In the historical imagination of many Muslims, bin Laden represents nothing short of the new incarnation of Saladin, defeater of the Crusaders and conqueror of Jerusalem. In this sense, the House of Islams war for world mastery is a traditional, indeed venerable, quest that is far from over. If, today, America is reviled in the Muslim world, it is not because of its specific policies but because, as the preeminent world power, it blocks the final realization of this same age-old dream of a universal Islamic community, or umma.
Karsh knows his subject; he is the author of Islamic Imperialism, which chronicles the Muslim worlds expansionist history. And his argument holds upif Muslims were only interested in protecting their home turf, they wouldnt be attacking erstwhile territories of their empire. And if they were only interested in current and former territories of the caliphate, they wouldnt be putting their expansionist energies into France, Britain, and Germany.
It is the failure to recognize this state of affairs that accounts for the resounding lack of success of Obamas policies toward the Middle East and the Muslim World.