Balanced Explanation of Terrorism

In his essay Do Terrorists Hate Our Freedom? conservative commentator Jack Hunter presents one of the most compelling and balanced explanations of the causes of terrorism. He starts off by dispelling the mantra of GW Bush that terrorists are solely motivated by a jealousy of America's freedom and prosperity. Mr. Hunter takes the (typically) left wing belief that our largely unwelcome military and political intrusion in the affairs of the Islamic Middle East is the main culprit. The Invasion of Iraq was the best give that one could offer Al Qaeda's recruitment department. Not only has this offended their sense of sovereignty, it has allowed the Islamic World to blame the United States for their political and economic ills. This is especially true considering that the internet has allowed, dispersed Al Qaeda cells are able to communicate and coordinate their efforts from the cities of Western Europe, our Saudi Arabian "allies" and even the United States.

He then challenges liberals who pretend that Islam is not a factor in the equation, stating the obvious: while the majority of Muslims are "decent, law abiding citizens," it is not by chance that the majority of terrorists are Muslim. He then questions the wisdom of multiculturalism and promoting mass Muslim immigration in Europe asking us if anyone believes that "if 2,000,000 Southern Baptists planted roots in the heart of liberal San Francisco, that their presence would not create serious religious, political and cultural tensions...the same is true of Islam in Europe." A clash of cultures only can occur when people of incompatible cultures and values are brought together, in the case of Europe this occurred because millions of Muslims were invited into their backyard, whereas the United States "invited itself into the backyard of the Islamic World." Rather than seek to convert Muslim nations abroad and Muslim immigrants at home to secular, market oriented democracy, we should promote an amicable separation.