When we were attacked on September 11, 2001, the whole Muslim
world was abuzz with talks of jihad against the United States of
America. Afghanistan was ruled under the Taliban regime; the
cradle of civilization, Mesopotamia, was being trampled by a
tyrant, Saddam Hussein; and the forces of global jihad under the
leadership of Osama bin Laden had achieved a level of authority
and confidence from which they could declare a formal jihad
against the “epitome of a corrupt culture” – the United States of
America.
Anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism had united all shades and forms
of Islamists into a comprehensive network of radical Islamists:
The Taliban represented a very rigid and puritanical version of
Islam - Wahhabism. They had finally succeeded in founding an
Islamic state for the Islamists that embodied in itself the
religious authority to declare a jihad against the infidels.
Saddam Hussein was secular and believed to be either in possession
of weapons of mass destruction or having the capability of
developing nuclear, radiological and biological weapons. He had a
track record of using such weapons against Iran and on Shiites and
Kurds in Southern and Northern Iraq. Osama bin Laden, the Qaid
(leader) of Al-Qaeda (The base) symbolized “Global Jihad” and
represented the yearnings of political Islam for a universal
Islamic state by conquering all non-Muslim centers of powers.
Pakistan’s Islamic bomb, emergence of Islamic Emirate in
Afghanistan, encouragement from Saddam Hussein, backing from
Damascus, signals coming from Iran, and the rising influence of
the Islamist organizations in Europe, the United Kingdom and the
USA., have all gone to energize the different jihadi cells
operating in different parts of the world. The perception that it
was the spirit of Islam that had empowered the mujahideen (Islamic
holy warriors) to cause the disintegration of the Soviet empire by
defeating the Soviet Union in Afghanistan had rejuvenated the
spirit of global jihad in a way not seen in the past.
The necessary haste and the lack of planning with which the war on
Islamist terrorism was launched is a testimony to both the sudden
attacks on our nation and the fact that US administrations did not
look beyond the headlines in order to locate the real reasons for
the burgeoning anti-Americanism. The tendency to follow the
obvious only prevented them from identifying the ground realities
that were facilitating the growth and entrenchment of global
jihad. The events that followed September 11, 2001, endorse the
view that the tacticians in Washington believed that defeating
Islamist terrorism is a very simple and straightforward matter.
Americans would be well served to think of the War on Terror as a
long term strategy. Global jihad cannot be extinguished just by
demolishing Taliban Emirate in Afghanistan, toppling Saddam
Hussein in Iraq and dislodging Al-Qaeda from its bases in the
region, but it’s a good start.
This week as we remember our dead, we owe it to ourselves to try
to understand that neither the presence of coalition forces on the
ground nor the rules of individuals like General Pervez Musharraf
in Pakistan, Ahamd Karzai in Afghanistan, Nuri al-Maliki in Iraq,
Husni Mubarak in Egypt, King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia, King
Abdullah in Jordan and many other pro-American Muslim rulers
translate into victory for the democratic world.
We need to broaden our vision. The problem is not as simple as we
want it to be. Let’s examine the factors facilitating the
expansion of Global jihad. Global jihad is a religious phenomenon
and only religious fervor can sustain it. Yes there is a Wahhabi
fascist ideology that is the perfect formula to create holy
warriors, homicide bombers and all other kinds of terrorists. And
present day Islamist fascism is the direct result of Wahhabi
ideology. So it is not wrong to attack this totalitarian mindset
and the institutions that spread this deadly virus. But can we win
the war on Islamist fascism without understanding as to what helps
and facilitates the Wahhabi recruitment?
We have to understand that Wahhabism knows that all religious
Muslims do not subscribe to their ideology. All religious Muslims
do not agree with the Al-Qaeda mission. All religious Muslims do
not want to become homicide bombers. And all religious Muslims do
not hate the West. That’s why Wahhabism needs to convince them
that whatever it is that is wrong with their world is the doing of
the West and can be cured by Wahhabism.
Anger begets terror. And Wahhabism looks for angry Muslims who
believe that they have been wronged by the West. There are many
historical factors other than the religious ones which irk the
Muslims. Here we will not talk about the often misunderstood
tenets of Islam, but will only confine ourselves to the historical
events that contributed in creating an environment of anger.
When the Western powers demolished the Ottoman Empire, they
created a number of Muslim states in the Middle East that are
neither natural nor viable. Super powers seemed to indulge in a
game of chess that perpetuated a tradition of coup d’état and
palace conspiracies that kept these states floating in a
never-ending river of blood.
The common man on the street remained disenfranchised, sidelined
and oppressed and as a result angry. These angry people welcomed
any ideology that appeared to be speaking on their behalf. First
the Communists and the Socialists came and used them. But they
were no better then the others. And finally when everything else
had failed Wahhabis stepped in to reap the harvest of discontent.
Wahhabis had a different strategy. They were motivated by their
faith – global jihad. They provided what the common man needed.
They set up “welfare organizations” and madrasas for
indoctrination. Wahhabism provided them not only with an ideology
that promised a “glorious” afterlife by hating the infidels but
also took care of their worldly needs; jobs, food, education and
health care.
Thus the Middle East became the hotbed of extremism and terror.
The unnatural and artificial states will always remain a safe
heaven for the fascist forces. Anger based on false notions and
radical ideologies such as that of Islamist fascism can only be
defeated by removing the causes that provide it with tactical and
logistical support, shelters and manpower. The world will remain
insecure so long as there are reasons for people to be angry.
Remember that in these times all victories that fail to conquer
the hearts and minds of the vanquished remain hollow.