[H]ow many of the world’s roughly billion Muslims are members of extremist groups[?] About 0.004 . . . but if this rose to 1 percent, it would be the world’s biggest army. ~Sinead Carew, “Small, Offbeat Trends Can Change the World,” [citing from Malcolm Gladwell’s book Tipping Point] reuters.com, 9/8/07
On this sixth anniversary of 9/11, the global community is not dealing well with this trend. And we surely can’t do away with all 0.004 percent, much less 1 percent. How do we create a counter trend – for everybody’s good? ~jpc
. . . As if we are all responsible for the global community. Namaste.
image: “horse of a different color” http://tinyurl.com/2vjz26 by preschoolers in Galax, VA (this may not be the counter trend needed)
2 comments:
We don't have to kill all of the estimated 0.004 (I'd like to see the statistical methodology that arrived at that figure). Just enough to accomplish the task. I see it the way I see dealing with bad actors at work. Deal with the 1% bad apples swiftly, decisively, fairly, and harshly, and the others will...(I bet you thought I would say "will fall in line" - but no)...the others will thank you and work towards the team goal.
I would place my bet on General Petraeus. Supported and properly supplied by his nation, General Petraeus could forestall the death and destruction being planned by Bin Laden, et al, for at least another 300 or 400 years.
Excerpt from General Petraeus' interview with Brit Hume, 10-Sep-07:
HUME: . . . what, briefly, General, is the payoff here?
PETRAEUS: Well, I think an enormous payoff is the fact that we may be able to defeat Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda central, if you will, does regard Iraq as the central front in its war on terror. Our overall commander, who prosecutes the global war on terrorism in the Joint Special Operations Force commander, regards that as the central front.
And so this would be, frankly, an enormous blow to Al Qaeda, if we were able to defeat Al Qaeda in Iraq.
The converse of that would be a, really, a huge lift for Al Qaeda, and really, a shot of adrenaline to them.
This triggered a lot of thought for me. I'd just printed up about 5 questions that occurred to me after watching the PBS program "Islam vs. Islamists: Voices-Muslim" and sent them to some Muslim/Islamic clergy that I know around here. And I'm in the midst of getting their answers back.
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