A closing of ranks of the powerful rather than

a coalition against terror

September 17, 2014
UNITED STATES, Washington : US President Barack
Obama meets with Secia! Presidentia! En"o# $or the %!oba! &oa!ition to
&o'nter the Is!amic State organi(ation)IS* %enera! +ohn A!!en at the White
,o'se in Washington, D&, Setember -., /0-12 AFP
According!#, we are not ha"ing a 3&!ash o$
&i"i!i(ations4 o$ an# kind beca'se we are not seeing
who!e o'!ations "io!ent!# con$ronting each other on
the mi!itar# or ideo!ogica! !anes2 The "ast ma5orit# o$
the adherents o$ the wor!d4s $aiths seek to coe6ist
eace$'!!# with other re!igio's comm'nities, barring a
$ew who ab'se their $aiths2 The !atter are acco'ntab!e
$or the manic "io!ence which is being 'n!eashed in the
name o$ re!igion2
Notwithstanding a!! that the wor!d has been thro'gh since the cr'mb!ing o$
the &o!d War, it co'!d sti!! be contended that it is oen to 7'estion whether
a 3&!ash o$ &i"i!i(ations4 is 'on h'manit#2 8e!igion and ethnicit# are being
o!itici(ed the wor!d o"er 'nrecedented!# b't the obser"er wo'!d need to
stretch his imagination to sa# 39es4 to Sam'e! ,'ntingdon4s tho'ght:
ro"oking thesis that ci"i!i(ations are at daggers:drawn c'rrent!# in the
wor!d4s theatres o$ con$!ict2
The con$!icts and wars ra"aging the wor!d at resent are no roo$ that a
3democratica!!#:oriented, &hristian West4 is itting itse!$ against an 3Is!amic
East4, in a mi!itar# str'gg!e $or g!oba! s'remac#, somewhat in the nat're
o$ the so:ca!!ed &r'sades o$ the ;idd!e Ages2 This is no eic 3&!ash o$
&i"i!i(ations4 beca'se the actors in 7'estion are in no wa# reresentati"e o$
ci"i!i(ations o$ an# kind2 <or instance, the 3&hristian West4 is most!# a
$igment o$ the imagination o$ some oinion:making gro's who wie!d
considerab!e in$!'ence2 This !ine o$ thinking in this co!'mn is dictated b#
the $act that the &hristian $aith is $ast on the dec!ine in the West in
artic'!ar2 In some arts o$ the West, &hristian ch'rches are reorted!# so
emt# on da#s o$ worshi that the# are being con"erted into resta'rants
and !aces o$ hedonistic !eas're2
,owe"er, these tendencies in no wa# re$!ect bad!# on the &hristian $aith as
s'ch2 The &hristian $aith wi!! contin'e and earn the a!!egiance o$ man#, b't
it is an oen 7'estion whether who!e 3&hristian ci"i!i(ations4 e6ist beca'se
o$ the dec!ining n'mbers c!aiming to be adherents o$ &hristianit#, in
artic'!ar!# the West2
On the other hand, Is!am has emerged as a "ibrant wor!d re!igion b't
there haen to be sections within the Is!amic $o!d who are o!itici(ing
their $aith and 'tting it to the wrong 'ses2 Th's, "io!ence is eretrated in
the name o$ the $aith b# some gro's2 These sections do not en5o# a mass
$o!!owing, b't the moderate ma5orit# among the $aith is #et to seak o't
cogent!# and e$$ecti"e!# against the ab'se o$ Is!am2 I$ this is done
consistent!#, the "io!ent minorit# co'!d be a!ienated $rom the eace:!o"ing
ma5orit#, thereb# rotecting the identit# o$ the $aith2
According!#, we are not ha"ing a 3&!ash o$ &i"i!i(ations4 o$ an# kind beca'se
we are not seeing who!e o'!ations "io!ent!# con$ronting each other on
the mi!itar# or ideo!ogica! !anes2 The "ast ma5orit# o$ the adherents o$ the
wor!d4s $aiths seek to coe6ist eace$'!!# with other re!igio's comm'nities,
barring a $ew who ab'se their $aiths2 The !atter are acco'ntab!e $or the
manic "io!ence which is being 'n!eashed in the name o$ re!igion2
,owe"er, these terror:wie!ding minorities are being armed b# e6terna!
actors who stand to gain b# these a!!egiances2 Some o$ these e6terna!
