| This is part 2 of my answer to the question of | | | | kidnap, kill, bomb innocents Muslims and Christians |
| why the consistent violence in the middle east if | | | | alike in Egypt to try to create public anger to |
| Islam is a peaceful religion. In the first part I | | | | topple the government. Sadat fought back hard, |
| merely gave an account of the major 4 wars in | | | | thousands were jailed, tortured and probably |
| the middle east to which Egypt and Israel were | | | | more than that. His last days were dark for |
| parties and how from the perspective of Egypt | | | | anyone who dared to disagree with him. |
| they were mostly nationalistic wars. Religion was | | | | Sadat's demise came on the anniversary of what |
| not completely absent from the picture, however, | | | | he considered as the day of his glorious win over |
| with the religious claim to the land of Palestine by | | | | Israel. He was assassinated by one of the |
| Israel, but let us continue with discussing the | | | | militants that his policies helped create in Egypt. His |
| recent rise of radicalism in Egypt. | | | | death brought emergency laws to Egypt in 1981. |
| Sadat, the Egyptian president who made peace | | | | Egypt is still under control of these laws until this |
| with Israel was in some sense responsible for the | | | | day. The enormous crackdown on the religious |
| rise of religious militancy in Egypt. It is said that he | | | | groups, moderate and radical, did not eliminate |
| encouraged religious groups to emerge and | | | | terrorism and its dangers within Egypt. Terrorist |
| flourish in order to control the tide of communists' | | | | attacks within Egypt occur sparsely and hit any |
| movement in Egypt. They were allowed to be | | | | targets especially tourists in order to embarrass |
| active, to recruit within universities, unions, etc. | | | | the government. In recent years, I have |
| These religious groups were mostly moderates, | | | | observed that the Egyptian society has slowly |
| but the environment was ripe for radicalism to | | | | tended to become more conservative and more |
| emerge. Sadat's economic policies, long years of | | | | religious. Most women are now wearing Hijab; a |
| wars have made large segments of the society | | | | scarf covering their hair. Many try to learn more |
| poor, illiterate, desperate and hopeless; creating a | | | | from the Quran and about Islam. This, however, |
| fertile ground to incite hatred for the society and | | | | is more of a self-guided return to the religious |
| to create radicals. These radical groups adopted | | | | roots that can actually help fight radicalism within |
| obscure religious books written by unknowns, at | | | | the society. |
| least to the moderates, within the society. By the | | | | To sum this part up, political manipulation, |
| time Sadat was realizing, the side effect of his | | | | economic conditions, hopelessness, oppression and |
| plan to fight communism, things were getting out | | | | ignorance were and still are responsible for |
| of hand. Radical groups that condemned the whole | | | | creating radicalism all over the world and not an |
| society have emerged. Those that were not with | | | | inherent message of violence in Islam. |
| them were against them. They were willing to | | | | |