Islam vs. Rest of the World IV: Steps to Embrace

In the preceding article, I proposed the six steps the Rest of the World should take up to reconcile with the Islamic World. In this article, I shall elaborate on how these steps can actually bring in major changes to alter the dynamics between these two colliding worlds.

Before starting off, I would like to clear one misconception. Conceding to these demands, which also happen to be the demands of terrorists outfits like Al Qaida, is not tantamount to conceding to the coercion tactics of terrorists. Just because Noam Chomsky asks for statehood to Palestine and Osama Bin Laden also asks for the same does not equate these two individuals.

1. Give Palestine its nationhood.

Most of the Islamic terrorist groups in the world, including Al Qaida, and the nations which house these terrorist groups demand for an independent Palestine. The rallying cry for these nations and terrorist groups and the unifying factor amongst various Islamic sects has been this demand. By conceding to this demand, which is actually a very valid demand, even supported by many UN resolutions, the Rest of the World will send the first signal towards reconciliation towards the Islamic World. This is a step which is not only demanded by Islamic World but is also welcomed by some of the West nations and countries from developing and under-developed world.

What does one make of other demands of some of these terrorist groups and nations which call for complete annihilation of Israel? I reason that this demand is only an exaggerated claim that comes out of frustration and utter despair. A person with no hope can demand annihilation of his enemies, but a person with something to hold onto- like his freedom and land, will be able to tolerate his enemy’s existence. Once statehood to Palestine is achieved, there will not be the same kind of fervor among different sections of Islamic World which currently support and fund these terrorist groups. Without the support of the state and people, these terrorist groups will have to wither away or find a new haven. And even some nations do not till recognize Israel, does that change anything from what it is right now? Would Israel compromise its position vis-à-vis those nations just because it has accepted statehood to Palestine?

2. Give Kashmir its independence.

Indian Islamic terrorism is strongly linked with Partition of Indian sub-continent which gave birth to unresolved conflict of Kashmir. Pakistan has gone to war with India three times overtly and once covertly, all in the name of Kashmir. Since its inception, most of the domestic politics and foreign policy of Pakistan is dictated by politics of Kashmir. The problem of Kashmir has remained a sore issue between these two countries since time of Independence. It has contributed to most of the Islamic terror activities in India. [Though, of late, the growing Hindu nationalism is also spawning another set of Islamic terrorism which is independent of Kashmir issue.] Most Kashmiri would like to be either independent of India or join Pakistan. This is a freedom movement whose roots are in the Partition of India.

Freedom for Kashmir also happens to be the key demand for major outfits, like LeT, Harkut, Al Qaida and every Pakistan regime. Though the Kashmir rebellion is nationalistic in nature, it involves many foreigners fighting together under Islamic banner. There are many terrorist groups housed in Pakistan which get active or passive support from its government and intelligence agencies. Even when these outfits are blacklisted (say, by US), they change their name and thrive with connivance from the authorities. Some of them are involved in charity and social work and receive praise from people and its leaders. Many of these outfits openly seek donations to kill Indian soldiers in Kashmir. Pakistan actively supports these terrorists and when pushed turns a blind eye to feign ignorance, all in the name of fight for freedom for Kashmiri Muslim in India.

Creation of an independent or autonomous Kashmir is something that India should do to do something right to the people of Kashmir. It will also make most of the terrorist outfits in Pakistan and Kashmir to lose wind out of their cause. By giving independence to Kashmir, India will see less of Islamic terrorism in India. Pakistan and its people won’t have a noble cause that will allow them to fund and tolerate these outfits within their countries. With no state support and no people support, these forces will wither away. Pakistan will then be open to discuss other economic tie-ups with India. Such bonhomie between these two nuclear nations is vital for this region, and it can come only after solving Kashmir. Without Pakistan supporting these groups most of the Islamic outfits in India will not get the necessary funding and support. This will eventually lead to curbing most of the Islamic terrorist activities in India. [Of course, Indian also has to leash its Hindutva forces from further exacerbating the relations between Muslims and Hindus. It is a topic of another discussion.]

3. Give Chechnya its independence.

Occupation of Afghanistan and its control has actually started a new breed of Islamic militants in the world- people from different nations coming under one flag of Islamic radicalism. Though such groups are not uncommon, Afghanistan took it a different level altogether. Complicity of Russia in the affairs of Islamic World is notable. Now, Chechnya is the crux of Islamic terrorism as far Russia is concerned. Its obstinacy to work with Muslim leaders of Russia has resulted in creating another haven for Islamic terrorists. Once Chechnya becomes independent, it will have similar status like Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, etc, which are predominantly Muslim but quite inactive in harboring Islamic Terrorism. Independence for Chechnya also happens to be the key demands for most Islamic outfits, including Al Qaida.

