But others see the scarf itself as a political banner, manipulated by Islamic forces that are looking for ways to dismantle the secular state.

At the moment, the Islamic forces are in the ascendancy, for several reasons.

After driving out Soviet troops in 1989, Afghanistan's Islamic forces turned on each other.

Mr. Arafat won applause for taking a hard line against Islamic forces.

Wouldn't other Arab and Islamic forces be tempted to take matters into their own hands?

Accordingly, the nationalist and Islamic forces should primarily participate in the political arrangement to be agreed upon.

Aslan's prescription for winning the cosmic war is to not fight, but rather engage moderate Islamic political forces in the democratic process.

Eventually the heroes and their followers foil an attempted coup by an Islamic military force.

This concerns the activities of radical Islamic forces in Sandžak.

So the involvement of Islamic forces in Kosovo would not be inconceivable.