Blair's 'arc of extremism' is in the eye of the beholder

Guardian

Leader - excerpt

The US may make no distinction between Hizbullah and al-Qaida, but that is not how rapidly growing numbers of Arabs view it. Yesterday in Los Angeles, Tony Blair spoke of "an arc of extremism stretching across the Middle East" but if that is meant to include Hizbullah, it misses the point. He described a struggle between "reactionary Islam and moderate, mainstream Islam" but it is hard to see where Hizbullah sits in that. The appeal of al-Qaida has always been limited - specifically to those who share its narrow religious viewpoint. Hizbullah, on the other hand, is a mass grassroots movement and the main representative of the Lebanese Shia, who are the largest religious group in the country. Whatever they think of Shia Islam, Arab Sunnis and even Christians can be heard now declaring their respect - if not actual support - for Hizbullah as a resistance movement. In contrast to the old-style Arab leaders - corrupt and often blustering but acquiescent in the face of US power - Nasrallah is seen as free from corruption and as a man who does what he says he will do. The reality may be different, but it is the perceptions that count. He is an inspirational figure whom some are already likening to Gamal Abdul Nasser, the Egyptian leader who thumbed his nose at the British empire in the 1950s. Link

db: Like it or not Hizbullah is supported by most Lebanese - including Christians