The causes of extremism in the Middle East are complex. We ought to be suspicious of simplistic explanations.
Causes include the historic failure of Arab societies to achieve democratic governments that provide for political participation and broad-based economic development. Another cause is the failure by leaders and citizens in Muslim majority countries to resist strains of Islam that breed absolutism and hatred. Since the rise of al-Qaida and now ISIS, religiously based extremism is being strongly challenged by Muslim leaders, both in the region and in the West, but tragically there’s already been terrible violence “in the name of” what most Muslims recognize as a virulent version of Islam.
While some observers focus only on indigenous causes for extremism, others lay blame on influences from outside the region. As Americans, we have responsibility to look at ways U.S. policy may have affected the growth of extremism. Three ways come readily to mind.
First, after World War II, the United States showed little interest in democracy in majority Muslim countries. Instead, guided by Cold War ideology and the goal of easy access to oil, the U.S. provided massive military aid in support of autocratic, militaristic governments in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States, Egypt, Iraq, and Iran (from 1954 to 1979). It’s not surprising in these countries that there is a pool of popular resentment against America, on which extremists draw.
Second, U.S. policies in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria contributed directly and indirectly to the rise of extremism. In the wake of the 9/11 al-Qaida terrorist attack, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban government that had provided a safe haven for al-Qaida. Ironically, during the 1980s, supporting resistance to Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the U.S. provided funding and training for many Mujahideen (Muslim fighters) who later became core members of al-Qaida. After most U.S. forces are withdrawn, aid for education and economic development will be more important than military aid for achieving a better future for Afghanistan.
In 2003, on the false pretext that Saddam Hussein was developing nuclear weapons, the U.S. invaded Iraq, not only toppling the regime, but also dismantling the military and civilian government structure. This vacuum allowed Iraq’s Shiites, oppressed for years by the Sunni-dominated regime, to establish, with Iran’s help, the Shiite-dominated regime of Nouri al-Maliki. That, in turn, led to the growth of the Sunni-based al-Qaida in Iraq, a forerunner of ISIS. Going forward, rather than more U.S. bombs or troops, U.S. priority should be on helping the new government in Baghdad to be fully inclusive and adopt policies that address the needs of all Iraqis. That’s eventually what will dry up support for ISIS.
In 2011, in response to the Arab Spring uprising in Syria demanding democratic reform, Bashar al Assad’s regime responded with brutal repression, killing, wounding and jailing thousands and causing a flood of refugees. While many countries are responsible for failure to resolve the conflict, America’s failure to fully support UN peace initiatives resulted from our being stuck in old Cold War conflict with Russia, unrealistic resistance to Iran having a role, and insistence that Assad had to go almost as a precondition for a peace process. Ending the war in Syria will require principled U.S. support for an inclusive international diplomatic process, similar to what the UN tried earlier.
A third way U.S. policy contributed to the growth of extremism in the Middle East is by failing to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is foolish to suggest that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the cause of extremism. It is equally irresponsible, however, not to acknowledge how resolving that conflict would cause a measurable decrease in support for extremism. Exactly because of America’s special relationship with Israel, U.S. leadership Is essential to helping Israel make peace with the Palestinians. Soon after Israeli elections in mid-March, the US should act with new determination and urgency to provide a balanced, fair framework for a two-state Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement before it is too late.
Shifting U.S. policy from reliance on military power to greater emphasis on diplomacy and development will take time. Kayla Mueller, the young American aid worker killed while being held hostage by ISIS, inspired all of us by her idealism, her willingness to serve suffering people in Syria, even at risk to herself, and her indomitable hopes for the future. Kayla’s qualities should inspire us to work harder for U.S. priorities and policies that genuinely serve the global common good.
Ron Young is consultant for 30 Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders with the National Inter-religious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East. He lives in Everett and can be contacted at ronyoungwa@gmail.com. This commentary represents Young’s personal views, not those of NILI.
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