Terror and Liberalism

Terror and Liberalism

Company type	Book
Industry	Publishing
Founded	April 2003 (2003-04)
Founder	Paul Berman
Products	Nonfiction book
Owner	W. W. Norton & Company

Terror and Liberalism is a nonfiction work authored by American political thinker and writer Paul Berman, released by W. W. Norton & Company in April 2003. In this book, Berman contends that contemporary Islamist organizations such as al Qaeda have ideological foundations akin to those of 20th-century Western totalitarian regimes like fascism. He advocates for a proactive international strategy to confront extremism. Tracing the roots of violent terrorism back to Albert Camus's The Rebel, Berman supports the challenging yet righteous endeavor of promoting democracy throughout the Arab world. While endorsing the foreign policies of the George W. Bush administration, he simultaneously critiques Bush for issues related to credibility and administrative inefficiency.

The reception of the book was varied: Salon.com described it as "a significant contribution to the discourse on the implications of 9/11 and its aftermath," whereas author Sam Harris commended it in his work The End of Faith. Journalist Joshua Micah Marshall characterized Berman’s writing as "penetrating, insightful, candid, occasionally careless, erudite, sometimes superficial, passionate, serious, and elaborate."

Contents

Berman begins by addressing the September 11 attacks and delves into the ideology of Sayyid Qutb, a prominent Islamist thinker, followed by an examination of suicidal Islamic extremist violence predating 9/11. He uncovers unexpected intellectual connections extending from European figures like Nobel Prize winner Alexis Carrel to contemporary political religious doctrines. Berman disputes prevailing assumptions that groups such as al Qaeda emerge solely due to social marginalization or inherently anti-Western religious convictions.

He explores the socio-cultural genesis of fascism in Europe, its tragic apex in the Holocaust and World War II, and draws parallels with the development of Islamic extremist ideology. He interprets the clash between Islamic radicals and liberal democratic nations as a modern iteration of historical totalitarian movements, coining the term "Muslim totalitarianism" to encapsulate this phenomenon.

Invoking Camus’s philosophy, Berman characterizes terrorist violence as an emotional form of anti-rationalism—primitive and challenging for contemporary societies to comprehend—and stresses the necessity for decisive measures, including assertive preemptive military actions and vigilant security operations both within Muslim-majority countries and Western nations. He supports military campaigns such as the Afghanistan invasion and the Iraq invasion.

Berman asserts,

He argues that fostering democracy in Arab nations represents a difficult yet justifiable objective. Although he backs Bush's foreign policy stance against militant Islamic fundamentalism, Berman criticizes Bush’s domestic alignment with Christian fundamentalism for damaging his legitimacy on liberal democratic principles. Ultimately, Berman maintains that "Freedom for others means safety for ourselves."

Reviews and responses

American atheist writer Sam Harris referenced Berman's book in The End of Faith, describing it as a "compelling introduction to totalitarianism" while discussing jihadist terrorism alongside liberal democracy. Journalist Michael J. Totten also lauded the book as "exceptionally insightful."

The Observer featured a mixed critique by Martin Bright, who acknowledged certain valid points but observed that "Berman stumbles over the complexity of his own thesis," suggesting that Berman’s portrayal of a paranoid 'people of God' mindset could be equally applied to the United States.

Ellen Willis from Salon recognized Berman's condemnation of authoritarian regimes and fundamentalist factions but disagreed with his endorsement of the Bush administration’s foreign approaches, calling it "a vital contribution to discussions about 9/11 and its consequences."

In a nuanced assessment, Washington Monthly journalist Joshua Micah Marshall described the book as insightful yet flawed. He contended that Berman exaggerated the menace posed by Islamist violence and applied an outdated analytical framework, which risked obscuring essential truths with potentially serious implications given intellectuals’ influential role in shaping perspectives on this conflict.

See also

• Islamic fundamentalism
• Islamic terrorism
• Islamism
• Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration
• Liberal hawk
• Liberal internationalism
• The Rebel

External links

• Booknotes discussion with Berman regarding Terror and Liberalism, June 22, 2003.