SA AL-BUTI

Muslim clerics usually have little education beyond their study of the Koran and other holy books. Unlike most Western clerics who are college graduates, they often have little non-religious sophistication. This quotation is a great example of this. Al-Bouti, interviewed on Syrian TV accuses the United States of something that almost all basic students of political science and international relations know is true of every country including his own. However, the fundamentalist Muslim is supposed to be governed in all things by only one thing—the word of Allah as revealed by His Prophet Muhammad. So he believes that good, moral nations—especially Islamic ones will view the entire world, not through the lens of self interest but through the Koran. Syria, in particular, is one of the most selfish and least moral nations in its diplomacy and foreign policy and much of its activity would even be considered morally wrong by most moderate Islamic clergy.

In most religions, the clerics generally denounce violence especially where innocent people are involved as do many Islamic clerics throughout the world. However, a very large proportion of the Islamic Clergy not only condones violence but actually urges it and uses their interpretation of religious duty to motivate people in that direction. They tend to drown out the pacifistic Muslim clerics and in some cases they call for their death for heresy, thus intimidating many Islamic moderates.

Muslim clerics usually have little education beyond their study of the Koran and other holy books. Unlike most Western clerics who are college graduates, they often have little non-religious sophistication. This quotation is a great example of this. Al-Bouti, interviewed on Syrian TV accuses the United States of something that almost all basic students of political science and international relations know is true of every country including his own. However, the fundamentalist Muslim is supposed to be governed in all things by only one thing—the word of Allah as revealed by His Prophet Muhammad. So he believes that good, moral nations—especially Islamic ones will view the entire world, not through the lens of self interest but through the Koran. Syria, in particular, is one of the most selfish and least moral nations in its diplomacy and foreign policy and much of its activity would even be considered morally wrong by most moderate Islamic clergy.

In most religions, the clerics generally denounce violence especially where innocent people are involved as do many Islamic clerics throughout the world. However, a very large proportion of the Islamic Clergy not only condones violence but actually urges it and uses their interpretation of religious duty to motivate people in that direction. They tend to drown out the pacifistic Muslim clerics and in some cases they call for their death for heresy, thus intimidating many Islamic moderates.