Thursday, February 09, 2006

The Mohammed Cartoons, Islam, Ahmadinejad, al-Assad and the Muslim People – Ramifications

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and Bashar al-Assad of Syria, January 19th in Damascus."


Being able to “organize” such a large-scale protest does elevate the stature of the groups we’ve been speaking of. It shows that they have the ability to tangle with the US and other Western powers, without real fear of reprisals. The groups have all recently cited the weakness of the US military, as it is spread thin with the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This further reinforces the notion that the US does not have the level of control that it has enjoyed for the past 15 years.

Another advantage for the instigators of these protests was brought up to me by a friend: this served as a test run for how Muslim people could be mobilized in the future. It showed the leaders what was effective and what was ineffective, how long they could expect the fervor to last, and the approximate casualties of a battle of this sort.

The controversy also served as a warning to the West, that this type of event could be instigated again if Iran, Syria, or Islam in general is provoked. This represents a ground war that is much more winnable for the Islamic people than any direct troop-on-troop conflict that is expected by the Western powers. It also gives the West a small taste of what would happen if we decide to bomb Iran’s nuclear program or halt it through UN pressure, or if we try to arrest al-Assad for the assassination of Hariri.

While this controversy has raged, Iran has removed all IAEA cameras from their nuclear facilities without so much as a peep from the UN. Uranium enrichment has continued, and with tempers flaring, the world is afraid to reprimand Iran for these latest actions. And of course al-Assad has used the time to free himself from the accusations afore mentioned, and to put down any talks of rebellion that had been advanced in the streets of Damascus.

And finally, perhaps worst of all, the instigators of this protest forced the United States and other Western powers to denounce basic freedoms for fear of the Islamic world. If I am correct in my interpretations, this is the first step towards a new balance of power in the world, and perhaps will be another turning point in the ever changing history of our society.

Posted by Scottage at 3:22 AM / | |