Hijacked Islam - The Influence of Islam on American Foreign Policy

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,0, Humboldt-University of Berlin, language: English, abstract: The events of September 11th 2001 were crucial in the history of the United States of Americabecause then, according to George W. Bush, the first generation of students [ ] witnessed awar fought in America. 1However, the events that followed were more than a war. Put in the President s words, this isgood versus evil. 2 Obviously, the head of the United States sees his country s experience asinvested with a higher, quasi religious, meaning. While it is often bewildering to Europeans,this way of understanding one s nation is shared by many citizens of the U.S.A.3One way of explaining this is the concept of civil religion by Robert Bellah. According tothis concept, Americans share common religious characteristics expressed through civilreligious beliefs, symbols, and rituals that provide a religious dimension to the entirety ofAmerican life. 4 It is not [ ] a form of national self-worship but [ ] the subordination ofthe nation to ethical principles that transcend it in terms of which it should be judged. 5Being only a religious dimension, American civil religion is no alternative to existingreligions; rather, there is a division of function. ---1 Bush, George W.. President Launches Lessons of Liberty . (October 30, 2001). May 23, 2006. ; The term American used by citizensof the United States of America usually refers only to themselves and not to the other inhabitants of thecontinent. 2 Bush, George W.. International Campaign Against Terror Grows . (September 25, 2001). May 23, 2006. . 3 Studies suggest that indeed, a wide cross section of citizens do share such civil religious beliefs. Swatos,William H.. Encyclopedia of Religion and Society. Hartford Institute for Religion Research Hartford Seminary. CIVIL RELIGION . (1998). May 23, 2006. . 4 Swatos 1998. 5 Bellah, Robert N.. Civil Religion in America . D dalus. Journal of the American Academy of Arts andSciences. Religion in America Vol. 96, No. 1, pp. 1-21. (Winter 1967). May 23, 2006.