Terrorism And Its Remedy

In the name of the Allah the most Merciful Beneficent
Terrorism And Its Remedy

The scourge of terrorism has engulfed the world and made almost all of us feel its impact in our daily life. Terrorism is a black, ugly, abhorring blot on the face of humanity. The origin of terrorism is as old as the man himself. When Qabil killed Hazarat Habil unjustly, the terrorism was born. The daily killings of civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan , Kashmir and recently serial bombings in Mumbai trains make us realize more and more the urgency to eliminate this menace for ever. The shocking scenes of bombed Mumbai trains where hundreds of people wounded and about 200 killed shows the merciless , ruthless , ugly face of terrorists who know no respect for human life, no distinction between innocents and guilty. The bombings of Masjids in Iraq , Pakistan reinforce the fact that these terrorists do not subscribe to any religious faiths. The daily killings of defenseless Palestinians , their homes are bombed at night when they are sleeping and they along with their women and children are made targets of powerful bombs dropped from air by Israel, their children lying in the pools of their innocent blood and their home changed into their graves—the credit of all this goes to them who are known as champions of democracy and human rights, they are behind every hidden or open face of terrorism, they are at the root of every evil form of terrorism. In the present scenario it has become like a cancer in the body of humanity. Terrorism has been defined by many in many in various ways: Ayatullah Shaykh Muhammad 'Ali Taskhiri , Director of the International Relations Department of the I.P.O., at the International Conference on Terrorism called by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Geneva, from June 22-26, 1987, defines terrorism as: “Terrorism is an act carried out to achieve an inhuman and corrupt (mufsid) objective, and involving threat to security of any kind, and violation of rights acknowledged by religion and mankind.” According to Wikipedia: “Terrorism refers to a strategy of using violence, or threat of violence to generate fear, cause disruption, and ultimately, to bring about compliance with specific political, religious, ideological, or personal demands. The targets of terrorist attacks typically are not the individuals who are killed, injured, or taken hostage, but rather the societies to which these individuals belong. Terrorism is a type of unconventional warfare designed to weaken or supplant existing political landscapes through capitulation or acquiescence, as opposed to subversion or direct military action.” According to RAND-MIPT(National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, USA),:” Terrorism is the use of violence or the threat of violence, calculated to create an atmosphere of fear and alarm. These acts are designed to coerce others into action that they would not otherwise take. Terrorist acts are considered crimes that may also fall under violations of the rules of war in cases where a state is involved. While the ultimate targets of terrorists are usually governments, terrorist violence is generally directed at civilians as part of an aim to produce maximum sensational publicity. Such shock is generated with the expectation that terrorist acts will yield effects beyond the immediate physical damage of the action and will have long-term psychological consequences on the target audience. The fear created by terrorists has the added effect of causing publics to exaggerate the strength of terrorists and the importance of their cause, provoke extreme government reaction, discourage dissent, or merely intimidate to the extent of forcing compliance with their demands. In contrast to perpetrators of common crimes, terrorists often claim responsibility for their actions.” Many working groups have been formed , comprising members from different countries, to examine the terrorism more closely and precisely, its pscychological, political , social and economic , religious and cultural aspects and dynamics. Interested readers may refer to “International summit On Democracy , Terrorism and Security , 8-11 March 2005, Madrid” . But understanding the nature and causes of terrorism is as difficult as coining a general system of political and social laws for the entire world. Every country tries to define the idea in its own respect with having in mind its own interests. One country may regard a group as terrorist while other may consider them to be compainers. Every act of violence cannot regarded as terrorism as we must need to distinguish between just or unjust cause of violence. Until and unless we take into consideration the motive and objective of the perpetrators of violence we can not reach any final conclusion about its being an terrorist act or not. So the best difinition of terrorism is that of Ayatullah Shaykh Muhammad 'Ali Taskhiri given above which takes into consideration the basic objective for the act of violence and regards unjust , corrupt and inhuman act of violence as terrorism. UNO On Terrorism: The CHAPTER VII “ACTION WITH RESPECT TO THREATS TO THE PEACE, BREACHES OF THE PEACE, AND ACTS OF AGGRESSION” from article 39 to 51 discusses the violent aggression and suggestions for actions. UNO through its various agencies and affiliated organizations has tried to curb and mitigate the threat of terrorism. Thirteen universal instruments have been developed and adopted at the United Nations that have criminalized specific acts of terrorism including hijacking, hostage-taking and nuclear terrorism. Together with the Security Council resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001), 1540 (2004), 1566 (2004) and 1624 (2005), those conventions provide a legal framework for multilateral actions against terrorism. The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate has received more than 630 reports from Member States on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001); identified the technical assistance needs of 90 Member States and conducted numerous field visits; and created a Directory of Assistance on standards, practices and sources of counter-terrorism assistance. UNO has tried to block the funding of the terrorist organizations. Under the Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions regime, 34 States have frozen at least $93.4 million in assets as of January 2006 of individuals and groups whose names appear on the consolidated list of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). The Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate have assessed the relevant financial legislation of all 191 Member States and provided recommendations for improvements. Besides many measures have been taken to denying chemical warfare, transport facility etc to terrorists to minimize their influence. Under the title “Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism” the report of Sixth Committee discusses the concept of terrorism and tries to differentiate it from the armed struggle being waged for national liberation. 2005 World Summit Outcome laid emphasis on UNO’s role in combating terrorism, it stressed a need for comprehensive convention on terrorism , it called upon States to refrain from organizing, financing, encouraging, providing training for or otherwise supporting terrorist activities and to take appropriate measures to ensure that their territories are not used for such activities , besides it supported the aid for terrorism victims and it encouraged Security Council to consider ways to strengthen its monitoring and enforcement role in counter-terrorism, including by consolidating State reporting requirements, taking into account and respecting the different mandates of its counter-terrorism subsidiary bodies. A Critique of UNO Efforts on Terrorism: Despite all that said above UNO as a guarantor of global peace for all has fully failed. Bosnia, Palestine , Afghanistan , Iraq , Chechnya and now Lebanon are living examples where UNO has just remained as a mute spectator while the innocents were being mercilessly killed. In today’s world scenario the UNO has lost its relevance as guarantor of world peace rather it has just become the puppet of so called big powers. Many and many innocents Palestinians are killed daily by Israel while UN remains silent. In ongoing Lebanon war UNO called for immediate ceasefire only when its mission was targeted by rouge Israel killing four persons. State Sponsored Terrorism: The state sponsored terrorism is witnessed when a state as an instrument of its foreign policy harbors terrorism towards other states or individuals. Under such conditions the state does not show any regard or respect for any humanitarian values and laws. It goes on with its offensive irrespective of the fact that its victims are helpless, innocent people unable to save themselves against such ruthless aggression. USA and Israel both have been frontrunner in the lists of state sponsors of terrorism. USA can justly be regarded as “mother of international terrorism” as it has since long supported occupation of foreign lands by rouge regimes , it has been author of circumstances leading to oppression and subjugation of people , it has supported great oppressor dictatorial regimes to realize its narrow , sinful goals, its infamous prisons (Abu Ghraib , Guantanamo Bay etc) are the places where unimaginable inhuman crimes are done against the other human beings. Israel since its inception has been state sponsor of terrorism. Rather the origin and creation of Israel is itself based upon terrorism denying the original inhabitants of the region their rights and killing them and plundering their land and property. Israel since its illegitimate birth has wrecked worst crimes on the innocents. Israel has no respect for human rights, no respect for international conventions and humanitarian laws , no respect for any call to reason , it knows and speaks only one language and that’s the language of ruthless , barbaric violence against defenseless innocents. Israel is the biggest and ugliest state terrorist. Since 2000 it has martyred about 5000 Palestinians. In ongoing Lebanon war it has once again shown its true face-the visage of extreme disregard and indifference for any human values. So much so that UNO observer has accused Israel of violating humanitarian laws and UNO has called for immediate ceasefire after its mission was attacked by Israel. As the state of Israel has been illegitimately imposed upon the legitimate residents of the Palestine and Palestinians have been made to suffer the most inhuman crimes by this most cruel Zionist regime , the only solution to the problem is as Imam Khomeini enunciated that “Israel should be wiped of the map of the world.” Islamic View About Terrorism : Islam staunchly proscribes the killing of innocent's even during the war time. There is no place for terrorism in Islam. The holy Quran has severally criticized those who shed the innocents blood and make mischief in the earth. Islam the universal message of peace and brotherhood based upon the strong platform of Tauheed or monotheism makes respect for rights of others and avoidance of unjust bloodshed obligatory on its followers. The Glorious Quran declares : “…..whoever slays a soul , unless it be for the manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men….”