Global Common Allies and Adversaries

Many countries around the world call terrorism a common enemy, but there is not a common definition for that. Terrorism is against the peace, stability and development. Their mission is to murder, demolish and spread fear. Abuse and misinterpretation of any faith in their favor are their mutual interest and shared goals. They support each other globally and they have a common definition of their foes. It is like a cancer in the world and besides the symptoms, we need to fight the causes of this illness. We should ask ourselves, what do we do to defeat them fundamentally and defend ourselves?

There is no doubt that some state sponsors terrorist groups, yet I have not heard of any government, which publicly backs or defend terrorism. While every state agrees on the threat posed by these groups, yet we do not have a common definition of terrorism, which should be widely accepted or adopted by every country in the war on terror.

Globalization has advantages and challenges. Pandemic, proliferation of WMD, climate changes, migration and terrorism, are the challenges we face universally. We live in a global village and one of the mentioned concerns in any country can affect another country or the entire world.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US and since the launch of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) hundreds of thousands of people died around the globe. The war is not over yet, insecurity and threats have increased. The ongoing war and refugee crisis may last for years and decades. Though, the world community can reduce or hinder these issues by a comprehensive, strategic and long-term unified vision.

One propaganda message of an extremist, radical or terrorist spreads among their friends, associates or enemies instantly and globally, but what about the good news? Do the countering propaganda and good stories get enough coverage? Is this against our values to search for and share good stories? These are the questions that we should ask ourselves.

Of course, it is not mandatory to report and share only good news and stories, but everyone has rights, responsibilities and obligations. Are we practicing our responsibilities and are we doing enough? Should we remain indifferent or we should also engage through all possible means against terrorism? These are the vital matters that we should debate. 

Terrorism does not belong to a particular race and religion. Warfare, crimes and terrorism existed before Islam and other religions, but today Muslims mostly blamed for most of the terrorist acts. Lots of people oppose generalizing this issue and criticizing a faith community for the actions of some individuals and groups. Many Muslims may refute the claims and oppose the misuse of Islam by terrorism, but their voice is not heard. - Read More at the huffingtonpost

Global Common Allies and Adversaries - Mohammad Shafiq Hamdam