After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, many Americans were left wondering how it was possible for the perpetrators of that horrific event to hate America so much. During his appearance before the U.S. Congress, President George W. Bush himself asked the question that so haunted America in the immediate aftermath of 9/11: "Why do they hate us?" (Ford). The reasons for the deeply rooted antagonism between the United States and many Arabic nations and people are powerfully entrenched, however. In many ways the Middle East has been a cauldron of uncertainty, roiling with fear, hatred, and doubt over the past fifty years, ready to boil over at a moment's notice. Unfortunately, America has often shown little regard in its actions in this region, adding fuel to the fire and threatening to make that cauldron explode. Our recent actions in Iraq have only exacerbated the problem.
Many Americans believe that the United States is a beacon of liberty and hope, and that the values we cherishùfreedom of speech and religion, respect for a person's rights and differences, and equality of the sexesùare values that can and should be spread around the world. However, to radical fundamentalist Islamics these freedoms represent an attack on the very foundation of their culture. In their twisted conception of the Quran, these fundamentalists believe that they are waging a holy war against the Western world. Unfortunately, "The Arab world is a political desert with no real political parties, no free press, few pathways for dissent. As a result, the mosque turned into the place to discuss politics" (Zakaria).
The fundamentalists call to arms has seduced a generation of disenfranchised Arabs. In a region notorious for its corrupt rulers and undemocratic practices, "The fundamentalist call has resonance because it invited men to participate... [in] contrast to a political culture that reduces citizens to spectators and asks them to...