President Barack Obama’s call upon the Muslims all over the world to do more to isolate and defeat the Islamic State (IS) terrorists both as a threat to world peace and civilization and also as an extremists ideology has come at a time when the Muslims all over the world are anxious to know who these Islamist extremists are. The Muslims are puzzled and see the carnage by them as a deep conspiracy against the Muslims. They cannot be Muslims, killing Muslims and Christians.
Since the two shooters in California, killing 14 co-workers including a Muslim, were Muslims although not known radicals, their Muslim identity has triggered renewed outcry against Islamic terrorism making it tough for President Obama to defeat the spread of extremism along with facing the Republican racial rhetoric before next year’s Presidential election.
President Obama has pressed Muslims in America and around the world on Sunday to “decisively and unequivocally” confront the extremism which has ultimately fuelled the rise of the so-called Islamic State. There is no secret of the fact that the President is additionally worried at this moment about the safety of American citizens during the year-end festivities within and outside the country. It shows the concern of a caring President often moving without right intelligence. The faulty intelligence of American military in respect of Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria is no less responsible for the rise of Islamist extremism. The US President should try more on diplomacy.
His call for greater role by leaders of the Muslim community in destroying the menace of radicalism to peaceful societies is a right step at the right moment. We believe Muslim countries must join the Western led coalition more openly in the fight to defeat the extremists.
When the President says radical Islam is incompatible with the values of religious tolerance, mutual respect and human dignity, he has invariably echoed the belief of all Muslims. Moreover, his warning that one should not misconstrue Islam with IS extremism and as a clash of religion tells about the US leader’s far sight. This is what, Obama warns, the IS terrorists are looking for as a potent recruiting toll to make it a religious war.
These irresponsible young ones know that they cannot win any war against the West. They are more truely fighting a war against the Muslims and tarnishing Islam – a religion of peace. Not only their source of easy money but also easy supply of weapons must be stopped. The ISIS or other extremist groups have become more active when Muslim refugees are seeking shelter in the Western countries. These people cannot be friends of the Muslims.
Muslims from all over the world have condemned the carnage of innocent people using Islamic cover. These extremists are mostly unemployed young men and women finding for them easy money and reckless life.
Indonesian Foreign Ministry has said, “Acts of terror do not have any relation with any religion or country or race.” Muslim scholars have already denounced the IS terrorists as deviationists and the Caliphate as null and void. They are pure and simple terrorists.
But one should not also miss the opportunity to look at the cause of radicalization of so many young people in the Western societies. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad last week raised the question as to why the Western coalition are bombing the innocent people of Syria and Iraq in the name of destroying IS when the Zionist forces of Israel are brutally killing the unarmed people of Palestine in their occupied land and facing no action.
The world should also be careful about the atrocities committed by Israel against the Muslims. We suspect Zionist conspiracy against the Muslims.
