Expanding Empire Of Islamic Terrorism

The fanatic religious empire is fast expanding in the word and no effective steps are being taken to counter or contain it. Almost all Muslim countries are facing internal trouble or are being raven by terrorism of one kind or the other. The worst development is emergence of ISIS that now occupies area between Syria and Iraq almost equal in size of Britain and earning near one hundered thousand dollars a day from the oil wells captured by it. It has managed to raise an army of 10,000 combatants.

Barack Obama, President of the US, thought that after the killing of Osama bin Laden terrorism was finished and thus failed to take effective steps to nip the evil in the bud. ISIS is worse outcome since it is fanatic to the extent that it wants to eliminate all non-Muslims, US, Israel and India besides liberal Muslim states are the special targets. Many experts believe the US support to police states like Saudis, Egypt, Pakistan, Algeria, which are considered to be responsible for growth of terror in the world. They threw out Yezdis from their motherland and killed at point blank those who did not agree to convert to Islam. Hundreds of prisoners were shot at point blank and it could be seen in the electronic media. This is the biggest threat to the world. Although belatedly, now the US, Britain and Europe are now getting organised to resist or eliminate it, ISIS growth is rapid. The US was carrying doing only one drone strike a month but now has accelerated the pace. No wonder Obama’s ratings are all time low.

The unquestioned loyalty to ISIS is born out of religious fanaticism and it quotes the Quran: “Fight those who do not believe in Allah, who do not adopt the religion of Islam.” This is bound to affect all religious persons living outside and no wonder a few Indians too went to die for jihad. Pakistan is facing internal upheaval that also appears to be fanatic sponsored. Fanaticism of Caliphate, as they call themselves in ISIS, is so strong that they also want to eliminate their own brethren in Shia sect so that Sunni kingdom is established in the world.

This is a dilemma in the world, in which all religions including Shia Muslims are being attacked and ISIS is a potent threat to even liberal Muslim states. Unfortunately, democracy that is so prized in the West and is being touted by the US as highest value is not in the DNA of Muslim countries as India has the second largest Muslim population and the only country in the world where Muslims lived in democracy uninterrupted for more than 60 years. World has to consider if freedom, liberty, equality and openness are virtues, should these be defended with equal force when jihad has become a threat to these values?

Modi has shown a liberal face in international and domestic affairs and he would be aware that India is highest in the list of countries under threat of terrorism. It is high time India got ready to face more attacks on its values when a branch of Al Qaeda has been reported to be in the offing in the country. It also enjoins on government to take a stringent view of those who are propagating anti-national and fanatic religious views and deal with ISIS-type ruthlessly. Our so-called secularists need to be re-educated to absorb lessons from geo-politics and remember what the third President of US Thomas Jefferson said: “All tyranny that needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” Instead of false pretence of ignoring such events as aberrations these will lead us to serious consequences as the entire world needs to unite, including Shia and liberal Muslims against such a tyrannical development in the Arab states. Possibly, a coalition of the US, Iran and India should seek support of others and launch an all-out assault to eliminate the brutal barbarism from the world.

By N K singh