Want to learn about the single-most important U.S. foreign policy concern of the 21st century? Then read this transcript. It is 23 pages long and worth every minute you read it. It is a transcript of a talk that Professor Bernard Lewis gave in April of this year (prior to the war in Lebanon). Lewis is the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. For more than 60 years, he has specialized in the history of Islam, particularly in the Middle East, and the relationship between Islam and the West. It was Professor Lewis who coined the term "clash of civilizations," three years before Samuel Huntington used that phrase in his famous article in Foreign Affairs, setting the stage for a vigorous debate about the relationship between Islam and the West.
Chuck Colson calls this transcript "one of the most helpful pieces I've read." I have read it twice to absorb the information. Take a look.
Just started skimming this, but it looks very good. I love this quote of his: "Wahhabism is about as central to Islam as, shall we say, the Ku Klux Klan to Christianity." Yes! Historical perspective and balance. I think the long historical perspective is critical here. (There's a good book I read a number of years ago that I need to dig out: A History of the Arab Peoples by Albert Hourani.)
Posted by: ddopderbeck | September 06, 2006 at 13:09
His descriptions of the past and the present are fascinating-- indeed, remarkable. But I am not sure if we should rely on his recommendations for future action.
Posted by: Joe Guarino | September 06, 2006 at 16:17
An outstanding read, even if I don't agree with some of his conculsions. Link forthcoming.
Posted by: tgirsch | September 06, 2006 at 16:40