The Third Intifada

Prof. Johan Malan, Mossel Bay, South Africa (April 2011) www.bibleguidance.co.za

The widening circle of Arab uprisings in the Middle East is a cause of great concern to Christians, Jews, and all people who prefer peaceful solutions to violent struggles in settling political, religious and other disputes. The situation is rapidly deteriorating as the revolutions spread from one country to another, everywhere aimed at bringing down the local government and replacing it with an “Islamic people’s government”. The circle of violence is closing in on Israel and the scene is already set for a “Third Intifada” by the Palestinians and their millions of militant supporters in neighbouring Muslim countries.

Although the securing of human rights is offered as an excuse for the present uprisings, there is clearly a very strong Islamic motivation for the revolts. Islamic jihads (so-called ‘holy wars’) became an ever increasing phenomenon in modern times after the restoration of Israel in 1948. By the early 1980s Islamic revolutions were already so firmly established that Prof. E. Gellner wrote in his book, Muslim Society, (1983): “It is evident that Islam enjoys the biggest political support of all the world’s religions during the 20^th century… It is able to generate intense revolutionary fervour and to combine with extreme radicalism. As a means for political mobilisation Islam has surpassed Marxism, as well as all other religions.”