Re-thinking Conflicts in the Muslim World
By: Amjad Ali Dadda
World was going towards demilitarisation, arms control, ending of many international, regional and national conflicts, UNO with help of its agencies was targeting end of poverty and we were actually moving towards a better future for this world. Suddenly 9/11 came out from the ashes of Afghan war. Sometimes it becomes very complex to assess that either any event was independent event or was there something hidden under surface which got maturity with time. Diplomacy is very complex tool to keep the relationships between states. A small error in diplomacy can lead to blunders in world affairs. Events like world wars can be trigger with killing of some important person. Humans are strange specie with the diversity of their minds and psychology which develops in those minds. Human life is purposeful and all its dimensions are affected by the process of thinking and information it collects from its environment. Later impact of individual information search and thinking leads to global events. It is in 21st century that good diplomats have to understand the patterns of individual mind and its influences while dealing complex international affairs. In one nation state there can be various powerful and influential mind sets, school of thoughts and ideologies that can drive national policies or the policies of major groups within a state.
It was 9/11 which not only affected psychology of many among us but also has brought significant changes in historical patterns of legislation, prosecution, persecution, investigation, military warfare, negotiations and diplomacy. World history in coming decades will be divided easily in pre-9/11 and post 9/11. Some well known sentences on the diplomatic and political fronts like “Either you are with us or against us”, “Evil ideology”, “They hate us”, “They hate our way of life” and others with their conclusiveness brought a major impact over the world in general and Muslim world in specific. Phenomenon of global Jihad in its new shape has taken birth from Afghan war, where almost 80 countries of world supported an Afghan holy war against Soviets. Rest of story is well known to many people that what happened after withdrawal of Soviet forces. Further it also well written about this area becoming a safe haven for extreme groups from Muslim world, India and China. To fulfil the need of revenge for 9/11 attack on USA, USA and collation forces chose their first target (that time well identified and only target) inside Afghanistan to punish OBL and company. Later they also included Talban government for being protector of OBL and his AlQaeda.
People in Muslim world though were not fascinated by men on horses backs riding into Afghanistan neither they gave any popular support and sympathy to Talban government. Yet things start getting wrong when on the bases of claims made by Tony Blair, George W Bush Jr diverted his forces from its prime target to new enemy Saddam Hussein in Iraq and later to search weapons of mass destruction. At that time as student of political learning, I observed that feelings of unease started among Muslim world. Later when this mission to find and destroy WMD was changed to regime change many interesting though unverifiable stories appear in Muslim world. These stories can be traced to period of 2005–06, by that people with specific mind set start talking about American mission to divide Iraq into three states. After death of Saddam Husein Americans announced their new duty related Iraq to bring a new democratic era, which again changed into maintaining of peace and order in country as ethnic conflict started with attacks on Shia community and their places. Americans knowingly or unknowingly (they are better judge to themselves) were fail to bring peace in Iraq even their own media start saying that Iraq was better place during time of Saddam Hussein. Those stories of division of Iraq were going to die as Iraq was united in its worst form after five years of US invasion but escalation in Shia and Sunni violence given those stories new turn. Now these stories also joined with old time Muslim prediction about end of times, all these events from time to time paved the path for acceptance of extreme versions among Muslim youth.
A serious question here will be either it was all in a sudden that change in the minds of Muslim youth who were accepting this extremism and started going to join a war of Muslim liberation in Iraq or there is something psychological and historical behind it. If we look things closely it will be interesting to know that joining such war under extreme groups is not only economic, political , historical but it have very solid psychological reasoning. These Psychological reasons helped extremist groups in their recruitment for Iraq and Syria, this success was more than the success such groups gained during Afghan-American war. This rapid acceptance for martyrdom in Iraq and Syria among Muslim youth came from the propagation of well respected predictions about end of times and prophecies of Prophet of Islam (PBUH). In these prophecies there is prediction about two types of conflicts in Arab world near begging for the end of time. First is about a chain of conflicts with in Arab world in which it is said there will be great loss of lives and second is related world attacking Arabs from all corners.
Secondly, strategy of Mr. Bush which not only reflects the vision of scholars like Francis Fukuyama and Samuel P Huntington based on clash of civilisations and end of history given a perfect ingredients for Extreme groups to bring old time predictions before youth to give them insight that this is time it was told to us. Furthermore prevailing corruption, law and order situations and increasing conflicts in Muslim world (one after other) and western media’s way of reporting, debating and presenting all these fights and killings as anything resulted from teaching of Islam was made things worse for security agencies of related countries due to increase in extreme views. These developments lead to an ideal and easy situation for recruitment for extreme groups like AlQeda and now ISIS. Things which remained under surface or in control of corrupt Muslim governments went out of their control within last thirteen years. Negative and less searched reporting by western media reporters was carried on during all this time and boosted again in recent days in similar way. Even many academics start having version that media in west is on mission to isolate Muslims and portraying Islam as source of violence and extremism, without any realisation.
