A Strategy to Deter Terrorism continues....

This axis has a common vision despite other deep differences, viz. conquest of unbelievers and their lands, and the active or complicit sponsorship of terror as a long-standing instrument to further this Islamic vision.

The more secular Islamic states, such as Syria, had originally used terrorism as part of military and foreign policy strategy, but not as a jihad tool. But today, in terms ideological commitment, and jihad-sponsorship, the “axis” nations are the de facto leaders and while other Islamic states such as Syria are willing or reluctant followers.

An article in The Spectator (2006) published in London, Stephen Schwartz points out that people who have embraced Sunni Wahhabism have conducted every major terrorist attack against the West in recent years. “Bin Laden is a Wahhabi. So are the suicide bombers in Israel. So are his Egyptian allies, who exulted as they stabbed foreign tourists to death at Luxor.... So are the Algerian terrorists.... So are the Taliban-style guerrillas who murder Hindus in Kashmir..... None of this extremism has been inspired by American fumbling in the world, and it has little to do with the tragedies that have beset Israelis and Palestinians.”

In June 2006, Pew Global Attitudes poll showed that a majority of Muslims in Jordan, Egypt and Nigeria, as well as roughly a third of Muslim residents in France, Spain and Great Britain, felt violence against civilians can be justified in order to defend Islam. Of course, it is left to medieval clerics, who are invariably extremists, to define when and where Islam needs to be defended. Thus, from a practical perspective, this poll indicates that a majority of Muslims in many Muslim nations support terror against non-Muslim civilians. Perhaps, the least enthusiastic about political Islam amongst Muslims are those resident in India. The recent and repeated targeting of Muslims in terrorist bombings, such as in Masjids of Nasik and Hyderabad may be to bring the Muslims of India in line with the tenets of the Hadith and Sira.

to be continued...

( This account is maintained by Har Anand Publication)