Sri Lankan Muslims and alleged IS connection
The entire world knows who created Taliban and Jihadi groups in Afghanistan. When Afghanistan Jihadi groups fought with Russia, They are not labelled as terrorists by USA but supported, helped and trained. Yet, when these Jihadi groups went against USA interest. They become enemies.
by Rifai
( July 24, 2015, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) It is reported that karate teacher called Abu Shuraih Sailani from Sri Lanka has been recently killed in Syria fighting for IS. If this report is true this should send shock waves among Sri Lankan Muslim community. Muslim community should take precautionary steps that no more Muslim become of victim of indoctrination to this radical ideology. In this virtual world of globalization and internet communication, it would be very much a daunting task to monitor each and every person in any community. So, it would be pointless to blame any parent or community for this kind of radicalization. Even it would be pointless to blame any group for the action of individual. Unfortunately, some politicians and groups have been trying to get some political gains out this man’s personal self-destruction or suicidal path. We, Sri Lankan Muslim community fully condemn his action. We assume that he went to Syria on his own choice even without approval of his family members. It is his personal view and his personal choice.
It would be utterly wrong to generalise this man’s choice and brand the entire Sri Lankan Muslim community as supporters of IS. Muslim community in Sri Lanka is nothing to do with IS or with this man’s fighting for IS. It would be wrong to argue that Muslim community is linked or connected to any similar groups. We should categorically tell the world that Sri Lankan Muslim community is a unique community and Muslim people of Sri Lanka are indigenous Sri Lankan community. We have our own Sri Lankan Muslim cultural and religious identity. We do not have any connection with any international radical or extremist groups in the world. This case is an isolated incident. Muslim community in Sri Lanka will never and ever operate against the integrity of this nation. They never have been a security threat for this nation. Today some groups are trying to inflate this one man’s plight into a national problem. It has been claimed that Al-Qaeda, Taliban and IS have been a national security threat for Sri Lanka. This inflated and exaggerated claim has no any solid substantiated evidence. We do not have any terrorist training camps in Sri Lanka among Muslim community. We do not have any IS or terrorist groups’ connection among Sri Lankan community. You cannot generalise this isolated incident of this nature to brand entire Sri Lankan Muslim community with terrorism.
It has been customary tradition of some politicians to make some political gains out of some miseries, unfortunate incidents or wrong doings of some radicals as in case of IS. Not only in Sri Lanka all over the world, politicians have habits of exaggerating and inflating some incidents to make political gains or divert attention of people from main burning issues and problems. George Monbiot freelance journalist has written a critical article about David Cameron’s political rhetoric. I think that his critical analysis resembles the political rhetoric of our politicians in Sri Lanka. George Monbiot argues that by inflating Islamic extremism, David Cameron has lost sight of what really threatens us (UK guardian 21-07-2015). I will make some parallels and comparisons between him and some of our politicians. Politicians are politicians whether they live in the UK or in Sri Lanka. Sometime they do not substantiate their arguments with evidence or facts rather they try to maximise some political gains out of some incidents. G. Monbiot argues that “The Taliban, al-Qaida, Saddam Hussein, Isis, Islamic extremism: none of these were, or are, existential threats to the life of this country. But all are inflated until they appear to be so, invested with almost supernatural power by prime ministers hoping to be cast in bronze. This inflation, as we discovered in Iraq, has consequences……. Yes, Islamic extremism is real. Yes, it creates genuine problems and presents genuine threats. But to claim it as the struggle of our generation suggests a total collapse of perspective. In terms of mortal risks to people in this nation, it might rank among the top 50, but that’s probably stretching it. Diet, smoking, alcohol, loneliness, the slow collapse of the NHS, child poverty, air pollution, traffic accidents, lack of exercise, even the wrong kind of bedroom slippers are likely to kill far more people in this country than Islamist terrorists will manage”.
To divert peoples’ attention from crucial burning issues, sometimes politicians highlight lesser important issues. In the UK as George Monbiot pointed there are so many crucial important issues to debate and find solutions and yet, politicians will portray IS thereat as number one security threat. In the same vein, the former defence secretary in Sri Lanka has argued that the IS is a security threat to Sri Lanka. This is nothing but a political rhetoric to mislead people and get more votes for his political party.
The origin and rapid development of ISIS or IS has been puzzling many academics and intellectuals. There have been many conspiracy theories about the origin of this this group. It is reported that this was initially created by Saudi and some Gulf countries to counter Shia militia groups. IS group went against Saudi and its allies and it begun to establish its own caliphate according its narratives of Islamic caliphate. This was one theory. ISIS or IS cannot emerge out of blue Sky rather there must be some backing for its abrupt arrival. Where did they get weapons and money to maintain this war machine for more than three years now? Who support them? It is very much similar to Indian government’s role in the origin and development of LTTE. Initially India supported and nurtured LTTE but when LTTE went against Indian government’s interest, India went for all-out war against LTTE.
The entire world knows who created Taliban and Jihadi groups in Afghanistan. When Afghanistan Jihadi groups fought with Russia, They are not labelled as terrorists by USA but supported, helped and trained. Yet, when these Jihadi groups went against USA interest. They become enemies. According to some theories, ISIS is a product of some third party. It could be Israel or Saudi or USA. Consider how IS overthrow Iraq army and occupied a large part of Iraq and Syria without any third party support. Where did they get weapons and manpower to occupy so quickly two countries? Who supported them? These are some puzzling questions.
In Middle East so many proxy wars take place between Israel, Saudi, and Iran and so on groups. Shia and Sunni proxy wars take place in each part of Muslim world. USA and its allies play war games with these groups. USA wants to flush out radicals from Muslim world, it may be al-Qaida or Taliban and IS. Without knowing these dirty tricks, Muslim youths are trapped in this geopolitical and religious wars. Emotionally charged, religiously misguided and misinformed Muslim youths from all part of Muslim world are trapped in this dirty ideological war. This man from Sri Lanka is not exceptional to this dirty trap.
There is no place for terror in Islam. This man may have been a victim of wrong indoctrination and brain wash. We are condemning this man actions with strongest words. No more Sri Lankan Muslim should become victim of this group. It is duty of Muslim leaders, clerics and academic to educate Muslim community in Sri Lanka about the danger of this group.
Some journalists and politicians have tried to exaggerate and inflate this issue. They try to depict the entire Muslim world with the name of IS as if the entire world approves the dirty works of IS. More than 99% percentage of Muslims disapprove what IS dose in the name of Islam today. Of course, it is pathetic to see that today mass killings and genocide take place in Muslim world right now today. Yet, it is not Muslim world that sets examples for mass killings and genocides rather a cursory examination into recent history of wars in recent time reveals some shocking statistics.
Tell me who killed most human beings in history? Is it Muslims or is it Christians? Who Bombed Japan killing thousands in one day in WW11? Who killed 6 million in WW1? Who killed Millions in WW11? Who killed millions in colonization of third world? Who killed millions in Spanish wars? Who killed millions in salve trades of African people? Who killed millions In Roman Empire wars? It is all so called white people. Now, of course, some Muslim fanatics do these killings. More than one million innocent Iraqis are killed in name of war on terror. Thousands of innocent people are killed in Pakistan and Afghanistan in the name of war on terror. America and its allies have killed thousands disproportionately in search of terrorists. In our debate about war on terror we have forgotten to know disproportionate rates of killings by both sides. While we condemn IS and its barbarism, we should equally condemn indiscriminate killings of innocent people by American allies in the name of war on terror. We should be objective in our analysis of events and facts. Justice is unconditional. There is no one justice for third world and another one for developed world. There is no one justice for American people and another one for poor Iraqis.
