Page 88 - Bigotry: The Dark Danger

Bigotry:
The Dark Danger

One of the Main Causes of Radicalism:

Tribal Culture

The tradition of tribalism underlies the hundreds or even
thousands of years of social texture and culture of a great
majority of the Middle Eastern civilizations. Today, despite
their modern state statuses, some of the societies in North
Africa, the Arabic world and Middle Asia have never really left
their tribal mindset and tribalism; they have only changed their

forms. Therefore any analysis regarding the Islamic world
today should take into account this historical and social fact. In
many Middle Eastern countries, administrations, which are
usually inherited from one generation to another, maintain

their power by means of the support of their tribes. For this rea-
son, it would be extremely wrong to see the tribal mindset as a
historical phenomenon peculiar to the feudal ages. Rick Dock-
sai, a researcher-writer working for the United States Depart-
ment of Defense, pointed out the structure of the ruling groups
in today's Islamic world:

"The highly tribal societies of Yemen, Afghanistan,
and Libya are clear-cut embodiments of clan rule. In
other countries, such as Pakistan, Kenya, and South

Sudan, clans vie with the central government in non-
stop battles of wills." 1

Status, identities, ranks and other concepts relating to indi-
viduals in these societies are deeply affected by the values,
rules, traditions and principles of the tribes that developed over

the course of centuries. Docksai explains that tribal identities

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