"It is said that the West had a global policy in regard to Islam. That is stupid. There isn't a global Islam"

Zbigniew Brzezinski’s assertion challenges simplistic narratives about the relationship between the West and the Islamic world. His critique focuses on two interconnected fallacies. First, the claim that the West maintains a monolithic global policy aimed at Islam mischaracterizes the actual complexities of Western foreign policy, which is shaped by a multitude of dynamic interests, historical circumstances, and domestic pressures. These policies often differ widely between countries, administrations, and even within governmental bodies, making the idea of a cohesive, long-term strategy toward Islam as a singular entity misleading. Brzezinski suggests this is not only an erroneous assumption but also an intellectually lazy one.

Second, Brzezinski undermines the notion of a unified Islam that could warrant a coherent, global Western policy in the first place. Islam, as practiced and understood by its followers, is far from homogenous. It encompasses a vast spectrum of beliefs, traditions, cultures, and political orientations. The faith is lived and interpreted in dramatically different ways in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Nigeria, and within Western immigrant communities, among others. Rivalries, doctrinal differences, diverse historical experiences, and conflicting political interests underpin the Muslim world, preventing any genuine unity on a global scale, whether political or religious.

The implications are clear: constructing Islam as a single, monolithic entity serves more as a political instrument or rhetorical device than as an accurate representation of reality. Such simplifications can foster misunderstanding, justify misdirected policies, and obscure the diverse motives, aspirations, and conditions of Muslim societies. Brzezinski’s observation warns against the dangers of essentialism, reducing billions of lives, societies, and belief systems to a caricature or ideological opponent. A nuanced approach requires policymakers and observers alike to recognize multiplicity and particularity, questioning assumptions that equate one billion Muslims, or “Islam,” with a single-minded geopolitical force.