Spectres of Fear 33
West , fits neatly into the present western angst of the Muslim Other . In critique of Huntington , Hippier ( 2000 ) states :
In many cases the protagonists of an Islamic Threat try to keep their polar worldview of a struggle between Good and Evil , between Us and Them intact , and only switch enemies . In its final form the result is to interpret the World in Huntington ’ s terminology : “ The West against the Rest .” ( 1993 , 41 )
Huntington is wrong . The clash that is being waged now is not between civilisations but between competing teleologies . Western teleology is based on a linear time model which progresses via its technology and market system toward the domination of the human species . Human dominion reaches its zenith by rewriting nature ’ s genetic blueprint — in effect , creating an alter-nature : Genesis rewritten . In contrast , Bin Laden ’ s Jihadist teleology heralds a new world order governed by a Wahhabist interpretation of Islam . His vision is apocalyptic : to establish a pan-Islamic Caliphate governing the world .
Carrol suggests that Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda ’ s strategy for contesting the West is based on the fundamental notion of “ Know thine enemy .” In Achkar ’ s terms this means employing “ asymmetric means ,” defined as “ unconventional approaches that avoid or undermine ” the enemy ’ s strengths and exploit its weaknesses ( 2002 , 59 ). As history shows , Bin Laden has been masterful in demoralising his western opponents through the art of stealth .
Bin Laden ’ s success in remaining imperceptible to the American goliath has mobilised his mass appeal in the Muslim world , ascribing to him the preternatural . Interestingly , Al-Qaeda ’ s ability to cross international borders at will with deadly efficiency shares an affinity with another kind of supernatural bogeyman — the jinn . In Islam , the jinn are referred to as an invisible and powerful race of beings which were created by God before the creation of humanity . In Muslim cosmology the jinn bring about balance between the unbounded powers of nature and the need to reconcile them to the human social order . While humans may befriend or summon jinn the latter “ cannot be readily controlled ,” and may cause humans harm due to their capricious nature ( Jackson 1998 , 51 ). The analogy between volatility and invisibility , though largely imaginary , enables Muslims to distance themselves from the jinn in order to prevent the latter ’ s encroachment into the human domain . It is only after September 11 that the West has been seriously committed in curtailing Al- Qaeda ’ s ability to exploit international boundaries . Although the invasion of Afghanistan had uncovered some aspects of Al-Qaeda ’ s terrorist activities , the failure of the government of the United States and other western nations in finding Al-Qaeda cells on their home soils has been a source of anxiety , fostering the growing belief of Al-Qaeda as an inviolable nemesis . However , it is my interest with the jinn as bogeyman which I want to discuss further .
The role of the jinn as a metaphor of “ cultural invisibility ” aptly conveys Al-Qaeda ’ s terrifying hold on the western psyche . The metaphor of “ cultural invisibility ” and unbridled force are integral in catapulting Al-Qaeda ’ s