Editor's Letter

Oequilibrium

Aib.

Our Islamist Enemy

H

ow we label a group says a lot about what it stands
for and whether we fear it. The more descriptive
and precise the label, the easier it is to get a fix on

the group.

So I was aghast when the Obama
administration refused to identify
the West's enemy in the war on terror
as violent Islamist extremism. In the
2010 U.S. National Security Strategy
(NSS), the president opted for the non-
descript term "violent extremism?'
A similar strategy statement issued
in 2006 identified "the struggle against
militant Islamic radicalism" as "the
Robert Sklar
great ideological conflict of the early
Editor
years of the 21st century." It empha-
sized that the struggle is "a battle of
ideas ... not a battle of religions" and that the "transnational
terrorists confronting us today exploit the proud religion of
Islam to serve a violent political vision:'
Now that's clear.
President Obama officially abandoned that phrasing in the
just-released NSS report. I'm perplexed why. Is not Islamism,
the terrorist ideology whose adherents hijacked Islam for
totalitarian purposes, the No. 1 enemy of the West?

for Allah. "Terrorists," wrote Lieberman, "threaten the United
States due to their violent Islamist extremist ideology, not
their connections to Al Qaida."
Over the last decade, the danger posed by Islamism has
spread to include the Pakistani Taliban (which U.S. Attorney
General Eric Holder linked to the 2010 attempted car bomb-
ing in New York City's Times Square) and the Pakistan-based
Lashkar-e-Taiba, which allegedly enlisted U.S. citizen David
Headley of Chicago to help plan the group's deadly 2008
attack on hotels, the Chabad House and other civilian targets
in Mumbai, India.
In his cogent letter to Brennan, Lieberman underscored how
some radicals embrace Islamist extremism on their own while
others become indoctrinated by Islamist terrorists who don't
necessarily have ties to Al Qaida. "The war will end',' Lieberman
wrote, "only by discrediting violent Islamist extremism, not just
by destroying Al Qaida as an organization?'

Seeking Answers
Lieberman asked some incisive questions that he implored
Obama to set up a mechanism to answer: "Why is the violent
Islamist extremist narrative appealing? How can we better
engage our Muslim neighbors and allies and Islamic religious
leaders in a counter-narrative? Should the government formu-
late engagement strategies for Muslim American communities
at risk? How should we deal with people who incite violence
Striking Back
by espousing Islamist extremism?
I applaud U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, chairman
The first step to answering, of course, is
of the Committee on Homeland Security and
clarity about the nature of the terrorist war
Governmental Affairs, who challenged the
and its perpetrators. "This war:' Lieberman
nebulous new phrase in a June 10 letter to John
wrote, "requires that we not flinch from
Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland
asserting our values and that we encourage
security and counterterrorism.
and empower the vast majority of Muslims to
Rejecting Brennan's rambling explanation
reject violent Islamist extremism:'
in an April 22 letter, Lieberman, a Connecticut
Brennan thinks use of Islamism seems to
Independent, wrote there was no "compelling or
validate the notion that the West is at war with
even sensible reason" for the administration to
Islam. That's preposterous.
avoid "any phrase containing a word that conveys
Explained Lieberman: "There is no ques-
the painful reality that the enemy we are fighting
tion
that the ideological conflict with violent
Sen. Lieberman boldly
in this war is a politicized, extremist exploitation
Islamist
extremism can only be won when the
defines Islamism.
of the Islamic religion:'
vast majority of Muslims around the world,
Lieberman reinforced his letter's thrust in a
who already reject extremism and terrorism,
June 15 commentary published by the Wall Street Journal.
ostracize and extirpate the ideology that inspires and moti-
The precision of the 2006 terminology still resonates today.
vates that violence and extremism. The emergence of religious
Brennan said Islamist extremism lumps together a diverse
edicts against violent Islamist extremism since 9-11 has
set of organizations and individuals "with different motiva-
been heartening as has the groundswell of popular revulsion
tions, goals, capabilities and justifications?' To me, violent
against Islamist extremists in the handful of places where
extremism better fits that broad description. Violent extrem-
they have gained a foothold:'
ists can include neo-Nazis, other white supremacists, genocid-
It is imperative we recognize that a loose alliance of self-
al militias and warlords. But say Islamist extremism and you
identified Muslims has declared war on the West, but also that
immediately think of Al Qaida, Hamas or Hezbollah, among
not every Muslim is a war monger. The fanatics derive energy
other terrorist groups.
from a political ideology that they justify and parade via a
Wrote Lieberman: "There are many forms of violent extrem-
distortion of Islam, which we're certainly not at war with.
ism with which we are not at war. Using the term violent extrem-
For President Obama not to acknowledge this is a grave
ism provides no specificity and thus no guidance for what strat-
mistake with, as Lieberman bluntly put it, "adverse conse-
egy and capabilities are necessary to counter this threat:'
quences for our national and homeland security"
Call the enemy what it is. 0
More Than Al Qaida
1
Brennan argues that it's better to just name the enemy, such
as Al Qaida, our original 9-11 foe. But that implies the war on
Do you agree with Sen. Lieberman?
terror is about eliminating factions allied with or inspired by
Al Qaida rather than excising a far-reaching political ideology
Is "violent extremism" clear to you?
that spawned Al Qaida and drives believers to commit terror

m ind-bOdy fi tn es

Dear Xtend:
What have you done
with my cellulite?

...nevermind, I don't
want it back.
WIPP

FREE XtenciTm Classes

for One Week

Starting

June 28-July 3

A 55 Minute Workout

That Transforms

Your Body

call 248.723.6500
and use code JNI

6405 Telegraph a at Maple & Telegraph

buildings G & H

visit www.equilibriumstudiocorn

(under construction)

to schedule your class online

twitter: @equilibriumMl

facebook: equilibriumpilatesstudio

youtube: equilibriumMI

June 24 • 2010

5

