Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Counting Jihadis

Walid Phares interviewed by Hugh Hewitt from Townhall.com

Hugh Hewitt: Now I’m really baiting the hook for the longer conversation after I’ve absorbed your new book, The War Of Ideas. But is it possible to turn the Salafist edge back on itself? Is it possible to win that war of ideas? Or just do we have to wait and watch it run its very destructive and horrible course?
Walid Phares: No, absolutely, we can begin the war or ideas. At this…we have not. And then we can, with time, turn the tide and win it. But we have not even began the real steps such as discussing it openly in Congress, have the right legislation for it, and have huge funding that is going in all directions, but not in the right directions, that is to fund the NGO’s, women’s movements, students movements, and all the intellectuals who in the Arab and Muslim world, including in the Diaspora, are completely anti-Salafist, pro-democracy. We have not begun to talk to them.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I agree with Phares, the US and the West haven't really began to wage the war of ideas against the Jihadists. What the State Department is doing is ridiculous: sending DVD about how life is beautiful here, teaching English and bringing Egyptian students to American universities. This has nothing to do with defeating the Jihadists. Besides the US funded al Hurra is a total failure. It is controlled by pro Hezbollah people. So let's hope..