In his official response to the attacks of September
11, George W. Bush invoked the Crusades, tapping into a
centuries-long history of fear and aggression. The
West's longstanding perception of Islam as a threat has
taken on new and more complex implications in the
twenty-first century, as years of migration and
resulting demographic shifts have brought the ''enemy''
within Western borders. Virulent opposition to the
planned construction of an Islamic center near the 9/11
attack site in New York City reveals much about the
intensity of public sentiments simmering just below the
surface. As the United States and countries across
Europe struggle with a resurgence of unexamined fear and
antagonism, often directed against their own citizens,
the imperative for better understanding could not be
greater.''Crusade 2.0'' examines the resurgence of
anti-Islamic sentiment in the West and its global
implications. John Feffer discusses the influence of
three ''unfinished wars''--the Crusades, the Cold War,
and the current ''war on terror.'' He presents a timely,
concise and provocative look at current events in the
context of historical trends and goes beyond a ''clash
of civilizations'' critique to offer concrete ways to
defuse the ticking bomb of Islamophobia.John Feffer is
co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Institute
for Policy Studies in Washington, DC. He is the author
of several books, including ''North Korea, South
Korea.'' His essays have been published in ''The New
York Times,'' ''The Boston Globe,'' and elsewhere; he
has been interviewed by CNN, MSNBC, Al Jazeera,
''Democracy Now!'' and other international news
media. |
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