Islamic shield

America's War on Terrorism uses democratization of the Arab World as a main weapon. The Islamic Shield argues that democratization of Arab countries is a fantasy because democratic elections today would lead to replacing the dictatorships of Arab rulers by Islamist theocratic dictatorships. The book contends that the Arab peoples are generally characterized by a culture of obedience to hierarchical authority in the home, school, mosque, the work place, and the country at large. The book identifies religious and cultural causes, as well as domestic and foreign political factors that set off Jihadists' terrorism. The book recommends solutions, stressing that political expediencies will not end terrorism. The Islamic Shield examines why two different countries; Saudi Arabia, an Islamist monarchy; and Syria, a quasi-secular republic, share in common non-representative non-participatory dictatorships mired in cronyism and corruption. The examination concludes that genuine reforms are not likely soon. The two countries can be prototypes of other Arab countries