the.world.is.flat-第109章
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humiliation；〃 said Mahathir。 〃Our only reaction is to become more and more angry。
Angry people cannot think properly。 There is a feeling of hopelessness among the
Muslim countries and their people。 They feel they can do nothing right。 。 。〃
This humiliation is the key。 It has always been my view that terrorism is not spawned
by the poverty of money。 It is spawned by the poverty of dignity。 Humiliation is the
most underestimated force in international relations and in human relations。 It is
when people or nations are humiliated that they really lash out and engage in extreme
violence。 When you take the economic and political backwardness of much of the
Arab…Muslim world today； add its past grandeur and self…image of religious
superiority； and combine it with the discrimination and alienation these Arab…Muslim
males face when they leave home and move to Europe； or when they grow up in Europe；
you have one powerful cocktail of rage。 As my friend the Egyptian playwright Ali Salem
said of the 9/11 hijackers； they 〃are walking the streets of life； searching for tall
buildings…for towers to bring down； because they are not able to be tall like them。〃
I fear that this sense of frustration that feeds recruits to bin Laden may get worse
before it gets better。 In the old days； leaders could count on walls and mountains
and valleys to obstruct their people's view and keep them ignorant and passive about
where they stood in comparison to others。 You could see only to the next village。
But as the world gets flatter； people can see for miles and miles。
In the flat world you get your humiliation dishedup toyou fiber…optically。 I stumbled
across a fascinating example of this involving bin Laden himself。 On January 4； 2004；
bin Laden issued one of his taped messages through al…Jazeera； the satellite
television network based in Qatar。 On March 7； the Web site of the Islamic Studies
and Research Center published the entire text。 One paragraph jumped out at me。 It
is in the middle of a section in which bin Laden is discussing the various evils of
Arab rulers； particularly the Saudi ruling family。
〃Thus； the situation of all Arab countries suffers from great deterioration in all
walks of life； in religious and worldly matters；〃 says bin Laden。
〃It is enough to know that the economy of all Arab countries is weaker than the economy
of one country that had once been part of our ＇Islamic＇ world when we used to truly
adhere to Islam。 That country is the lost Andalusia。 Spain is an infidel country；
but its economy is stronger than our economy because the ruler there is accountable。
In our countries； there is no accountability or punishment； but there is only
obedience to the rulers and prayers of long life for them。〃
The hair on my arms stood up when I read that。 Why？ Because what bin Laden was referring
to was the first Arab Human Development Report； which came out in July 2002； well
after he had been evicted from Afghanistan and was probably hiding out in a cave
somewhere。 The Arab authors of the report wanted to grab the attention of the Arab
world as to how far behind it had fallen。 So they looked for a country that had a
GDP slightly more than that of all twenty…two Arab states combined。 When they ran
down the tables； the country that fit that bill perfectly was Spain。 It could have
been Norway or Italy； but Spain happened to have a GDP just slightly larger than all
the Arab states together。 Somehow； bin Laden heard or read about this first Arab Human
Development Report from his cave。 For all I know； he may have read my own column about
it； which was thefirst to highlight the report and stressedthe comparison withSpain。
Or maybe he got it off the Internet。 The report was downloaded from the Internet some
1 million times。 So even though he was off in a cave somewhere； he could still get
this report； and its humiliating conclusion； shoved right in his face…negatively
comparing the Arab states to Spain； no less！ And when he heard that comparison；
wherever he was hiding； bin Laden took it as an insult； as a humiliation…the notion
that Christian Spain； a country that was once controlled by Muslims； had a greater
GDP today than all the Arab states combined。 The authors of this report were themselves
Arabs and Muslims； they were not trying to humiliate anyone…but that was how bin Laden
interpreted it。 And I am certain he got this dose of humiliation over a modem at 56K。
They may even have broadband now in Tora Bora。
And having gotten his dose of humiliation this way； bin Laden and his emulators have
learned to give it right back in the same coin。 Want to understand why the
Islamo…Leninists behead Americans in Iraq and
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Saudi Arabia and then distribute pictures on the Internet with the bloody head of
the body resting on the headless corpse？ It is because there is no more humiliating
form of execution than chopping off someone's head。 It is a way of showing utter
contempt for that person and his or her physical being。 It is no accident that the
groups in Iraq who beheaded Americans dressed them first in the same orange jumpsuits
that al…Qaeda prisoners in Guantanamo Bay are forced to wear。 They had to learn about
those jumpsuits either over the Internet or satellite TV。 But it amazes me that in
the middle of the Iraq war they were able to have the exact same jumpsuits made in
Iraq to dress their prisoners in。 You humiliate me； I humiliate you。 And what do you
suppose terrorist leader Abu Musab al…Zarqawi said in his audiotape released on
September 11； 2004； the third anniversary of 9/11？ He said； 〃The holy warriors made
the international coalition taste humiliation 。 。 。 lessons from which they are still
burning。〃 The tape was titled 〃Where Is the Honor？〃
As I said； however； this frustration and humiliation is not confined to the Islamist
fringes。 The reason why the Islamo…Leninists have become the most energized and
pronounced opponents of globalization/ Americanization and the biggest threat to the
flattening of the world today is not simply their extraordinary violence； but also
because they enjoy some passive support around the Arab…Muslim world。
In part； this is because most governments in the Arab…Muslim world have refused to
take on these radicals in a war of ideas。 While Arab regimes have been very active
in jailing their Islamo…Leninists when they can find and arrest them； they have been
very passive in countering them with a modern； progressive interpretation of Islam。
This is because almost all of these Arab…Muslim leaders are illegitimate themselves。
Having come to power by force； they have no credibility as carriers of a moderate；
progressive Islam； and they always feel vulnerable to hard…line Muslim preachers；
who denounce them for not being good Muslims。 So instead of taking on the Muslim
radicals； the Arab regimes either throw them in jail or try to buy them off。 This
leaves a terrible spiritual and political void。
But the other reason for the passive support that the Islamo…Leninists enjoy…and the
fact that they are able to raise so much money through
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charities and mosques in the Arab…Muslim world…is that too many good decent people
there feel the same frustration and tinge of humiliation that many of their most
enraged youth do。 And there is a certain respect for the way these violent youth have
been ready to stand up to the world and to their own leaders and defend the honor
of their civilization。 When I visited Qatar a few months after 9/11； a friend of mine
there…a sweet； thoughtful； liberal person who works for the Qatari government…
confided to me something in a whisper that was deeply troubling to him： 〃My
eleven…year…old son thinks bin Laden is a good man。〃
Most middle…class Arabs and Muslims； I am convinced； were not celebrating the death
of three thousand innocent Americans on 9/11。 I know my Arab and Muslim friends were
not。 But many Arabs and Muslims were celebrating the idea of putting a fist in
America's face… and they were quietly applauding the men who did it。 They were happy
to see someone humiliating the peopl
