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Meeting Bernard Lewis

Dr. Bernard Lewis was town last night for a lecture on the Crisis of Islam. I was lucky enough to spend a few seconds meeting him and to hear him speak.

He was more hopeful and optimistic about chances for developing democracy in Iraq than I thought. Although he was fairly strong in explaining the obstacles we are facing.
He was more negative and pessimistic about Wahabi influence throughout the world than I'd have imagined.
His only mention of Israel was as part of a series of humiliations that Arabs have experienced in the past 80 years.

The first point Dr. Lewis brought up was the diversity of the Islamic world. What he is encouraging us to do is not to equate Islam and Islamic Civilization. Just as Christianity and Christendom are different and distinct so is the religion of Islam and the broader Islamdom. I liked the comparison, especially one of his illustrations. To paraphrase: No one could argue that Hitlerism was a product of Christianity, while at the same time no one can refute that it was a product of Christendom. As we look at the evil that is coming out of Islam and search for Islam's moderate voices we need to understand and be sensitive to the differences.

He spoke of Islam's lack of democratic tradition. "Democracy is a Christian cure for a peculiarly Christian disease," but he contrasted it with a widespread tradition of consultative government, especially in the Ottoman Empire. While Jeffersonian democracy is unlikely to develop in the Arab world, he argued that they did have sufficient experience to develop some sort of limited, secular government of the people. Iraq and Iran are the most ready to accept a democratic challenge, but we should be patient. Too often we have only paid lip service to democratic change and are too quick to claim victory. In agreeing with Samuel Huntington he pointed out that power needed to be peacefully turned over through elections twice before a democratic label should be put on a nation. We should not allow the likes of Saddam to use democratic institutions for his advantage to get elected only to make sure that no one else can do the same thing. That type of "One man, One vote... Once," transition has been too frequent. But with democratic possibilities in part of Islamdom, there is a crisis within Islam that affects us all.

Wahabism may be the most dangerous movement in Islam. Dr. Lewis was surprisingly candid in discussing Britain's role in facilitating the emergence of the Wahabi strain. He made me smile with a couple of disparaging comments on diplomats in general, but his point was that it was/is a mistake to prefer stability over doing what's right. He asked how these western diplomats would react if the KKK were given control over the state of Texas with all of it's Oil wealth, and then used that wealth and influence to open up schools all around the world preaching its peculiar version of Christianity. Somehow we have done something very similar in Arabia and have allowed this extremist sect to gain immensely disproportionate influence.

Although Dr. Lewis was, in no way being alarmist in his remarks, there was no mistaking his belief that Wahabism must be confronted. In further defining the Crisis, he referenced Osama bin Laden’s declaration of war against the West. Specifically bin Laden’s reference to “over 80 years” of humiliation experienced by Islam. Eighty years prior to the declaration was the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the subsequent rise of Wahabism. The unimaginable wealth that the Saudi Royal family possesses and the way they support and control Mosques and schools around the world, ought to be sounding great alarms. Islam’s internal crisis in the conflict between Wahabism and the more moderate part of Islamdom, is a crisis that is having an increasing affect on the rest of the world.

I was struck with the matter-of-fact way Dr. Lewis referred to the Al Queda (and Wahabi) assumption that, of the two great super-powers, they had defeated the more menacing of the two. The Islamists not only have taken credit for the collapse of the Soviet Union, they have also assumed that the soft-Americans would be much easier to defeat. According to Bernard Lewis, the September 11 attacks were to have been the final, devastating blow to America. Twenty years of seeing American casualties at the hands of Islamist Jihadists followed by American retreat and withdrawal, gave them the impression that the same would happen when the fight was finally brought to American soil. The Arabs have been shocked at America’s reaction.

Surprisingly, Dr. Lewis attributes that shock to keeping the Jihadists from making any further attacks on American interests around the world since 9/11. By no means does he see it as assurance that future attacks won’t happen, certainly our vigilance is required. Instead he would have us look at the way the Islamists have responded.

To continue centuries of practice and experience in playing two enemies off against each other, the Arabs needed to find a counter to America. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Arabs have increasingly looked to Europe, and to factions within America, to act as the counter force to the US. Adding to Islam’s crisis is the practical inability of Europe to counter America’s power. Although they may have the will, they do not have the means. Accurately predicting the Arabs’ response to that is one of our tasks.

The way Islam is spreading in Europe, and to a smaller degree in America, all under Wahabist influence, is a real cause for concern.

His talk ended much too soon. I could have sat for at least a couple of hours more. It was the first time I’ve heard him speak at length and knowing the rhythm of his voice makes reading him more enjoyable. I hope I have the chance to meet him again, but regardless, I'll be looking for his next book about Islam's crisis.

Posted by oceanguy at November 7, 2003 11:26 AM | TrackBack