Interesting post here, may have more to say on the topic in the future. I think that basically Islam Arabicizes culture. That is, where Islam goes Arabic vulture goes. Why else do you have white American Muslims wearing the dishdash, which is a 7th century robe that men wore back then? Because the religion of Islam and the idea of 7th C. Arab culture go hand in hand. Islam compels monoculturalism in a way that other religions like Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism never have.
In any case, he makes some good points about cultural stability and marriage.
Let
me also mention that I don't like the term, "war on terror," very much.
Not because I don't think that the conflict is important or
dangerous--it certainly is. But because "war" has traditionally been
understood to take place between two or more sovereign states. I much
prefer Huntington's term, a clash of civilizations.
Selection:
"In
this first in a series of essays on Muslim cousin-marriage, I want to
begin to make the case that Muslim kinship structure is an unexamined
key to the war on terror. While the character of Islam itself is
unquestionably one of the critical forces driving our global conflict,
the nature of Islamic kinship and social structure is at least as
important a factor — although this latter cluster of issues has
received relatively little attention in public debate. Understanding
the role of Middle Eastern kinship and social structure in driving the
war not only throws light on the weaknesses of arguments like D’Souza’s, it may also help us devise a new long-term strategy for victory in the war on terror."
NRO
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