7'arters are ower$'! co'ntries, seeking to e6ercise their might and
in$!'ence in considerab!e and increasing meas're g!oba!!# and it is these
rest!ess e6terna! !a#ers who are acco'ntab!e $or s'staining re!igion:based
"io!ence which is eng'!$ing sections o$ the wor!d c'rrent!#2
A!tho'gh a 3&!ash o$ &i"i!i(ations4 is c!ear!# not 'on the wor!d, the
increasing o!itici(ation o$ re!igion and ethnicit# b# the minorit# sections
$oc'sed on abo"e, is consiring to bring into being new o!itica!
$ormations, bearing the nat're o$ coa!itions, which are 'niting not on the
basis o$ re!igion or ideo!og# b't in consideration o$ eret'ating ri"i!ege
and ower2 One s'ch gro' which has 5'st come into being with the US at
its he!m is st#!ing itse!$ a 3coa!ition against terror42 Aarent!#, its rincia!
aim is to $ight and 't down the 3Is!amic State4 which is making a name $or
itse!$ $or its chi!!ing br'ta!it#2 It is, $or instance, s#stematica!!# ki!!ing
westerners, cat'red b# it, $or a!! the wor!d to see2
This terror:$ighting coa!ition is a mi6ed bag o$ 3democratic4, conser"ati"e
and a'thoritarian states whose on!# so'rce o$ 'nit# seems to be their
oosition to the r'th!ess IS, which is osing a threat to the r'!ing strata
o$ the 3coa!ition against terror42 Whi!e the US and Britain are at the he!m o$
the coa!ition b# "irt'e o$ the $act that the# need to be at the to o$ the
internationa! ower s#stem, the rest o$ the states in the gro'ing need to
ens're that the ower o$ their r'!ers is in no wa# threatened b# terror
o't$its, s'ch as the IS, which are intent on o"erthrowing the r'!ing and
socia! e!ites o$ the resecti"e coa!ition members2 I$ man# o$ the states in
the coa!ition are a'thoritarian and conser"ati"e, the IS is '!tra:
conser"ati"e and reressi"e in the e6treme2 Its dreams o$ a &a!ihate in
Ira7 and S#ria are one roo$ o$ this2
Some o$ the states in this coa!ition the US has cobb!ed together are: Sa'di
Arabia, Bahrain, Eg#t, Ira7, +ordan, ='wait, >ebanon, Oman, ?atar and
the UAE2 It is c!ear that the democratic credentia!s o$ man# o$ these states
!ea"e m'ch to be desired2
,ere we ha"e histor# reeating itse!$2 The US has not been noteworth# $or
its scr'!es on the 7'estion o$ choosing a!!ies in the ast and on this
occasion too it is dis!a#ing the same disregard $or rinci!e and we!!
tho'ght o't o!ic#2 8ea!o!itik and not rinci!e seems to be the rime
consideration $or the West2
On the other hand, the o!itici(ation o$ re!igion b# reressi"e set:'s, s'ch
as the IS, ser"es the 'rose o$ keeing their !eadershi in ower2 It is not
the core "a!'es o$ a re!igion which are being so'ght to be roagated b#
IS b't their $orma! and rit'a!istic asects which he! in keeing 'b!ics in
s'b5ection2 Besides, the osition o$ c!erics is rotected b# this aroach to
re!igion and the !atter in t'rn are 's'a!!# s!a"ish!# s'orti"e o$ their
o!itica! masters2 S'ch sit'ations wo'!d in no wa# he! the ordinar# eo!e
beca'se the s#stems o$ oression which eret'ate o"ert# and
ower!essness wi!! remain 'nto'ched b# the IS and its !ikes2
It sho'!d be !ain to see that gro's, s'ch as the IS, sho'!d not be
enab!ed to e6ercise contro! o"er societies on acco'nt o$ their reactionar#,
oressi"e character2 ,owe"er, $ighting these $ormations witho't ens'ring
that the societies concerned tra"erse the ath o$ democratic de"e!oment,
once these oressi"e o!itica! $orces are de$eated, wo'!d ro"e high!#
co'nter:rod'cti"e2 It is not c!ear whether the West is thinking on these
things which constit'te the essentia!s o$ nationa! reconstr'ction2 It is
imortant that the democratic de"e!oment and emowerment o$
societies, s'$$ering at the hands o$ e6tremist $orces, is made the $oc's o$
nationa! re5'"enation ro5ects2 B't the US has not gi"en 's so!id roo$ o"er
the ast decade or more, that it co'!d charter s'ch co'rses $or tro'b!ed
societies2
Posted by Thavam