Conceding to the above three demands should not be equated with giving into the demands of terrorist groups. The reason why many terrorist groups survive is because the nations which harbor them also share the dream of these terrorist groups. The people of that nation gleefully support such terrorist groups and tolerate them in their midst, and even contribute funds. A huge chunk of population on this planet seeks an independent and autonomous Palestine. Once that is achieved, many nations and its people will do not see a need to support these terrorist activities. No nation, including Islamic, do not want to harbor terrorist elements if given choice. They have own set of troubles when they house terrorists, as experienced before, like in Syria having problems with PLO, Pakistan harboring Afghan militants, and now Iraq seeing sectarian terrorism.

Conceding to these demands doesn’t mean one has to satisfy other demands of terrorists- like when they hijack a plane, or a kidnap an official or bomb a boat, etc. Criminal activities have to be dealt with according to the law of the land. These demands are not exclusively of terrorist groups but of almost entire Islamic World and even some of the non-Islamic nations and should be treated as such.

It is extremely important to stop these breeding spots from producing more of these radical youth. The youth of these countries are their future leaders. Unless immediate action is taken, these countries and people will continue to encourage, support and fund these radical thoughts on the name of a cause.

4. Stop meddling in Middle East and other Muslim nations. Allow their forms of governments. Don't topple their governments.

While the above three steps require specific nations like Israel, India and Russia, to give up their lands to the local populations, this step involves whole of West and other developed and developing nations, which comprise Rest of the World. Since the fall of Ottoman Empire, the West has practiced a policy on continued involvement in the affairs of Muslim World, especially Middle East and nearby regions. This has not gone well with the people of Islamic World. Showing defiance to the Western World is a sure shot success for any hero in this world. Many people on this planet adore and idolize Osama, not because he blew up World Trade Center, but because he stood up to the might of the West. In a world of no examples, even a bad example is good enough. In a world of gutless and coward leaders who suck up to the West, Osama stands out as a saint who renounced all riches to embrace the great cause of taking on the West.

Continued mastery of the West over every regime in the Muslim World doesn’t go well with the people. The ruling class of Saudi enjoys great friendship and patronage from the West. King of Jordan and his family had close ties with European powers. Saddam himself was a puppet of West before he turned against them. Shah of Iran was another puppet which the people of Iran dethroned only to have back by CIA. Many leaders in Pakistan were stooges of US. Many regimes were installed by the West when the previous one buckled or previous one became stronger.

A conscious effort by the West to stop meddling with the affairs of Muslim World will allow these people to form their own governments, choose their own leaders, and set their own rules and laws. Imposing our institutions hasn’t worked. It only resulted in disenchanted and disillusioned youth which feed Islamic terrorist groups. Democracy and its institutions cannot be imposed. They have to be embraced by its people willingly.

Once the hatred for West is gone, the people will look inward at their own leaders. There might be periods of strife, but they will form their own systems which work for them.

5. Don't use Muslim nations as your battleground to wage your ideological wars.

When you use their lands and people to wage your wars, and then leave them unassisted and unaided with loads of weapons in their hands and landmines in their towns, what you get is a huge population which is ready to die to kill the one who imposed this cruel punishment onto them. Such events create easy and fertile breeding grounds for Islamic militant outfits.

Once the Rest of the World LAYS OFF these lands and its people, we will see a slow but gradual decrease in the hatred towards the Rest of the World.

6. Let them control their natural resources.

Nobody likes to see their natural resources being shipped off to far-off land that benefit only certain local leaders. They do not like to be politically influenced, stripped off their freedoms, bombed out of their homes, killed and raped, just because they are sitting on top of large reservoirs of oil, natural gas or diamonds. Many in Islamic World believe firmly that US invaded Iraq twice to protect and secure its oil supply. While few elite reap the rewards serving the distant masters in the West, the ordinary people get disenchanted and disillusioned. They seek refuge in only those voices which seem to comfort them, which seem to give hope fighting a noble cause- either at home or in a far away land. Those voices are that of religious leaders who divide the world into white and black, good and evil. These voices create the necessary framework upon which the terrorist groups feed.

No human would like to take help or advice from someone they know has ulterior motives. Only when the people and the governments of Islamic World get the assurance that they control their natural resources, they will open to suggestions, advice and even help. Their hatred for these ‘greedy’ foreigners lessens and they will look at overt political maneuver in positive light. Right now, they discard every incentive, advice and suggestion as another of that White man’s trick.

I believe the above six steps will ease the tensions between Islamic World and Rest of the World. Some of these steps need to be enacted right away, while few others will take up time to implement. Unless we move forward along these steps, we will create this world for clash of civilizations.