Beheading of a second Japanese hostage should not surprise anyone who know the Daesh’ strategy to deal with their its foes. Their main aim is to establish a reign of fear accompanied by beheadings, stoning, massacres, cleansing of occupied territory of religious and ethnic minorities, enslaving females. They are following the foot prints of tribal forces from medieval times, with no rules and principles to fight a war except to behave like killing machines. For many Al-Qaeda has now become a name of the past and now its ex-commanders and regional leaders, from Middle East and Pak-Afghan quagmire are offering their allegiance to Daesh leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, and are replacing the Al-Qaeda’ apparatus and legacy with Daesh’ stamp of brutality. Their counterpart in Africa, Boko Haram are doing exactly the same thing in Nigeria.
Time has come to ascertain the fact that diplomacy and dialogue can’t work with them, as they will use any concession to re-group and re-arm to strike back with increased force and violence. As we see a far-stretched African Union backing a plan of deploying 7500 soldiers to fight Boko Haram, we wonder where is this ‘coalition of willing’ to take on Daesh. We need to realize both Daesh and Boko Haram have a wider regional and international agenda; if not tackled today (though we are already late by years), tomorrow will be far more frightening. Without boots on ground, there is no possibility of destroying Daesh, Boko Haram and other religious and sectarian outfits.
In parallel to fighting them we need our religious scholars to work together to come up with counter narrative of what Daesh, Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda have been using to justify their acts of terror. Without an authenticated counter narrative, terrorist organisations will keep attracting disillusioned and vulnerable youth to their folds. Someone needs to tell these youth, that we are no more living in medieval times – if you want to rule the world you need education, you need to excel in science, technology and economy, not in beheading and stoning.
MASOOD KHAN,
Saudi Arab, February 2.