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The anatomy of terrorism
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Islam is a balanced way of life and there is no place in it for fanaticism or extremism. There are leaders in all communities who have a vested interest in radicalising the youth. To them, moderation and liberalism are passports to political oblivion.
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IN OFFICIAL U.S. documents, "terrorism" is defined as "calculated use of violence or threat of violence to attain goals that are political, religious or ideological in nature (carried out) through intimidation, coercion or instilling fear." When a terrorist stands up against a superpower, he is likely to gain public support and become some kind of a folk hero. There is also an element of masochistic bravado which encourages him to kill or get killed.
Basically, terrorism is the product of a sick mind, it is nurtured by a brooding sense of injustice, and is sustained by hatred. In the making of a terrorist, the worst culprit is a woefully piecemeal system of primary education which fosters fanatical ideals and an inability to think critically. The worst vice of a fanatic, said Oscar Wilde, is his sincerity. As the young grow up, their attitudes get hardened and minds get warped. Minds are like parachutes; they only function when open. To develop an integrated and balanced personality, it is essential that enlightenment of the mind and illumination of the heart should go hand in hand.
Nobody would deny that terrorism, like fascism and rabid communalism, is like a poisonous snake. It is for the state to act quickly, resolutely and strongly and crush the head of the snake when it is still small. For that it will have to be attacked at the source and at the beginning. Dangerous maladies require drastic remedies.
A symptom, not a disease
Terrorism is only a symptom, not a disease. It is like the harmful weeds which have to be pulled out by the roots. That is what a good farmer or gardener does. If not, the roots remain underground and in time will sprout again. Terrorism, like war, is inhuman and inhumanity, not cancer, is the most dreaded disease that afflicts mankind today. What is needed, therefore, is not ad hoc palliatives but a radical treatment of a deep-seated, dangerous disease.
The terrorist attack on the U.S. on September 11 has thrown up many serious questions. The first concern, of course, is to identify who the perpetrators are. For this, the most important clue is provided by the motive. If the motive is gain only, Israel would be the first suspect. There is no doubt that a master mind had planned the execution of the attack. However, the needle of suspicion has finally pointed towards Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network. Osama bin Laden was first a suspect, then became a prime suspect and finally "wanted dead or alive,'' all within a fortnight. As someone joked, he has the distinction of being "created by the CIA and wanted by the FBI.''
A sense of injustice
Like the ordinary street criminals, terrorists are also not born; they are created by society. Individual traits including biological, mental and emotional factors, together with an unfavourable social environment explain anti-social human behaviour. Under extreme "pressure-cooker'' conditions, the individual reaches his breaking-point. He becomes desperate and uses the only weapon available to him, the weapon of protest. Driven to the edge, the protest may take the extreme form of death, demolition and destruction. "Nothing rankles more in the human heart than a brooding sense of injustice,'' observed Justice Brannan of the U.S. Supreme Court, "... injustice makes you want to pull things down.'' Says an Algerian terrorist Frantz Fanon: "Violence is a cleansing force. It frees the native of his inferiority complex and from his despair and inaction. It makes him fearless and restores his self-respect.'' The same idea is expressed in an Urdu couplet:
Mayoosiyon ne aur bhi sarkash
bana diya,
Itne huey zaleel ke khud dar ban gaye.
(Frustrations made them much more rebellious. Their humiliation was so great that they became self-respecting).
To a question asked by the Americans "why do they hate us?'', the official view, as expressed by President Bush to the U.S. Congress, was:
"They hate what they see right here in this chamber: a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms.''
The true answer to the above question was furnished in the interview between Leslie Stahl of CBS and Madeline Albright when she was the Secretary of State:
Leslie Stahl, speaking of U.S. sanctions against Iraq: "We have heard that half a million children have died. I mean, that's more children than died in Hiroshima. And — and you know, is the price worth it?"
Madeline Albright: "I think this is a very hard choice but the price — we think the price is worth it."
Would you not hate someone who is willing to cause the death of 500,000 children to punish one man? Hate represents the first emotional step towards terrorism.
In Afghanistan, history is repeating itself. Nearly 2000 years ago, the Roman historian Publius Tacitus saw through the rhetoric: "They make a wilderness and call it peace."
Whatever the motive, the perpetrators of this horrendous carnage deserve the most exemplary punishment. At the same time, efforts must be made to see beyond the frenzy, understand the causes that lie behind it and set about eradicating them. The U.S. Administration must also examine why so many people are prepared to sacrifice their lives to hurt their people and their country. If not, as someone said, it would be like killing the body of Caesar only to unleash the spirit of Caesar.
Today, thanks to the Western media, "Islamic fundamentalism" has come to be equated with terrorism. Some recent events have provided additional grist to the mill of dread and hatred of Islam. Islam is a balanced way of life and there is no place in it for fanaticism or extremism. There are leaders in all communities who have a vested interest in radicalising the youth. To them, moderation and liberalism are passports to political oblivion.
At the International level, the demonisation of Islam began with the oil embargo in the early 1970s and the Iranian revolution in 1979. After the end of Cold War, the West had to find a new enemy. "The Red menace is gone, but here's Islam," proclaimed the New York Times on January 21, 1996. About the Middle Eastern affairs, the Western view was that "a fervent hypocrite was always safer than a fervent puritan."
What does it really mean for a Muslim to be a fundamentalist? A true Muslim is a fundamentalist in living all the tenets of his religion in a fundamental way but he is not a radical, because the Quran teaches tolerance and moderation. The implied negative implication that has crept into the everyday meaning of the word "fundamnetalism" is, therefore, unacceptable.
Hamza Yusuf, an American Islamic scholar, calls the U.S. attackers "enemies of Islam... Not martyrs but mass murderers, pure and simple... Religious zealots of any creed are defeated people who lash out in desperation and they often do horrific things... It's politics, tragic politics." Imam Malik, an early Islamic authority, said that "60 years of oppression under an unjust ruler is better than one hour of anarchy." Jihad means struggle. The greatest Jihad is the struggle of man against his own evil influences. And the greatest martyr in the eyes of God is the only one who stands in the presence of a tyrant and speaks the truth and is killed for it. Suicide is prohibited in Islam. It is a mortal sin.
The Pakistani brand of cross-border terrorism, masquerading as Jihad or freedom fight or "moral support", can only be called perfidy under the pretence of faith. After September 11, Pakistan is on trial. Nobody would now like to be in the shoes of Gen. Musharraf. Pakistan today is at the edge of a precipice. Recent statements talking of India's preparedness to exercise the military option are unhelpful. Indian diplomacy today faces a challenge as never before. The Pakistani Army can never forget or forgive the ignominious defeat suffered at the hands of the Indian Army in 1971. The spirit of revenge still haunts like a ghost. Gen. Musharraf showed it in Kargil. Today, he is in a quandary. The world is watching. India would be doing him a great service if it attacks Pakistan right now. In fact, he badly needs such an attack for his survival. Hence the provocative anti-India jingoism.
The only thing we now need to do, I think, is to mend our fences, set our house in order and sit tight. "Stick to your guns and the rest will follow" is a good homily to be followed.
MAHMOOD BIN MUHAMMAD
Former Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia
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