The United States no doubt will be involved in the Middle East for many
decades. To be sure, settling the Israeli-Palestinian dispute or
alleviating poverty could help to stem the tides of Islamic radicalism
and anti-American sentiment. But on an ideological level, we must
confront a specific interpretation of Islamic law, history, and
scripture that is a danger to both the United States and its allies. To
win that ideological war, we must understand the sources of both Islamic
radicalism and liberalism. We need to comprehend more thoroughly the
ways in which militants misinterpret and pervert Islamic scripture.
Al-Qaeda has produced its own group of spokespersons who attempt to
provide religious legitimacy to the nihilism they preach. Many
frequently quote from the Quran and hadith (the Prophet Muhammad's
sayings and deeds) in a biased manner to draw justification for their
cause.