Another Muslim inadvertently reveals the fatuity of any hopes in moderate Islam

(Note: Be sure to see Ben W.’s comment below on the psychological tensions experienced by a Western-born Muslim who has reconverted to Islam.)

Here’s a typical argument from a moderate Muslim, Saira Khan, a woman of Pakistani origin who grew up in Britain. She describes how in 1989 two female relatives of hers—girls who like her were in their first year of college, and who up to that point had been “fun, happy, easy-going”—suddenly changed into grim, hijab-wearing Koran-spouters who said they were not British, but Muslim, and that the goal of all Muslims must be a global caliphate. Khan speaks of how the change from supposedly assimilated, normal Briton to Muslim true believer that took place with her cousins is typical of what has happened with many Muslims in Britain. She talks about how non-terrorist Muslims in Britain will speak privately of their sympathy for the terrorists . She talks about the near-total absence of any outspoken moderate Muslim voices, and about how no moderate can win an argument with a true believer because the latter have the unquestionable authority of the Koran backing them up. But then despite all the above she concludes that

[t]he war against terror cannot be won without moderate Muslims coming out and standing up for British values—the values of integration and living peacefully in a secular society.

Like Frank Gaffney and Martyn Burke who utterly failed to understand the message of their own movie, Khan doesn’t see that her own account of the prevalence of the Muslim true believers in Britain renders her hope in moderate Muslims frivolous at best, dangerous at worst.

The true voice is that of Khudayr Taher, who not only, like Khan, has correct observations about Muslims in the West, but also, unlike her, reaches correct conclusions about what the West needs to do about them.

And one more point: look at Khan’s description of “British values”: “the values of integration and living peacefully in a secular society.” All that Britain means to this supposedly pro-British, moderate Muslim immigrant is liberal values, not an actual country, people, tradition, and way of life.

- end of initial entry -

Ben W. writes:

Saira Khan describes two girls who became ardent Muslims after leading Western style lives.

What happens to a Muslim who was born and grows up in a Western country but then “converts back” wholeheartedly to his more primal religion or identity? He will feel trapped in a society that has become alien to him due to his “re-conversion.”

What does this feeling of entrapment lead to if not violence—the urge to break that which he feel now holds him hostage in a culture no longer his own (which probably was never his to begin with).

He has no other country—he grew up in a Western nation and society but now his new (but old) identity imprisons him in a state not his.

What recourse does he have but to strike out violently to break and shatter that which he feels imprisons him?

The solution is that Muslims belong in Muslim countries no matter the generation. If Melanie Phillips wants to westernize Islam, she has to pull up at its primal roots the Islamic identity of Muslims.

LA replies:

Ben wrote:

“What happens to a Muslim who was born and grows up in a Western country but then ‘converts back’ wholeheartedly to his more primal religion or identity? He will feel trapped in a society that has become alien to him due to his ‘re-conversion. What does this feeling of entrapment lead to if not violence?”

I don’t like using the word “brilliant” because it’s so overused today, but in fairness I must say to Ben: brilliant!

Ben writes:

For some reason I feel that children born in Western countries to Muslim immigrants readily revert to a non-Western identity after a period of time as if there were a “primal Islamic self” subconsciously lurking in their soul. Psychologically or ontologically I don’t know how this works, but it appears to me that the roots of identity go far deeper than “democratizers” such as the neo-cons or “liberalizers” such as Melanie Phillips give them heed. I don’t think that it is that easy to shake off one’s “history” that easily.

Even though I’m a Westerner through and through, I remember the first time my mother played some Israeli\Jewish music for me; I felt a deep resonance in my soul. The same occurred when my father put on Ukrainian bandura music. Somehow I instinctively connected with the melodies and harmonies (on a deeper level than say Greek or Italian music). On the other hand Chinese or Arabic music doesn’t touch me at all.

How far the Islamic religion reaches down into the Muslim soul, I don’t know but I have seen and read about too many reversions to Islam by first generation sons and daughters after a period of leading a Western mode of life (probably superficially).

This “reconversion” can be convulsive when the mind starts comparing its present state with its past. Especially if the present now appears to hinder this reversion. Without a natural context to blend into, the convert may react with violence, wondering why the environment doesn’t support this primal self (as it should according to the book).

We may be playing with danger, transplanting such selves into an environment that cannot support them. They are fuses…

Or am I overemphasizing this concept of a primal self—something which may not have an empirical base?

Posted by Lawrence Auster at July 12, 2007 12:48 PM | Send