Det er på tide at muslimer tar større ansvar for ekstremistene i deres rekker. I stedet lukker de øynene. Vesten er ikke stort bedre. Den har inntatt en overbærende, unnskyldende tone sidne 9/11, og det infantiliserer muslimene. De må ta ansvar for det som er en de facto borgerkrig i egne rekker, skriver Thomas L. Friedman.

A corrosive mind-set has taken hold since 9/11. It says that Arabs and Muslims are only objects, never responsible for anything in their world, and we are the only subjects, responsible for everything that happens in their world. We infantilize them.

Vesten utkjemper en krig i Afghanistan. Men det finnes et virtuelt Afghanistan, og det rekrutterer jihadister fra vår egen bakhage. De fem unge mennene fra Virginia som ble tatt i Pakistan nylig, er et skremmende eksempel.

The Virtual Afghanistan is the network of hundreds of jihadist Web sites that inspire, train, educate and recruit young Muslims to engage in jihad against America and the West. Whatever surge we do in the real Afghanistan has no chance of being a self-sustaining success, unless there is a parallel surge — by Arab and Muslim political and religious leaders — against those who promote violent jihadism on the ground in Muslim lands and online in the Virtual Afghanistan.

Det hjelper ikke med surge i Afghanistan, hvis det ikke finnes en tilsvarende surge mot rekrutteringen og propagandaen på nett, og den kan kun komme fra muslimene selv, sier Friedman. Men den uteblir.

The Virtual Afghanistan is the network of hundreds of jihadist Web sites that inspire, train, educate and recruit young Muslims to engage in jihad against America and the West. Whatever surge we do in the real Afghanistan has no chance of being a self-sustaining success, unless there is a parallel surge — by Arab and Muslim political and religious leaders — against those who promote violent jihadism on the ground in Muslim lands and online in the Virtual Afghanistan.

I stedet for å legge press på muslimske ledere har vestlige ledere innstilt seg på at de ikke kan gjøre noe, man bøyer unna og bøyer seg i realiteten for deres unnfallenhet og stilltiende toleranse av ekstremismen. Det er en farlig strategi når man utkjemper en krig.

Arab and Muslims are not just objects. They are subjects. They aspire to, are able to and must be challenged to take responsibility for their world. If we want a peaceful, tolerant region more than they do, they will hold our coats while we fight, and they will hold their tongues against their worst extremists. They will lose, and we will lose — here and there, in the real Afghanistan and in the Virtual Afghanistan

www.jihad.com

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN