https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/bbs-isis-in-perspective-the-machiavellian-the-ruthless/
By Mass L. Usuf –
Is Simon Elliot going incognito as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the infamous ISIS
? Allegedly, a Jew who was recruited by the Israelis to take the place
of the world’s most wanted terrorist? Was this Simon Elliot trained by
Mossad and the CIA? Was Al-Baghdadi created to fill the vacuum of Osama
bin Laden? Was ISIS created to tarnish the image of Islam? Speculation
is rife in the realm of conspiracy theories with some even providing
strong evidence. Be that as it may, what is certain and crystal clear
however, is that ISIS has been very successful in tarnishing the image
of Islam and the Muslims worldwide. Paradoxically, if it could be so
called, hovering over the head of Al-Baghdadi is a ten million dollar
reward, dead or alive.
What most concerns us is the news that a 37 year old Sri Lankan had
chosen to be part of this outcast outfit. Most Sri Lankans were hearing
the news in shock and disbelief. The ripple effect was instantaneous.
The aura of peace and happiness within the Muslim families were rattled.
Parents were rethinking the sacred trust they had placed in their
children. Some are worried if they now have to look over the shoulder of
their kids to ascertain what they are up to.
Condemnation
The All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulema (ACJU) a body of learned Islamic Scholars quickly sprang into action with a no holds barred condemnation
both of the ISIS and the association with it by this adventurous
Galewala man. At a press conference held on 23 July 2015, the ACJU took
cognizance of the lurking danger of this menace on others, if not dealt
with expeditiously. It spelt out the several immediate steps initiated
to educate and create awareness that ISIS acts contrary to the teachings
of Islam. The seriousness with which ACJU responded is a clear
indicator of the extent to which the society has been shocked.
The Bodu Bala Sena
(BBS) which was in a state of comatose, bankrupt with the lack of
sensational news, erupted with spasms of Machiavellian ‘pleasure’. The
analogy of rainfall after a severe drought is appropriate. Its coterie
euphorically celebrated the truism in its “prophetic” foresight about
the prevalence of extremists Muslims in Sri Lanka. Hallelujah !
Hallelujah !
Of course, this is far from reality. The gibberish of Gnanasara
thero and company always encapsulated the hackneyed allegation about
the flow of foreign funds for extremist activities within our borders.
He boastfully cited a series of names including the ACJU, National
Shoora Council and the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka. In his contorted
deductive reasoning, the thero perhaps sees commonness with extremism in
these institutions. Thereby, heroically, challenging the government to
inspect their funds. In fact, these are organizations comprising highly
placed professionals, scholars of repute, lawyers and doctors. We often
hear the public relegating such ramblings of this Thero as symptomatic
of schizophrenia. I am no medical scientist.
Several leading Muslim organization too issued a joint declaration.
No, no, not refuting BBSs’ wild claims but stating their displeasure and
condemnation of the ISIS. As an observer, my inference was that the
BBSs’ brouhaha received a perfunctory dismissal from these
organisations. The plea of ACJU as a respected and responsible body, at
the press conference, was not to cast stones but to assist and join
hands in defeating this new social phenomenon.
Foreign nationals
Citing Peter R. Neumann, Director, The International Centre for the
Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence (ICRC), The Guardian
(26.05.2015), stated that according to a report filed in the UN Security
Council in late March 2015, 22,000 foreign fighters from 100 nations
have traveled to Syria and Iraq, most to support ISIS.
Earlier this year, General James Clapper, the director of US national
intelligence, told Congress that officials now believed that 3,400
citizens from western nations, including 150 from the US, had travelled
to Iraq and
Syria to join violent militant groups. More than 700 British and 1200
French citizens are thought to have travelled to Syria – with about
half returning to the UK.
This is, therefore, clearly an international phenomenon.
International reprobation
The Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham, is the self-proclaimed
Islamic state with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi being named its caliph. The
United Nations has held ISIS responsible for human rights abuses and war
crimes. Several countries have designated ISIS as a terrorist
organisation including the European Union, the United Kingdom, the
United States, India, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey,
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Egypt, and Russia.
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces General Hassan Firouzabadi
called on international legal bodies to prosecute Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,
the ringleader of the terrorist Islamic State of Iraq and asShams
(ISIS), as a war criminal. The Iranian General described ISIS as a
brainchild of the US and UK governments, established to get
“revolutionary Muslim youths” killed in Syria and Iraq. (FARS News
Agency, Sat Jul 12, 2014)
Islamic criticism
In late September 2014, 126 Islamic scholars, from around the Muslim
world signed an open letter to the Islamic State’s leader al-Baghdadi,
explicitly rejecting and refuting his group’s interpretations of Islamic
scriptures, the Qur’an and hadith, used by it to justify its actions.
In late August 2014, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abdul-Aziz ibn
Abdullah Al ash-Sheikh, condemned the Islamic State “[You] have
misinterpreted Islam into a religion of harshness, brutality, torture
and murder … this is a great wrong and an offence to Islam, to Muslims
and to the entire world”, the letter stated.
Indoctrination
This puts indoctrination in the crosshairs. The attraction of youth
of different nationalities towards ISIS is partly because of
indoctrination. I had made mention of this danger in the context of the
so called radical “nationalist’ movements in Sri Lanka in my article to
the Colombo Telegraph of 05 June 2015, (Slow Genocide Of The Rohingya
People of Myanmar (Burma). I emphasized that via a process of
indoctrination the religious sentiments of a person can be manipulated.
In our context, it is especially significant when the noble ‘sivura’
is involved. People place their trust and confidence on those who don
it. The masses expect to receive proper guidance. This is a huge
responsibility that ought to be discharged in a morally and lawfully
acceptable manner. Failure to do so is a clear breach of trust. To use
the “sivura” for indoctrination against another people will only result
in hatred and violence. Hatred that generates a situation of anger,
making one community inflamed against another.
In this context, even Sinhalese parents have to be careful of the
values their innocent child is imbibing. This is exactly what
responsible, unbiased, civic minded Sri Lankans should fear against
happening to our children, the innocent Sri Lankan masses and, most
significantly, to the Samaneras (the novice monks). Hatred and violence
should not be seen by these novice monks as the proper way to achieve
their goals. Arguably the indicators are that indoctrination is taking
place in Sri Lanka too, in a subtle way, unduly exploiting the honour
and respect of the robe.
If this is proven then methodologically, ISIS is right under our nose.
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