"Traitor"

I watched the movie Traitor for the second time. I think this movie, though not the best movie ever, is certainly interesting. Throughout the story, you are shown the "other side," where you see terrorists being compassionate, conflicted, remorseless, calculating, emotional, brotherly, and more than the flat depictions of evil-doers Western society portrays them as. One of the main characters, Omar, is certainly dedicated to his cause, but shows himself to be conflicted, admitting that he sees the war as the lesser jihad and that perhaps what they are doing isn't really for the best. A thinker, as opposed to a soldier or martyr, Omar's rationalization focuses on vengeance against Western power politics that suppress and cause the deaths of many in the third world, and with a mind to attack greater power through their asymmetrical tactics. At one point, which shows he understands the complex nature of America's own relationship with terror, he recalls it wasn't long ago that Americans were terrorists to the British... that America is forgetting its own history.

I found this story to be interesting in another respect, in that it is a portrayal of a devout Muslim who is not conflicted about his beliefs, who is absolutely dedicated to the truth of Islam, and is working alone to defeat the terrorist plots being set in motion, identifying the terrorists as the greatest enemy to Islam. I know that there are many in the world who hold that opinion, but is rarely seen in popular Western culture.

Some points brought up in the story suggest that Americans need to take a hard look at themselves - in their assumptions about "the enemy," their own collusion in perpetuating social and economic differences in the global community, and our double-faced policies that suggest that the American people are very generous, wanting to help the world be a better place, but not taking serious steps at creating a more equitable world, redistributing our enormous wealth for the benefit of all mankind. It seems that while we are perceived in the world as the perpetuating force as opposed to the force for beneficial change, we will face insurmountable difficulties in the future of our global society.