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This uniformity seems to mesmerize people everywhere with fast music, trendy fashions, and fast food. This "McWorld" trend, Benjamin Barber writes is a product of popular culture driven by expansionist commerce. Its template is American, and is quickly copied all over the world. It is about culture as commodity and apparel as ideology.
The imposing of this highly secular way of life has unfortunately taken religious norms and values to its toll. In being reduced to a choice between the market-driven universalism and a set of politics and particularistic identities, people around the world are threatened with an atavistic return to medieval politics, where local tribes or religious groups stood up to defend their identities. In extreme cases many people resort to religious identity to wage a total war against this universalism in order to amplify their appeal and to obtain spiritual justification. Here, McWorld appears to recreate and reinforce jihad. In its mildest form, jihad refers to religious (Islamic) struggles on behalf of faith. In its most extreme form it could mean militant acts that make the slaughter of the "other" a higher duty.
While the disclosure of those behind the Bali bombing will bring much relief, it remains unclear whether terrorist acts motivated by religious reasons will cease to exist in Indonesia and elsewhere. As long as the "men of words" exist, terrorism with religious motives will continue to survive. One or two perpetrators may be captured and severely punished, but new players sharing the same ideology and hatred against infidels soon take their place.
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Writer Profile
Andi
Iam a one of Indonesian young peoples has always been worry about condition my country in face with globalization and poverty, Iam a former activist student 1998, when falling down President Soeharto because my activity with student movement made me drop out from university, iam only get a diploma college from trisakti university, Jakarta. my activity now is given a education and empowerment for peasent and poor peoples, interfaith dialogue and be a speakers at students training.
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Abdillah Khomeni | Jul 12th, 2007
salam
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