Shiban Khaibri
Brussels airport attack, its causes and the wider conspiracies of its behind the scene perpetrators, must put all of us on alert, with “all”, is meant, our political leaders of all political shades. Much needs to be read into the well planned blasts which ripped through one of the busiest airports of the world, Brussels in Belgium, the severest one after Paris attack last year. Dreaded Islamic State (IS) has owned the “responsibility” of these blasts and as per intelligence experts, these attacks were anticipated if not supposed, to be so much pointed in execution thereof. The attack left behind a trail of death and destruction, the immediate aim of Jihadi terrorists and claimed 34 innocent bodies with injuries to over 200, many of them seriously. This attack has made Europe to bleed again. We Indians had a share in having two of the crew members engaged with Jet Airways injured. Prime Minister Charles Michel called it “a dark moment for Belgium” and a state of Emergency has been declared in the country. What triggered the attacks lay in “avenging” the arrest in Brussels, of the mastermind turned fugitive, Salah Abdeslam , of Paris attacks, again claimed by the IS . The fugitive was on the run for four months and was hiding in Molenbeek. Needless to add, eye witnesses having seen limbs of the victims blown off to pieces with pools of blood punctuating the airport, human wails , shuddering cries and chaotic scenes all around and people running helter – skelter, depict grave threat to human civilization itself from terrorism appearing to surface with novel modes of increasing savagery and ruthlessness. The question, again is the same;- why this bloodshed and for what purpose? What is the force or the “rationale” of spilling innocents’ blood? Should individual countries still choose to remain silent or turn their eyes to the other side just like India experienced when we were made to bleed on account of the menace of terrorism? Should India not read the writing on the wall in between the lines and very seriously? Should we continue to pull one another albeit “more terrorism during your time” and “less terrorism during our time” as also certify a prospective perpetrator as “Beta or Betee of this state” or again certify organizations like SIMI as “innocent students’ union” or showing emotional “solidarity” with terrorists like in Batla incidents where two terrorists were neutralized and one of the most seniors Ministers in the union cabinet revealing “The Party chief cried throughout the night” or “What happened to the body of Osama Jee”. These are illustrative examples and not exhaustive. All these acts of “pampering” are tantamount to being projected as with “a soft approach to terror” and it is here, that the menace of terror is breeding and surfacing as a force to “reckon with”.
Any estimate of expenses that are sought to keep violence at bay in the present day world, say on counter security measures, intelligence inputs, deployment and mobility of forces, vigil – hot pursuit – encounters, search operations, prosecutions, sharing of information, modernizing Police and security forces in trainings and arming with latest weaponry etc to take on terrorists, runs in whopping billions of Dollars, loss of human lives including security forces notwithstanding. To be near accuracy in calculating the economic impact in containment of violence to the world economy as in 2012 is quite unbelievable , just beyond our imagination as it is $9.50 trillion or $9.50 lac crore and converting in Rupees, it could be somewhere Rs.570 lac crore. It is around 11% of the Gross World Product (GWP). As far as India is concerned, we spend somewhere at 4% of our GDP on containment or preventing of terror related violence directly and indirectly. Could this amount not be spent otherwise on the welfare of the people? How much time, energy, resources, capital, men and material as also time is needed to repair, for example the devastated, now turned ghost cities of rubble and debris in Syria and Iraq because of Jihadi terrorism ? With the attacks on the Brussels airport, threat dimensions to other countries have widened and increasingly become vulnerable; shall the whole of world still not get united as ONE entity to erase all traces of terror?
The caption of this write up is in respect of a city in Belgium known as Molenbeek and it is where even the best trained Police force avoids entering, should it be known that they are after some suspected jihadi terrorist. The bloody terror attack on Paris in November 2015 had its roots in this city of Molenbeek . Seven arrests including that of Abdeslam were made here. 2004 Madrid bombings had roots and planning from this city. In May 2014, the terrorist hailing from Molenbeek wielding an AK 47 rifle had shot four people in Brussels museum. It is confirmed that this area is a deep established Jihadi launch pad even though many people in Belgium are in a state of disbelief as to how over a few years this area turned into a Jihadi hub. It is noteworthy that demographic imbalance in Molenbeek saw an unusual surge in non Christian population from 40% to 90% and where people with Jihadi mindset are interested in spreading mistrust in the name of religion than showing interest in the study of education and science resulting in the prevalence of poverty and hence crime . It has been confirmed that many young people are indoctrinated to join the ranks of the IS and are sent to Iraq and Syria to get trained in terror activities and sent back to Belgium to indulge in acts like we saw in Paris and now in Brussels. Every month, at least 5 persons leave for Iraq and Syria from Molenbeek. Islamic radicalism is attaining horrendous proportions which the “liberals” and self proclaimed democrats believe being due to “ethnic communities’ unrest” and it is this ground that makes secessionist movements gain teeth and support. It is on account of this fact that secularism and inclusiveness are considered as just mere concepts and theoretical prepositions, like in Kashmir since 1990. It is again noteworthy that the mission for converting Belgium into ” Belgistan” and initiate Sharia laws are considered utopian goals which derive sustenance from deep rooted radicalism and fanaticism? It won’t be an exaggeration to call Molenbeek as “Jihadi Mohella of Europe”.
Serious political thought, therefore, is needed in India to logically and sincerely understand the root cause of the problem. Objective analysis is getting killed by expressing ambiguities about fundamentalist Jihadi terrorism and the argument is laden with fallacies that IS had got nothing to do with the religion. Why should the world community not criticize , if not condemn for their implied involvement , countries like Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the like for promoting safe haven to terrorists instead of opposing them like they oppose Israel ? The hope of survival of mankind lies in peace and co-operation where all communities, irrespective of faith, colour, language, race etc live in perfect harmony, where there is no scope for coercion and suppression; where none dares to silence another’s voice, deny him or her right to live with dignity and practice his or her faith freely. Growing global Jihadi terror must be neutralized with the concerted global antidote, sooner than later, now.
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