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CNN Live Today
Professor Discusses Muslim Extremism
Aired September 10, 2002 - 12:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A noted authority on Islamic radicalism says he has never seen anti-American sentiment so vocal and intense as it is now.
Dr. Fawaz Gerges of Sarah Lawrence College has just returned from a tour of Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, where he interviewed Islamic militants. Dr. Gerges is the author of "America and Political Islam."
He joins us now from New York.
Dr. Gerges, good to see you.
FAWAZ GERGES, SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE: It's a pleasure.
PHILLIPS: Let's talk about this editorial, this piece that you wrote for "The New York Times." You talk a lot about the significance of September 11, its anniversary and what it does mean to the militant. Tell me what it means to al Qaeda. And from what I understand, they are celebrating.
Well, al Qaeda is fully aware of the symbolic value of September 11 and of course would like to celebrate it and capital on it; after all, al Qaeda views September 11 as a political and propaganda market in spite against the United States and as one (UNINTELLIGIBLE) wrote a few days ago, this celebrate this great jihadi experience by revisiting terror against the United States and scoring a major media coup. So yes, I think al Qaeda is aware of the symbolic value of September 11, would like to celebrate it and capitalize on it. The question is will it be able to do so this week.
PHILLIPS: On your trip, you spoke with many fundamentalist Islamics, and one thing does seem clear, and that is they hate America. Where does all this anger stem from?
GERGES: I have been working to this book "The Islamists and the West" for the last three years. I have interviewed dozens and even hundreds of various Islamists both mainstream and militant Islamists. And here I want to add a footnote. I think that anti-Americanism is not just limited to the Islamists; unfortunately, it is across the board. I have never seen anti-Americanism as intense and hardened as it is today. And I often travel to the Middle East, and it seems to me that anti-Americanism has become a staples of Arab and Muslim politics. The Middle East is boiling with anger at United States for its insensitive to Muslim concerns, particularly on the Palestinian- Israeli issue, the Iraqi crisis, America's supports for the authoritarian political structure in the Middle East. PHILLIPS: Do you think further attacks are imminent?
GERGES: Well, of course, this is all speculation at this particular stage. Let's put it this way: al Qaeda still has the capacity and the resources to strike again. Even though al Qaeda has not really launched a military attack since September 11, it is capable of doing so. Yes, the United States has weakened the capacity of al Qaeda, the U.S. military campaign. But it seems to me that al Qaeda's purpose at this particular stage is to tell the world that it is still alive and kicking and capable of unleashing terror on the United States, and it has hundreds of resources, foot soldiers and hidden assets in many countries in the world.
PHILLIPS: Dr. Gerges, is there any way to diffuse this anger. It seems like it is just getting out of control, it's a massive domino effect. What can we do, what can our government do, what do you see as some extremely important steps to keep it from getting so out of control?
GERGES: This is a very important question. i think what we need to understand is that the al Qaeda attacks on the United States on September 11 are part of what they call the internal struggle for the heart and soul of the Muslim Middle East. I think what we need to understand is that the United States is no longer seen as an external participant in Middle Eastern politics, but rather an internal player, and this sets fire to elements in the Middle East and many others -- would like to strike at the core of support for the authoritarian Middle Eastern structures and, of course, try to force the United States to shift some of its foreign policies. Let's hope that both cultures, both civil societies, both civilizations would really engage in a soul-searching about the causes and the roots for this anti- Americanism that has really become deeply intense and hardened in that part of the world.
PHILLIPS: We should verify also that these aren't the believers that are living around the corner from us in the mosque. There is a lot of divided thought here among political mainstream and militant or jihadist Islamists, correct?
GERGES: Absolutely. It is very misleading to confuse Islamism with Islam. Islamism is not the same as Islam. A Muslim believer believes in Allah and his prophet, Mohamed, while a political Islamist strives to gain political power and establish an Islamist state. Within political Islam, there are two major threat: One is what I call mainstream Islamism, and that is the dominant, the overwhelming, dominant version in political Islam; I think mainstream Islamists now are willing to participate in the political process. And of course, in order to achieve Allah's kingdom on Earth, it is mainly the fringe Islamist elements, the jihadi elements, in particular Osama bin Laden, who are willing to use all means, including violence and terrorism in order to bring about their desired end. So there is a big difference not only between Islam and Islamism, but also between mainstream Islamism and militant Islamists of al Qaeda's variety.
PHILLIPS: It's something we have all become very well educated with. Dr. Fawaz Gerges, thank you so much.
GERGES: It's a pleasure.
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