WesterntraditionalCulture

　　ThebombersinLondonandtheinsurgentsinIraqmaythinkthattheyareavengingthemselvesonWesterncivilization.SomeinWashington,LondonandTelAvivmaythinkthattheyareblockingtheambitionofradicalMuslimstocreatesomemarvelousnewcaliphatetoruletheworld.Botharewrong.

　　Thecivilizationsatwararemodernityontheonehandandthetraditionalworldontheother.TheIslamicfundamentalists'terroristattacksontheWestaremerelyasideshow-abitterbutdoomedreactiontoawarthatmodernsocietyhasalreadylargelywon,withliberalsandconservativesunitedintheirbattleagainstthevalues,assumptionsandmodeoflifeofthevastmajorityofnon-modernmankind.

　　TheyWesternersbelievetheyarecreating,asRogerCohenrecentlywroteinTheInternationalHeraldTribune,"acenturythatwillmakeadiverseworldmoreunified,prosperousandfreethaneverbefore."

　　TheliberalsandtheconservativesofmodernWesternsocietyfirmlybelievethat.Itisinconceivabletothemthatthetraditionalworld,inwhicheveryoneexceptthemselveslives,remainsavalidchoiceforthosewholiveinit.

　　Themodernworldistheaggressor,determined-withoutevenseriouslythinkingaboutit-todestroythebackwardcivilizationsofeveryoneelse,whichitseesasdiscreditedremnantsofthepast.Todestroythemisprogress.Progressleads-where?

　　Heretheyrunintotheproblemofutopia.

　　Utopiainaworlddominatedbyreligionisarewardforaworthylife,andisenjoyedinanafterlife.Itexistsoutsideoftime.Oraftertimehascometoastop,inatimelessparadise.