Islamism is a failed ideology. Muslims must embrace the West

Excerpt

Growing up in Iraq and Lebanon, we looked at the West with awe. The West was ahead of the Arabs world on many levels, including government, urban planning, social welfare, science, literature, technology and military strength. In Lebanon, almost every child at school was taught three languages, learning English and French, in addition to our native Arabic. Parents talked to their children in these languages.

We generally associated success and wealth with speaking Western languages. Those who spoke fluent English or French, the upper and middle classes, tried to mimic native American, British, or French accents. The better your Western language and accent, the higher social status you signaled.

Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Follow him on X: @hahussain.