Historically, Western powers occupied most Muslim countries for a number of centuries. In many countries, there were attempts to introduce democracy, but in the end the West imposed autocratic leaders in the Middle East, North Africa and elsewhere. These dictatorial regimes were and still are sympathetic to the West and this in turn facilitated the West's access and the subsequent exploitation of the considerable resources of Muslims and their countries.

The Shah of Iran was a case in point. Similarly, the West supported the installation of the dictator Saddam Hussein to rule Iraq as he was hostile to Iran. They supplied Saddam with weapons for several years and when the US did not need him anymore, they turned against him. 

The West has been keen to support Islamic regimes whenever it suited their purposes, thus the West supplied Osama bin Laden with weapons when he was fighting the occupation of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union. In the Middle East, the USA has provided unconditional support to Israel, its main ally in the region, despite Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land for more than five decades. 

Apart from denying Muslims basic human rights like equality and democratic governments, the influence of the West tends to divide Islamic societies into a Western educated elite and the rest of the population.

Any material benefits provided by modernisation or by the exploitation of oil tend to go to the elite while the big majority of the population receive very little, if anything!

In poor Muslim countries, like other parts of the world, Muslims are employed by Western corporations as very cheap labour to make their fine shirts and jeans.

The failure of modernisation which was imported from the West, or which was imposed on Muslim countries by the West, did not bring Muslims human rights like equality and democratic governments, as well as the constant interference of Western countries in the Islamic world in ways that damage Muslims but support Western interests. Together these elements contributed to the development of what we call fundamentalist movements throughout the Islamic world. The fundamentalists define themselves as true believers who attempt to protect the religious identity by fortifying the borders of the religious community and by creating viable alternatives to secular institutions and behaviours. However, the fundamentalist interpretation and justification of violence is entirely contrary to the central teachings of Islam, which essentially preach peace and harmony.

Far from declaring war, Islam is a religion which includes broad perspectives and different interpretations. Fundamentalist interpretations have become popular because of the failure of modernisation and the constant interference of Western countries in the Islamic world in ways that damage Muslims but support Western interests.

Moustafa Megawer