Defeating Jihadism by Encouraging non-Arab Muslims

Defeating global jihadism is certainly a matter of utmost importance. Some say that this can be accomplished by empowering moderate Muslims, but given the difficulties in identifying many moderates, certain evangelical Christians have stepped up efforts to convert Muslims to Christianity. Towards this aim, Mark Krikorian of National Review has suggested that an effective strategy for doing so would be to concentrate on Muslim ethnic groups oppressed by other Muslims. These groups, Krikorian believes, will have a natural attraction to religions other than the one dominating them (even if it's their own faith), and will be welcome to other possibilities.

Successfully accomplished, this plan certainly would reduce jihadism, as virtually all jihadists-turned-Christians have utterly renounced terrorism and violence. Thing is, the chances of such an implementation look exceedingly low. Even supposing many Muslims wish to become Christians, Islamic-ruled governments aren't exactly known for permitting religious freedom, as we can see with the Abdul Rahman case in Afghanistan and an Algerian example given by Krikorian.

In an ethnocultural sense, however, Krikorian's basic idea may yet work. Just substitute Arab culture for Muslim religion, and politically encourage non-Arab Muslims to reject jihadist Islam in the name of their own heritages. The words Arab and Muslim are often regarded synonymously, but while Islam is indeed an entirely Arab-centered religion, most of today's Muslims are non-Arabs whose ancestors were forcibly conquered and converted. These Muslims' histories and cultures largely have been trampled over, and similar to what Krikorian suggests religiously, they may be highly amenable to moderating Sharia and jihadism merely as a rejection of the beliefs of their Arab dominators.

Some may feel this is unrealistic, but it has actually occurred all throughout the past and into today. Historically, Islam greatly moderated itself the further it moved beyond its Arab roots, and today, the least radical followers of Islam are those who have been most oppressed by their fellow Muslims: Kurds, Turks, Berbers, Bangladeshis, Central Asians, and the vast majority of Persians. The less Arab influence, the more moderate they get. At the same time, exposure to Arab-backed Wahhabism has inspired many formerly moderate/secular Muslims to turn jihadist. Clearly, weakening the Arab influence can drastically reduce radicalism.

Implemented successfully, this plan would isolate fundamentalist Islam to its Arab heartland, where it could be more easily contained and changed. The majority of Muslims worldwide would shed jihadism in favor of moderation, which would dramatically reduce the number of global terrorists. Unlike with Christian evangelism, the Islamic governments in question will have no reason to reject such a movement, and indeed, they may even join it in solidarity with their own non-Arab ethnic backgrounds.

Is this a tall order? Absolutely. But the Islamic world's current totalitarianism is unacceptable, and democracy-building, while an excellent strategy that should certainly be continued, has hit many snags and could use some help. So an alternative solution for moderating the Muslim world away from jihad is this - support the native cultures of the non-Arabs so to restore their ethnic pride and shake off the dusts of Arabization.