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March 6, 2002
The Core of Muslim Rage By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
"Why is it that when Hindus kill hundreds of Muslims it elicits an emotionally muted headline in the Arab media, but when Israel kills a dozen Muslims, in a war in which Muslims are also killing Jews, it inflames the entire Muslim world?"
"Because the real answer is rooted in something very deep. It has to do with the contrast between Islam's self-perception as the most ideal and complete expression of the three great monotheistic religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — and the conditions of poverty, repression and underdevelopment in which most Muslims live today. ... Israel — not Iraq, not India — is 'a constant reminder to Muslims of their own powerlessness.' ... when a small band of Israeli Jews kills Muslims it sparks rage — a rage that must come from Muslims having to confront the gap between their self-perception as Muslims and the reality of the Muslim world. ... it is this poverty of dignity, not a poverty of money, that is behind a lot of Muslim rage today ... "
" ... those Muslims, and there are many of them, who know that the suicidal rage of their fanatics is dragging down their whole civilization." ... [more]
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