Lessons of September 11
September 11 is first of all a cause of mourning, both for the immediate victims and for the dismal condition of humanity. Seeking to derive lessons for the future, the article explores the implications of the events along three lines: for the United States; for the Muslim world; and for the international community. With regard to the United States, September 11 disclosed the vulnerability of the country in the midst of a relentlessly shrinking and interdependent world. This realization calls into question the deeply ingrained American preference for isolationism and/or unilateralism (that is, the preference for playing by no rules but one's own). With regard to the Muslim world, September 11 disclosed the lack of a viable political agenda (outside and apart from terrorism and the use/abuse of religion) - thus underscoring the need for a political reconstruction of the dar al-Islam. With regard to the international community, September 11 revealed the weakness of mediating institutions between hegemonic globalism and fragmented localism, hence counseling the building of regional institutions (after the model of the European Union).