My Muslims brothers and sisters around the world especially those who live in tears far from family in Zaatari Refugee camp near Jordan as their homes burn to dust in Syria, the suffering women and children in the Gaza Strip, I stand with you in building a one world, a world that respect you not because of your faith, but the humanness that we shared. With no end to the conflict in sight, emotional and psychological trauma you face, combine with extreme lack of spiritual resources to withhold, you still stood your ground and observe your holy month. We stand with you! Happy EID MUBARAK.
Emmaunel David Togba, [email protected], [email protected]/ Contributing Writer
It is time to believe that terrorism has no redline left, the scar of terrorism has left nothing unharmed if whether it is religion, culture or family hood. Every part of our life today is being altered by this burden if whether it is travel, school and hospital attendance, immigration systems around the world, our tourism industry etc.
Terrorism is a category of political violence, which is intended to influence foreign and domestic governments, as well as communities and persons. In Lewis’ assertion, Terrorism uses its instantaneous victims and material targets for semiotic and emblematic devotions (Lewis 2005). Attacks are designed to create an atmosphere of fear or a sense of threat. In the same vein, terrorism can also refer to politically motivated deeds perpetrated by groups or individuals for the sake of communicating messages to a larger audience (Nacos 2002). By doing this, it helps to influence policy decision and direct some enormous actions that stand to benefit the group interest .In any case, the media is view as a pipe that can better enlarge the impact which spread across its greater audience.
Over the past several years, some persons of Arabian descent claimed to be Muslims have committed terrorist acts against the United States and other parts of the world. Those events, plus conflicts in the Middle East, the Taliban’s treatment of women, history of Christians /Muslims conflicts, and largely media propaganda labelling terrorists as “Muslims” have created a number of myths around the world about the Islam role in this global menace. According to Onwudiwe in his scholastic research “Defining Terrorism, Racial Profiling and the Demonization of Arabs and Muslims in the USA” , the most dangerous according to myth forged in recent years are: Islam condones terrorism, Muslims are mostly Arabians, Islam teaches men to terrorize women and Islamic teachings allow a government to force everyone to be Muslims (Onwudiwe 2005). These perceptions continue to drive Global Terrorism, a crusade if not manage well could result to familiar mindset that draws no line between extremism and Islam as a religion.
Global Terrorism is a global phenomenon manifesting inside the minds and hearts of people globally. It has perpetuated in the lives of the people eliminating norms and cultural values of society affecting thousands of people especially women and children around the world. Some scholastic works continue to permeate the intellectual space presenting each side of the debate as to whether drawing lines between the two “ISLAM & TERRORISTS” or either considering the two attached.
How do we combat the impact of global terrorism to provide people with psychological safety? Why wouldn’t we play a key role in stopping this nuisance globally and help to rebrand Islam? How does Islam as a faith based institution disagree with harming others and causing physical and psychological insecurity? These questions continue to run the minds of researchers.
The concepts of Globalization and global terrorism are being viewed from contrasting points, first one is focusing on providing a healthy and cohesive relationship between people living around the world but on the other hand, the later concept is perpetually advocating the concept of violence and instability which is believed to have earned public support from “numbers of Muslims states “(BANKOFF 2003). Bennett and Leisbsohn argued vehemently in their book (The Fight of our lives) that Islam support to terrorism was never undercover. They referenced different instances, but most importantly was Maj. Nidal Hasan’s shouting “Allahu Akbar” and argued that the official report from Pentagon knew exactly who pulled the trigger and why. However, Pentagon report refused to mention Islam or use the word Muslim instead the Army chief of staff. As the argument expands, the argument uncover the suspicion that America concealment about Islam’s support to terrorism was now viewed that America was on the verge of affirming anticipatory cultural surrender in the “war on terror”.(Bennett and Leibsohn 2011)
Claiming that Islam celebrates the pains of these attacks? This standpoint cannot be trashed totally as it appears that many people dealing with terrorist information are been secrecy or being covered by the emotional intelligence. However, the description of Islam role was too far-reaching as the religion itself carried the wounds of some of these attacks. In 2013, the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism’s Global Terrorism Database – A joint government-university program on terrorism, hosted at the University of Maryland noted that between 2004 and 2013, about half of all terrorist attacks, and 60% of fatalities due to terrorist attacks, took place in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan – all of which have a mostly Muslim population (Global Research, 2016).
Global terrorism has greatly impacted the world. People have not been able to exercise their activities like trade that use to flourish amongst their counterpart living in other countries around the world. (Karacasulu, 2007, Fink, 2012). The insecurity in different countries has not been able to provide a shelter and safeguard for prospect in other countries. For instance, several attacks in Pakistan by terrorist group have been able to damage investor confidence towards attracting foreigners to invest in the development projects in the whole region. The terrorist’s attacks in schools have killed a number of children in Peshawar and threatening a number of schools in other cities which continue to upset school enrolment in the region. We cannot describe further the killing innocent women and children in the holy city of Medina and Iraq as Ramadan draws to a close. What is Islamic about attacking a “traditionally safe Heaven for Prophet Mohammed”?
