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 here
would we be without Bernard Lewis? The 85-year-old Princeton professor
is our greatest interpreter of Islam and the Middle East, and his
many books — such as
The Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years
and
The Muslim Discovery of Europe — were well worth
reading long before September 11. Now they're essential.
They will be
joined in January by a new volume, with the timely title
What Went Wrong? Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response.
NRO has obtained an advance copy of this important book, which will
be published by Oxford University Press.
What Went
Wrong? is not specifically about September 11, but it does provide
a penetrating analysis of the historical forces behind it. In short,
Lewis asks how the Muslim world went from being one of the most
advanced civilizations on the planet a few centuries ago to one
of the most retrograde right now. There are no simple answers to
this complex question, but Lewis does believe too many Arab leaders
have blamed their plight on external factors.
"'Who
did this to us?' is of course a common human response when things
are going badly, and there have been indeed many in the Middle East,
past and present, who have asked this question," writes Lewis.
"The period of French and British paramountcy in much of the
Arab world in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries produced a
new and more plausible scapegoat — Western imperialism. . .
. But the Anglo-French interlude was comparatively brief and ended
half a century ago; the change for the worse began long before their
arrival and continued unabated after their departure. Inevitably,
their role as villains was taken over by the United States, along
with other aspects of the leadership of the West. The attempt to
transfer the guilt to America has won considerable support, but
for similar reasons remains unconvincing. Anglo-French rule and
American influence, like the Mongol invasions, were a consequence,
not a cause, of the inner weakness of Middle-Eastern states and
societies."
Lewis also
wrote the cover story for the most recent issue of NR, which
should be on newsstands now.
Ran Off
Oklahoma first lady Cathy Keating has dropped out of the race to
replace Steve Largent in the House. Conservative state rep. John
Sullivan will be the Republican candidate for the seat, which means
he will almost certainly be coming to Congress.
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