I’ve been baffled trying to understand the basis of Islamic terrorism and what I have been hearing about the Muslim Brotherhood.  One example of my confusion was how the young men who flew airplanes into buildings on 9/11 after living in the U.S. in complete freedom and tolerance could have enough hate to do what they did. I recently read the book “The Closing of the Muslim Mind” by Robert R. Reilly (that is reviewed on this date) and it provides some answers. I remain conflicted that any God could want the murder of people innocent except that they haven’t read the book of the chosen God and lived their lives strictly by his teachings. However, Reilly’s book explains why there are Islamists who are not conflicted by that.The Muslim Brotherhood succeeded at electing Mohamed Morsi as President of Egypt after the overthrow of Honsi Mubarak. Although Morsi has now been forced out, I’ve been reading about the history of the Muslim Brotherhood and how it at least briefly had gained such power in Egypt. Reilly’s book provides part of the answer.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s drive to reform Turkish government included abolishing the Muslim Caliphate and integrating its powers into the Turkish Legislature in the early 1920s. Ataturk was a strong and persuasive leader who did not hesitate to use the power of his position to gain what he believed was best, and the Muslim leaders bowed to his wishes. According to Wikipedia, other Muslim countries debated the validity of the unilateral abolition of the caliphate. A “Caliphate Conference” was held in Cairo in May of 1926, and a resolution was passed declaring the necessity of a caliphate. However, there was no action to implement that resolution. Two additional conferences in 1926 and 1931 failed to reach a consensus “…while Mustafa Kemal and the reformists continued on their own way.”

Muslims believed a loss of faith had caused the loss of the caliphate. By the 1950s there was a movement to the Muslim Brotherhood with leaders such as Sayyid Qutb. The belief was that only complete acceptance of the Qur’an would allow Muslim power to be regained. The Egyptian government tried to reign in Qutb, but he refused to compromise. He “…was taken to the gallows smiling, leaving that iconic image to inspire his followers today.”

The history of the Muslim Brotherhood indicates there is little if any chance its members will accept any outcome other than complete and uncompromising Islamism. Reilly’s book mentions several beliefs taken from the Qur’an that reinforce that statement. Examples are that reason is the enemy of Islam, that thinking makes one an Infidel, and that all women are impure. Beliefs such as those will make me skeptical in the future when I hear someone propose that “moderate Muslims” must step up and moderate the messages of militant Islamists. I hope I’m wrong.