BrianGarst.com

CNN headlined the conclusion of Secretary of State Rice’s trip by declaring “Whole of Mideast wants peace”. I think this statement is worth expanding upon.

Many might reject such a claim at its face, finding for good reason that many in the Middle East apparently do not want peace. But this is not entirely accurate. Even the most radical Islamists desire world peace. Where this statements fails is in its inability to make any distinction between the peace we desire and the peace they desire. Islamists, for instance, want a peace where Islamic law rules the world and everyone lives together as fellow Muslims. To the western Liberal, this should be unacceptable.

The focus on peace as a necessary end is ultimately detrimental to the goals of spreading freedom and democracy. It tends to promote an attitude that seeks peace simply for the sake of peace, and thus leads many to forego taking a critical look at exactly what kind of peace they are helping to bring about. Rather than peace for its own sake, the goal should be to promote freedom and Western values. And we know that, once adopted, these ideas will also lead to more peaceful relations between peoples.