In disagreement with the belief that Muslim religion support Global Terrorism, Armstrong in a classic journal presented to the world the different principles that are thought in Islam. Islam is all about peace and tolerance; it does teach Muslim to practice the five pillars namely: Faith, Namaz, Roza, Zakat and Hajj. Islam is to surrender to the teaching of God and pray for forgiveness to God through these five pillars. “Islam does not teach us to murder people on pretext of developing a sense of fear in the minds of the people} Said Armstrong. There is a severe punishment awarded to any Muslim who murders or harms any other human being. Islam teaches Muslim to love mankind and promote the message of peace and tranquillity around the world. It strictly abides all Muslim to practice tolerance and make sure they are able to protect their lives as well lives of the other people living around in the world (Armstrong, 2011).
Global Security and Political panelists will certainly agree with me that terrorist attacks carried out against different nations were done by non – Muslims for the purpose of posing threats to globalization and creating a substantial amount of insecurity for the people traveling around world and bring dishonour to the religion. In 2015, the FBI report suggested that there are different radical groups being working independently and financing these separatists’ groups in different countries to spread the message of insecurity and threatening the concept of globalization to inculcate sense of fear and death amongst the people living around these countries. There are various other non – Islamic groups which are disguised as Muslims often created for the purpose of damaging Islam in the world. The media has played a key role towards developing certain misconception about Islam leading towards global phenomenon that Islam promotes the idea of terrorism and insecurity. It is true that Islam is being used as a weapon or instrument for the purpose of creating and developing an ambiance whereby globalization concept is being threatened.(FBI, 2015).
Henceforth , global terrorism have been able to set up its ground roots in Pakistan, Syria, Bono state in Nigeria and other countries, effecting lives of many people around those countries and targeting key resources to make sure investor feel uncomfortable while working with number of companies.
We need a united front and mechanisms to stop all these organization operating against the concept of globalization and spreading hatred and violence around the world to brand Islam negatively. Al – Qaeda is one and it seems to be one of the dangerous organizations whereby posing threats to the entire world “that if they are not able to accept Islam, they would be killed”. Most of these groups are not Islamic, but a scheme to disparage Islam and impel the good intent of globalization. The media was helpful in selling lot of misconceptions about Islam phobia. (Fink, 2012).
United Nations have urged nations mainly effected by these terrorists attacks to launch military action against Al – Qaeda and all other related terrorist organizations involved in terrorizing various nations. They have been focusing on providing these nations with information and technological knowledge as how to address their concerns with respect to terrorist’s attacks. A numbers of resolutions to support affected nations to ensure their women and children are safeguarded against all types of terrorist attacks have passed and being implemented.
Global terrorism has been a virus affecting various nations, a number of measures taken so forth to eliminate it from the world, are given below:
Establishment of Home Land Security Department, whereby different rules and regulations have changed over a period of time to ensure people coming from different nations in United States are being scrutinized and properly documented with respect of monitoring and controlling of their activities.
Pakistan has also taken a number of measures to counter the terrorist activities; they have implemented a number of laws and regulations pertaining to immigrants and travellers. Taking a military action against the hideout of the terrorists, making them week through orchestrate elimination of their training facilities in northern areas so that their ability to conduct various terrorists’ activities inside the country is diminished over a period of time. United Nations has been forming a number of bodies to regulate the activities of terrorist organizations in order to make sure they are able to provide safety and security especially to woman and children suffering from attacks being carried in Schools and other places.
These are all good initiatives, but until they are fully supported with sincerity and unbiased treatment that goes beyond providing security strategy and weaponries, the success will be minimum.
Tourism industry that serves as the strength of some bigger economy is falling to the waves of terrorist attacks. Global Terrorisms has affected the tourism industry and making it not to flourish in certain nations directly affected by terrorist’s attacks (Baker, 2014). For instance, the attacks in France prompted them to take military action against Syria whereby they suspected to have terrorists hidden in their strategic hideout position. The attack in Paris is being evaluated from the perspective to travel and tourism industry whereby stopping people coming over to Paris to enjoy their memorable vacations. Even in Pakistan, since the terrorist’s activities have been increased, it seems to have a negative implication of how to attract tourists over different destination in Pakistan; the government has taken a number of measures to attract foreign direct investment. The persistent interests of the terrorists to have demoralized tourists and other foreigners from coming over and enjoy their lovely stay have decreased the number of visitors coming. It is reported at the end of 2015 by French government, Paris attack means visitor numbers across Europe tumble and France has already lost £1.4bn in tourism revenue while Brussels businesses losing an estimated £36 million a day during lockdown of the recent attack.
Therefore, we can add to these views from an analytical perspective that Islam has been used as freight through global terrorisms to liquidate the efforts taken by different nation to provide an environment for people to interact freely. The timely rebrand of Islam can speedily give hope to many people across the world and restored psychological security. The tourism industries around the world should help support strong anti-terrorism PR that discourages both institutional and homegrown radicalism. These efforts, will not only rebrand Islam, but make Global travel and terrorism that have been badly hate around the world with these terrorist attacks flourish again (McCarthy 2001)
Many who shared my view feel that there are no redlines left for terrorists to cross. This is a psychological war and succumbing to the strategies would give the enemies superior hand. Let stand up with one voice and call to win this war!