Our oldest son asked, in a recent email, for my comments on the issues in the Middle East. Though I had studied in Pakistan during the years of 1956/57 and lived among dozens of Pakistani students, most of them Muslim by faith, I find that 50 years later I know even less about how the Muslim world thinks and works.
Keeping abreast of current times, even with modern communications abilities, would be a full time job. So much is unknown! So much of global thinking is hidden behind signs and demonstrations. Who is really calling for revolt? The mass media picks up a few demonstrators and that seems to create more demonstrators and more and more demonstrators. There are real issues, real needs that need to be addressed, political issues, labor issues, youth issues etc. etc. How is a person going to understand and decide - even here in the United States?
Being an "infant" in my understanding of Islam - I do not know Arabic and therefore cannot understand the Koran, according to some Muslims. I have read an English version of the Koran in an attempt to understand and make at least a modest response to the current global crises.
My fear is that the chaos will drag many into unwise actions from which there may be no way out of the chaos. Violence within Islam and its various sects and violence with other religions could easily become the norm. Some European nations have already declared that multicultural communities cannot coexist. Where will those positions lead those nations when and if Islam does not accept that position?
One last thought - none of us can neglect to understand Islam and the growing crises. At the battle of Tours in France the movement of Islam to capture Europe was stopped. Will expansion of Islam continue? According to Islamic doctine this current surge is only the beginning.
Bill
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