In the aftermath of the execution-style murder of journalist James Foley, I am stunned, traumatized, and outraged.
The abhorrent atrocity, capturing the world’s attention, was committed by a group calling itself the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq or ISIS. They are a radical group seeking to build a new state out of the chaos in Syria and Iraq. They propose a theocracy, presumably, governed by fundamental Islamic law.
It appears that hundreds of such murders have been committed by radicals, invoking the phrase “Allah Akbar – God is great!” It has become a form of ethnic cleansing in some regions. In the history of mankind, this is not the first time that evil has been committed in God’s name. Examples are virtually too numerous to list.
ISIS released a video of Mr. Foley’s execution to strike terror in the hearts of humanity and as a tool — to recruit more jihadists. They succeeded. They certainly influenced many people. The daunting question is, “How many friends did they make?”
A worldwide consensus of opinion has formed that the evil ISIS must be stopped. But how? Our president ordered air strikes against the group in Iraq and is also considering air strikes in Syria. He vowed to hunt the murderers down, no matter how long it would take. But will that eradicate the terrorists?
Defensive use of military operations against terrorists is only a start. It may only slow them down but not eliminate their threat to civilized humanity. They are motivated and driven by the ideology of radical Islam.
While an idea or ideology cannot be killed, its spread can be stopped. It must be discredited, rejected, and renounced. A battlefield is not a place for such an undertaking.
The spread of the perverted mutation of Islam, the hate teachings of radicalism, has to be confronted in the minds of the people. Civilized humanity must come to realize the magnitude of the threat.
If in one’s imagination the black masks and black attire of the ISIS fighters were changed to white sheets and hoods, and if they were given a burning cross instead of the black flag for a prop, the visualization might serve to demonstrate the seriousness of their threat.
In their musical South Pacific Rodgers and Hammerstein point out: “You have to be taught how to hate. Perhaps by six, seven, or eight, before it’s too late.”
Religion, philosophies, and ideologies are taught to us even before then. Such indoctrination starts in our infancy.
Lenin remarked that if he were allowed to teach children age 5-9, he could produce irreversible, fanatical communists for life.
Radicalization of a Muslim seems to take place at a later age, in young adulthood. It’s when an individual has experienced disappointment, discouragement, despair, anger, resentment and a sense of worthlessness. All of that makes his mind a fertile ground for cultivating hate. It is at that time, when the radical Imams and Mullahs enter to dispense their spiritual, intellectual, psychological venom.
Youths who once were idealistic, who have become discouraged, are shown proof of the worthlessness of their lives. They are induced to develop a grudge against society and strive to regain their sense of worth by seeking vengeance, by declaring a Jihad. Seeking martyrdom, throwing their lives away for a “greater cause,” and killing in God’s name become their way to redemption.
I’m a proponent of freedom of, and from, religion. However, when religious expression and ritual involves murdering our citizens, I exclaim: “Not in my backyard!”
To stop the spread of radical Islam, denunciation is not enough. Islam needs to purge itself of radicalism and its teachings. Muslim communities must renounce, discredit and stop their Mullahs and Imams from teaching radicalism.
To diminish the threat of terrorism, Western societies will have to track down, expose, and apprehend the Mullahs and Imams of radical teachings. Hold them accountable and bring them to trial before the World Court for the acts committed by their converts. Complicity in murder and crimes against humanity might be reasonable charges.
It seems that with the pervasive surveillance by our National Security Agency, locating and identifying the hate-mongering Imams and Mullahs might be quite feasible. How about putting all of the gathered data to a useful cause? How about revealing and publicizing the identities of the leaders of ISIS and other terrorist groups? How about shining a light on the sources of their funding? What ethnic and national interests are to be gained from such a scourge?
The world’s journalists have a duty to expose the hidden roots and supports of radical Islam. They have the skills and resources to do so, and they owe it to the memory of their fallen colleague.
Fred Natkevi is an Oak Park resident and a member of the Oak Park Scribblers group.