When the West Meets Islam: Cultural Issues and Considerations for the Regional Combatant Commander

摘要

Understanding the influence of historical and religious cultural factors and their influence on how to plan and conduct campaigns at the operational level of war are key determinants of success for the planning and conduct of operations in future conflicts in the Arab core of the Middle East. Commanders must understand and develop and implement plans that account for the Islamic view of its relationship to non-Muslim cultures the historical roots of tensions with its own leaders and the growing influence of the West the competition between multiple religious sects for influence among the society the unifying role of religious beliefs laws and practices in governance the influential role of religious leaders, the Islamic view of warfare, the competing quietist and radical traditions, and the competing views of fundamentalist versus reformist movements in Islam. To account for the influence of history and religion among Arab Islamic cultures, commanders must ensure that the proper leaders are engaged and institutions, policies, and processes established that accommodate the central role of Islamic holy law in both the public role of civil government and the private lives of individual Muslims Meaningful assessments of Arab Islamic culture must identify the prevailing religious sects in the region historical tensions with other ethnic groups or religious sects, and the customary or historical roles they fulfill within the society. Rules of engagement that do not inflame the historical perceptions or misperceptions of the West must be developed and forces must be thoroughly trained to recognize and understand cultural sensitivities. In order to inform the populace of the joint force's objectives, a robust and continuing information operation must be implemented and a Civil Military Operations Center must be established and fully integrated into all aspects of the joint forces operation.