(Holy Quran, 5:32) Here no distinction is made , all the souls are to be protected except those of criminals and oppressors making mischief and killing innocents. Islam attaches so much importance to human life that killing one soul unjustly is like killing the entire humanity and saving one soul is like saving all men. At another place in Glorious Quran , Allah the Just and Wise says: “And do not kill anyone whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause , and whoever is slain unjustly , We have indeed given his heir authority , so let him not exceed the just limits in slaying; surely he is aided.”(17:33) “And if you take your turn, then retaliate with the like of that with which you were afflicted; but if you are patient, it will certainly be best for those who are patient”(16:126) In the above verses killing a soul has been forbidden except for a just cause, retaliation has been allowed with the conditions that the limits should not be transgressed. Islam takes so much care that in retaliation too one is not permitted to exceed limits , one at best can afflict other like the he himself was afflicted as the verses says “like of that with which you were afflicted”. It is a great pity and profoundly appalling that some terrorist organizations like Al Qaida , Sipahe Sahaba etc call themselves Muslims and have been cause of blackening Islam’s name with their black deeds of terror. In Iraq, Afghanistan and at other places we see Al Qaida’s ugly dance of killing innocents. Thousands of people have been killed in Iraq and still the slaughter of innocents is going on there, behind all these crimes the criminal hands of US , Israel and Al Qaida can be traced. The holy Quran says about those who kill innocents and spread corruption in the land: “This is the recompense of those who fight against God and His Messenger, and spread corruption in the land. they shall be put to death, or crucified, or have their hands and feet cut off on alternate sides, or be banished from the land. That is a degradation for them in this world; and in the next awaits them a mighty chastisement” (5:33) As may be noticed, the verse mentions the subject and the purpose, namely war against society and spreading of corruption in the land. It has also mentioned the severe punishment to be dealt out to the perpetrators, which points to Islam's concern for the subject. Furthermore, we have the requirements of the Islamic ethical system which consists of concepts unknown to positive law yet are deeply-rooted in this system. Lying may, for instance, reach the degree of a major sin and so may calumny. We thus find that Islam seeks earnestly to protect all kinds of true human freedoms, and to defend the dignity of the individual and society, as well as the cohesion of society and integrity of the family, considering any attack on them to be an atrocious crime liable to the sternest punishment which may go as far as execution, crucifixion and the like. Islam upholds the principle of personal responsibility and considers any attack on innocent people as a major crime. It focuses on the defense of the weak, the humble and the oppressed and enjoins jihad for their protection: “And why should you not fight for the cause of Allah, and for the helpless old men and women.... “(4:75) The Muslim is required to always stand up for the oppressed until they get their rights. Imam 'Ali (A) gave this advice to his two sons: “Be opponents of the oppressor and defenders of the oppressed.” He(as) also said: “To me the lowly are noble until I get their rights for them, and the powerful are weak until I get such rights from them.” Solution: Islam solves the problem from its very origin. It does not let develop a society in which terrorism could take birth. It has solution for all causes of terrorism through its panacea : Tauheed. The solution of terrorism like that of all other evils lies in complete submission before Him and acceptance of Tauheed as the right worldview and way of life. The terrorism is said to be based on many causes which comprise of economics , social , political etc. The Tauheed is Islamic remedy for all ailments. The economic exploitation, social and political discrimination , racial and ethnic apartheid all such evils are addressed by Tauheed from the very grassroots level. Tauheed is conducive to universal brotherhood , equality of opportunities , growth and development with social justice , and an environment for man’s complete spiritual and material development. So Tauheed erases all the causes which can lead a community to adopt the terrorist means to achieve its objectives. It lays a strong foundation of a society which is free from all ailments and all false parameters of high and low ranks , it recognizes only one parameter and that is the parameter of TAQWA or guarding against evil. Now the question can be raised about some terrorists like Al Qaida who declare themselves as Muslim. For such people , they need to understand the true message of Islam which is peace for all, they need to think over the legacy of Prophet(saw) preached and propagated by his Ahlebait(as), they need to see at Karbala where the enemies left no means of oppression to be adopted and extent of oppression to be transgressed but still Imam Husain(as)’s steadfastness could not be affected. It gives a great lesson that the Islam does not allow atrocities on enemies even during the war.