrorists, wherever they are.  And I believe what we are doing in Iraq and in supporting Israel's indiscriminate destruction in Lebanon truly helps the extremists recruit new terrorists.

Despite Bush's statements that we're not fighting Islam, his harping on Islamo-Fascists stirs up American's fears and doubts about all Moslems.  Pat Robertson helps out by telling his millions of followers that Islam is evil and ungodly.

That's why I was so taken by a passage in Forsyth's book.  Realize, now, his forte is the world of spys and international covert actions.  Not necessarily everyone's cup of tea.  But I happen to be a fan and admirer of his ever since his, "The Day of the Jackal."  I am convinced he has unique contacts into this shadowy world and an uncanny understanding of it.  I trust his research more than anything the Bush Administration says.

With that as preamble, let me set the stage for a passage I want to quote:
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A member of the Al Qaeda inner circle has been surprised in a combined U.S./Pakistani raid.  He frantically hurls his laptop down trying to smash it, then slips out of his captors grasp and leaps to his death out a fourth story window.  The full contents of his laptop are deciphered, even the hidden, erased stuff.  And included is a curious, untypical exchange between two officials in Arabic referring hopefully to Al-Isra.  The spooks convene their Koranic scholars to try to ferret out the meaning.  Literally the word refers to a "dream" in which Mohammed is magically conveyed from Mecca to Jerusalem where he finds a winged horse and rides it to heaven where Allah dictates to him the principles that become the basis of Islam.

Obviously that is not how the Al Qaeda men are using the word.  The scholars decide it must be their code for something truly big in the works.  What I found most interesting was how one scholar was portrayed, and what he said.  He is teaching a popular class when the black suited govt man appears and taps his watch.  But the scholar, Terry Martin, is determined to finish his class.  

A student asks, "You said you disagreed with the use of the term "fundamentalist' to refer to the philosophy of the terrorists.  Why?"  "Because it is a misnomer," the prof says.  "The very word implies 'back to basics.'  But the planters of bombs in trains, buses and malls are not going back to the basic of Islam.  They are writing the own new script.... seeking to find Koranic passages that justify their war.  There are fundamentalists in all religiouns.... (but the) wish to return to the basic teachings is not terrorism for, in no religion, including Islam, do the basic teachings advocate mass murder."
    
While the govt man fidgets, Martin takes another question:  "Then what would you call the terrorists of today?  Jihadists?"  

"Even 'jihad' is the wrong word," the prof says.  "Of course Jihad exists, but it has rules.... true jihad can only be declared by a legitimate Koranic authority of proven and accepted repute (which does not include Bin Laden and his acolytes)....
   
It is forbidden to attack and kill those who have offered no offense and done nothing to hurt you.  It is forbidden to kill women and children.  It is forbidden to take hostages, and it is forbiden to mistreat, torture or kill prisoners.  The AQ tererorists and their followers do all four on a daily basis...."
    
"Then what do you call their campaign?"
 
"I would term them 'the new Jihadis,' because they have invented an unholy war outside the laws of the holy Koran and true Islam.... Last question, I'm afraid."
    
"All the bombers claim to be martyrs.  How do they justify ths?"
    
"Badly," said Dr. Martin, "because they have been duped....again there are rules.... 
the warrior must not die by his own hand even though he has volunteered for a no-return mission.... suicide is specifically forbidden.... Those who commit mass murder of innocents and commit suicide are destined for hell, not paradise...."
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It seems to me that here, woven skillfully into the plot, is a succinct, believeable presententation of Islam's true nature vs. the misconceptions Bush's fear mongering promotes.  That tone continues throughout  the book.  We learn how the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan forced some Afghans to send younger children into Pakistan for safety.  While there they were indoctrinated in madrassahs run by extremists encouraged by Saudi  Wahabbis.

But one central character returns as a young adult and becomes a leader in the fight against the Soviets.  But he is uncomfortable with the hate and cruelty he was taught in the madrassah.  Meantime, he marries, has children and takes over leadership of his village from his aging father.  Then while off fighting, an errant American missile aimed at Al Qaeda strikes a cave in the mountan above his village.  The mountain collapses and his family, livestock, the whole village is hopelessly buried under the debris.  At that point he becomes an implacable hater of America. 

It seems to me that as Forsyth unfolds his story of covert action, he deftly explains some of the important dynamics of what our invovement in MidEast violence produces.  I can't help thinking that at least some Lebanese who have family members killed by the Israeli invasion and then themselves return to find destruction all around-- homes, businsses, everything-- won't end up hating Israel and America and be potential terrorist recruits. 

I am truly frightened Bush et al will very likely convince themselves, and many Americas, that it's necessary to attack Iran.  Inevitably Syria and my Syrian relatives will suffer in the process.   Contrary to the optimism of the Intelligent Design people, I think, by and large, we humans are a sadly flawed species.  Evolution has made us tribal, suspicious and hostile to "others" and the majority of us are gullible suckers for demagoguery.  Hitler and Goebels demonstrated that in Nazi Germany.  The "Christians" who took over this country believed it was God's will to kill, tame and displace the "savage" natives.  Joe McCarthy had a huge following for too long.  The "Christians" of the south let themselves be convinced it was God's will that those inferior black people had to be kept in their place so the "southern way of life could be preserved."

Bush, Cheney, Rove and company have made ugly, deceptive demagoguery into a science.  However, history also teaches us that there are times when the overly ambitious oligarchs and the power mad screw up sufficiently to precipitate change.  Our constitution resulted from one such instance.  The Sherman anti-trust laws are another.  Bush's bungled war in Iraq and now Afghanistan, plus the debacle of the Israeli-American financed attack on Lebanon, and our phony "thriving" economy, plus huge debt, have led to widespread disillusionment with Bush and the Republicans in Congress.  There is at least a chance Bush's power monopoly can be broken this November.  

But I am increasingly fearful that, once again, Bush's clever, evil manipulations will work its magic and we'll have him and an emboldened GOP in charge of everything for two more years.  I really fear the gullibles' reaction to his Islamo-Fascist demagoguery.   

That's why I think Forsyth's book is important, even if Dialogue people don't read it.  The fact is that Forsyth's book is being read by many people, it is currently No. 4 on the NYT best seller list.  Some of those reading it may be people with doubts about Bush and the Middle East.  And because of how deftly Forsyth weaves in his information, they may well  be reassured that not all Muslims are bad.  They may be less vulnerable to the Islamo-Fascist fear mongering.  I believe we need all the allies we can get.










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