The uprisings in the Arab countries appears to bode well for Democracy; or it can open the door wider to radical Islam. According to what we see via the media, is that the people of Egypt and Tunisia have had enough of the corrupt regimes in their respective countries and want a free and democratic society. This implies that they, although mainly Muslim, are not looking toward radical Islam.
The recent decade has opened the world to the Internet. The availablity of information regarding the disparity of life in the west versus life in the repressive countries mainly through social media such as Facebook, Twitter, various blogs and email, has opened the floodgates of truth and freedom within those countries.
The United States needs to be wary of interference - either overt or covert - in that it might resurrect the idea of the debacle with the Shah of Iran which lead to hatred of the United States by the Arab countries, and may well have fed the rise of radical Islam. The concern is that the new government in Egypt continues to be an ally of the United States and of Israel.
This may be a turning point as dominos fall regarding the rise of democracy in the Arab countries, and could diminish the rise of radical Islam. We can only hope.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Response to a mailing from Mark Kirk
I received your mailing requesting a response as to what the U.S. should do about the political upheaval in Egypt. I am responding this way because the limited responses did not satisfy my feelings on this issue.
I believe that the U.S. response must be measured so that we are not perceived as interfering, especially since the possible fate of Israel could be compromised. Obviously, we would want Egypt to become a democratic state with freedom and human rights, but the risk of overt interference could give credence to the fundamentalist Islamic movement.
The primary issue, in my opinion, is that the new leader of Egypt must be pro-democracy and a supporter of Israel. Since there is no clear candidate at this time, we need to proceed with diplomacy and hope that a suitable candidate comes to the fore. It seems that the youth of Egypt would support a democratic society as opposed to an Islamic state.
I believe that the U.S. response must be measured so that we are not perceived as interfering, especially since the possible fate of Israel could be compromised. Obviously, we would want Egypt to become a democratic state with freedom and human rights, but the risk of overt interference could give credence to the fundamentalist Islamic movement.
The primary issue, in my opinion, is that the new leader of Egypt must be pro-democracy and a supporter of Israel. Since there is no clear candidate at this time, we need to proceed with diplomacy and hope that a suitable candidate comes to the fore. It seems that the youth of Egypt would support a democratic society as opposed to an Islamic state.
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