extreme tribalism.

"WASHINGTON – Western strategists and policymakers should stop talking about a clash of civilizations and focus on the real problem: extreme tribalism. Recent events - riots in many nations protesting cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, Sunni-Shiite warring in Iraq, the Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan - confirm that the West is not in a clash with Islam. Instead, Islam, which is a civilizing force, has fallen under the sway of Islamists who are a tribalizing force.
...
"The "war of ideas" should be rethought. Western leaders keep pressing Muslim leaders everywhere to denounce terrorism as uncivilized. But this approach, plus counterpressures from sectarian Islamists, has put moderate Muslims on the defensive, stymieing them from speaking out. An approach that focuses on questioning extreme tribalism may be more effective at freeing up dialogue and inviting a search for common, ecumenical ground."
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0327/p09s01-coop.html

[linked from http://www.black-iris.com/?p=624 in comment section and first linked from Big Pharaoh]

Of course not many people are seriously talking about this as a clash of civilization, but it seems to me to help to see this as problem with tribal Islam. I've said it's a cult that we dealing with- and I still think that that we dealing with a cult, but seeing the connection to tribal issue and more importantly addressing it as relating tribal problem sheds light on the problem. I would say the tribal aspect is the fuel, and cult aspect is flame that starts the fire.