Community Views Editor's Notebook The Debate Over Fundamentalist Islam Marilyn Cohn - Please Remember Her Name DANIEL PIPES SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS A n intense debate is in- creasingly heard in U.S. foreign policy circles: How should this country re- spond to the phenomenon of fun- damentalist Islam? In a way, it's a whole new debate, dealing with such sensitive issues as the role of religion in politics and whether the U.S. government should even have a policy toward a religious- ly-based movement. But in another, eerie way, its the same old debate; Americans divide on this issue roughly as they did on the issue of Marxism- Leninism. Left and Right still ex- ist, in other words, and they continue to disagree roughly in the same way over issues. Just as the Left paid little at- tention to the attractions of com- munist ideology, but held that its appeal lies in economic depriva- tion and social problems, so it now says the same about funda- mentalist Islam. In both cases, it advocates dealing with militant ideology by solving socio-eco- nomic conditions; in both cases, it urges close attention to local causes. The United States is on the wrong side of history in trying to stave off these movements; Washington would better serve long-term American interests by eliminating its rear-guard bat- tles, accepting the inevitable and establishing reasonable relations with the new powers. If it did so, it would be pleas- antly surprised: Today's fire- breathing leaders will turn into far more accommodating ones to- morrow, for the other side (once the former Soviet Union, now Iran) will no longer fear encir- clement and will relax. The Right disputes every one of these points. The source of rad- icalism, it says, lies less in pover- ty and oppression than in a misguided utopianism. Daniel Pipes is editor of the Middle East Quarterly. Conservatives show little in- terest in differences between communists or fundamentalist Muslims, tending to dismiss these as tactical and insignificant; what counts is the big picture. Conservatives deny that the communists or fundamentalists have history on their side; rather, their regimes are temporary aberrations, sure to be relegated to the museum of human experi- ence. Appeasement does not work; resolve does. Stick by friends and never let the other side think us weak. In brief, the Left once again ar- gues in favor of mutual under- standing and cooption; talk to our adversaries; bring them into the system; trade with them. The Right still instinctively favors confrontation and containment: Stand up to our self-declared op- ponents; isolate and weaken our enemies; stick by our friends. Each of these views, of course, implies a specific foreign policy, and with a Democrat in the White House, the U.S. govern- ment has adopted a liberal out- look on fundamentalist Islam. Anthony Lake, the president's national security adviser, re- cently declared that "Islamic ex- tremism poses a threat to our nation's interests," but dismissed it as not being a religious phe- nomenon: "Islamic extremism uses religion to cover its ambi- tions." He also stated that "tra- ditional values" of fundamentalist Muslims need not conflict with the West. He concluded with this noteworthy observation: "There is absolutely nothing in funda- mentalism in any religion that leads to radical behavior." This interpretation of funda- mentalist Islam reigns today in the United States, for it repre- sents not only the policy of the government but also the consen- sus among American scholars of Islam. The conservative, or dissident, PHIL JACOBS ED TOR view sees a great chasm between traditional Islam and funda- mentalist Islam. The one is a way of life; the other, a radical ideol- ogy. This view respects tradi- tional Islam but sees fundamentalists as an enemy that must be combatted. There is no such thing as a fundamen- talist who simply wants to live his life quietly, nor who forwards "traditional values." These are radicals who intend to turn their societies upside down. The Right sees conflict with fundamental- ist Muslims as close to inevitable, given how they despise the West for what it is, not what it does. The Right responds by advocat- ing a tough stance against the fundamentalists and their ideas. This has several implications for U.S. policy: * Do not cooperate with fun- damentalists; do not encourage them; and do not engage in dia- logue with them. Rather, oppose them. * Use the many instruments of leverage to press fundamen- talist states — the Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan — to reduce their aggressiveness. * Celebrate and support Mus- lim individuals and institutions who stand up to the fundamen- talist scourge with the immense prestige of the United States as well as the funds in its informa- tion and development agencies. * Stand by those Muslim gov- ernments in combat with the fun- damentalists. In the case of Algeria, join the French in mak- ing it clear that we don't want the fundamentalists to take power. As old divisions of the Cold War revive in a new context, as liberals and conservatives offer arguments that echo those of yore, it's important to keep in mind who was right the last time around, for that offers a strong indication who will be right this time, too. It's difficult eral from the Jewish commu- enough for many nity, visited her, read to her and in this "who you held conversations. know" world of Knowing this helped Rabbi ours to imagine Freedman when he buried what it must be Marilyn Cohn. Still, there was like to be alone. no family to celebrate Marilyn We've all known Cohn's life. There was no one or even worried for Rabbi Freedman to console, about a relative, no one's hand to hold. maybe even an elderly parent For Rabbi Freedman, a man or grandparent, who lives who many in this city know as alone. almost always upbeat, Marilyn What about dying alone? Cohn's' death was a horrible When Marilyn Cohn was blow. It made life seem empty laid to rest recently at the He- and meaningless. No one be- brew Memorial Park, there sides Rabbi Freedman cried. were three people at her funer- Who will remember Marilyn al. Two were Hebrew Memor- Cohn? ial employees. The third was That question we pose to you. Rabbi Bunny Freedman, the di- If there is anyone out there who rector of Jewish services for knew this woman and can give Hospice of Southeastern Michi- us more information, be it from gan. There were no family members to contact. Ms. Cohn was never married. The 64-year-old Detroiter had no siblings to call. She was truly alone. Rabbi Freed- man as well as Hebrew Memorial made sure that Marilyn Cohn received a proper Jewish funeral. Yeshi- va Beth Yehudah students will say Kaddish for her. The cause of death was cancer. Three weeks ago, while I was working on an- other story at Hospice's Franklin Care Center in De- troit, Rabbi Freedman intro- Rabbi Bunny Freedman duced me to Marilyn Cohn. She was in a room with two a friendly exchange or a long- other patients. When Rabbi term relationship, please call Freedman talked to her, she re- me at 810-354-6060. Marilyn sponded with a smile. Her eyes Cohn should not have died were as big as saucers search- alone. Perhaps as Jews there ing desperately for contact. are lessons to be learned here that life isn't meaningless through a lonesome death. We can't run around talking about our close community and find it acceptable that anyone fall through the cracks, especially at death. A friend recounts the story In the short time she was a of his mother's death in 1984. Hospice resident, she told Rab- A victim of MS, he was in and bi Freedman of how she grew out of the hospital with her for up at Shaarey Zedek. She men- years. When she died, it was at tioned her rabbi, the late Rab- 6 a.m. He regrets to this day bi Morris Adler. Marilyn Cohn that the closest he could be to would say words and expres- his beloved mother's last breath sions particularly Jewish, such was a phone call from the hos- as "L'Shana Tova," to Rabbi pital. Freedman. A year later, faced with the Marilyn Cohn's lonely end same dire possibilities con- had a somber effect on Rabbi cerning his ailing father, he and Freedman. This is a man who his family chose hospice. His fa- has been with scores of the Jew- ther died in his son's house. At ish terminally ill and their fam- least there was a family con- ilies as they face death. He nection this time to a passage. works to teach an uplifting, Maybe, just maybe, any in- hopeful lesson from life. During formation you can provide will her time under the care of Hos- help us all resolve the pain that pice of Southeastern Michigan, we should collectively feel when Marilyn was not alone. Staff a member of our community members and volunteers, sev- dies...alone. - Three persons attended her funeral.