Legal Ramblings
[ Sunday, February 12, 2006 (3:53 PM) ] ( link )
Iraq: Another interesting pair of articles. The New York Times today has an article about the growth of radical Islam in the Middle East. Saith the article: [The horrible Egyptian ferry disaster] speaks directly to the slow burn that consumes many Egyptians — and many other Arabs — who live under governments that rule with virtual impunity no matter how bumbling, incompetent or abusive they are. Similar frustrations, if over other issues, play out around the region, in places like Syria, Jordan, Yemen, and among the Palestinians. . . .
There is widespread feeling that the region's governments deny their people justice, and this feeling has been instrumental in the increased support for Islamists throughout the Middle East, whether the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, or Hamas among the Palestinians. . . .
Islamists promise not just piety, but an end to corruption and misrule.
In other words, at least radical Islam makes the trains run on time. (But see.)
Then, from an article in Foreign Affairs from last year, we get this related piece of advice: If Washington insists on promoting democracy in the Arab world, it should learn from the various electoral experiences in the region. Where there are strongly rooted non-Islamist parties, as in Morocco, the Islamists have a harder time dominating the field. . . . Conversely, where non-Islamist political forces have been suppressed, as in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Islamist parties and candidates can command the political field. . . .
The United States must focus on pushing Arab governments to make political space for liberal, secular, leftist, nationalist, and other non-Islamist parties to set down roots and mobilize voters. Washington should support those groups that are more likely to accept U.S. foreign policy and emulate U.S. political values. The most effective way to demonstrate that support is to openly pressure Arab regimes when they obstruct the political activity of more liberal groups . . . . But Washington will also need to drop its focus on prompt elections in Arab countries where no strong, organized alternative to Islamist parties exists -- even at the risk of disappointing Arab liberals by being more cautious about their electoral prospects than they are.
In other words, create efficient, noncorrupt alternatives other than radical Islam.
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