How you can we say that all 1.56 billion Muslims are holding same extreme version just from the actions of less than half million extremists scattered around Muslim countries. Recent developments in Iraq will definitely provoke more anger and reaction in Muslim world if western media will carry on same type of reporting, use of language as in recent decade. Many of these extremists will use their old version (to attract new recruits among Muslim youth) which they have during early years of Iraq Invasion by USA that says “actually USA wants to divide Iraq to create weak states. Later these states will be annexed by Israel to form Greater Israel just by giving excuse of chasing terrorists of Hamas or Hezbollah.” Any division. and Kurd states will be very harmful and will further escalate the recruitment for extremist groups. Another propaganda which these extremist groups are already doing from the time of Afghan invasion is that American only purpose is to weaken and destabilise all Muslim countries. (As they propagate in Pakistan, that soon Baluchistan’s rebellious leaders will be backed by USA to win a freedom). Though in recent years, Americans are trying to avoid such label by not going into many recent conflicts for example issues in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and others. We can see that this fire which started from Afghanistan from the hot ashes of Afghan war is now circling whole Muslim world. If it will not be controlled wisely and tactfully, its flames can bring some fire crackers in the streets of Europe and America. This all product of Afghan War in which concept of “modern Jihad” which was use against Soviet Russia to recruit free forces for seemingly a long war is now turning worse. It is being fuel by the careless journalism in western media (intentionally or unintentionally without understanding impacts of their media) which still is using same terminologies and remarks as were used by President Bush during his time. Today many writers in west, diplomats and media frequently using term like” Islamic terrorist/extremists” or “Islamic terrorism or extremism” which is not liked even by many moderate Muslims as it is taken as attack on Islam, cause according to Muslim scholars, Islam is religion of peace. It was better to adopted term “Muslim extremists/terrorists” or such groups can be names with their geographical position, like Iraq extremists. It is one term but its effects are very long term and helped much to these extreme groups which use this terminology to influence psychology of Muslim youth.
There is need to understand impact of terminology used during such global conflicts and it is need of hour for governments in west reconsider all their strategy and engagement policies to fight against this growing extremism in Muslim world. Need to stop use of such terminologies on popular media which are helping extremists to use that terminology to create hatred toward west. With Muslims there is need for new accommodation policy based on mutual respect especially over media. As many question in Muslim world that that when history talks about World Wars or Hitler western media never says he was a Christian or when a young man shoots people in Norway and openly accepts his action, media in west don’t says he was Christian Extremist/Terrorist or if any Jew kills to Palestinian no one says he is Jewish Terrorism. All this is news as act of crime, but no use a terminology which reflect that action was result of teachings in Christian, Jewish, catholic or other religious guidance. As these individual or groups do not represent the religion they belong, but they act in their own isolated position from mainstream population. Yes many of these use religion as slogan to attract wider population or to justify their actions. Resolving this unattended smaller but most effective issue will reduce the level of anger and resentment among Muslim youth and will save them from further extremism. It will be better to use blaming Islamic jihad based on their national and regional identity. Even it will be better to use term “Muslim extremists or terrorist” instead “Islamic terrorists or Islamic extremists.” (Though I have reservations about using this term but it is less offensive towards Islam)
Here is one more thing which is as important as use of language and terminology while reporting from conflict areas in Muslim world or having any discussion about these conflicts. It is important to realise that projection of Shia, Sunni divide is also very dangerous because it can lead to further escalation of conflicts in Muslim world instead bringing peace there. Instead all attempts must be made to bring peace among both factions through greater involvement of their spiritual, economic and political leaders of Saudi Arab and Iran. There is need to work more using acceptable channels towards both states to cut the all kind of supports within these two states towards some extreme elements in conflicting areas. World media need to stop projecting division of Iraq until all attempts are fail to bring peace and unity in Iraq by all parties. There is need on UNO level and others to save future of world peace they must bring Saudi Arab and Iran on one negotiation table. Both states have much influence over conflicting groups. This influence is of all type, spiritual, economic and strategic. It is only way to avoid a long term conflict which will create further major humanitarian situation in this area. In this respect along with Saudi Arab, Iran, Turkey, Arab League and Organization of Islamic Countries must be involved. They can play good role and can help in bringing control over arms and strategic supplies to different conflicting parties. Without involvement of Saudi Arab, Iran and organisations like Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Countries most of energies and resources to bring peace in region will not get quick results and ultimately will effect lives and security of people all around world.
*Article posted by the writer on 8th July 2014 at a blog.
