[Azure]

Originally Posted by sworkhard

So, having finished reading Aslan's dissertation, I have to agree that there isn't really anything original in it. Nevertheless, he provides a good summary of relevant sociological research, combines it with his historical knowledge of Islam, provides an interesting perspective on the rise of Jihadism, and is very accessible for a lay person with an interest in the topic.

However, towards the end of his dissertation, just before the conclusion, it really does seem to become an opinion piece. There are nearly a dozen pages of text with almost no references where he outlines his opinion how it's really western attitudes to Islam that are causing people to act on their Jihadism, and that if only the west would get out of the way and allow groups like the Muslim brotherhood to actually govern democratic, but Muslim dominated countries, Jihadist violence will decline as everyone has other ways of having a say. He basically says banning headscarfs and criticizing Islam like Ayan Hirsi Ali does causes disenfranchised Muslims to blow up buildings (p117). He argues that western democratic nations are causing people to act on their Jihadism while at the same time suggesting that if Middle eastern and other Muslim Dominated countries could find a way to be more democratic, violent forms of Jihadism would disappear because they would have other ways to affect change. He doesn't argue why a Muslim dominated democratic nation would do a better job of providing a voice to the disenfranchised Jihadis than westerns ones do. He makes very little effort to actually backup his assertions here other than pointing to how the Muslim Brotherhood seemed to make a good official opposition in Egypt for a very short period of time. This is, I think, pretty disappointing for a dissertation from someone who is supposedly a respected scholar.

I have absolutely no clue who this guy is, but someone should ask him what his opinion on women is, and if it is right to force a 6 year old to marry someone because she was 'promised' to him.