Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi
The funniest piece of news in the past few days dealt with statements by Al Qaeda leaders, who warned against the danger posed by the militant organisation, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), to Islam and Muslims.
But the most ruthless piece of news, however, declared the detection of a new militant group, which could be more dangerous than ISIS.
The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia described ISIS as the Khawarej of this era. He said ISIS fighters kill innocent people and understand only the language of bloodshed.
He noted that ISIS is a bad group that came with the aim of sabotage and destruction and that the group was made up of misguided bandits.
The mufti explained that talking about ISIS fighters and exposing their deception and deviation is a must, adding that their reality must be revealed so that the people would not be deceived by them or by the name of their group.
If this is the description of the ISIS, then what will be the future with the appearance of a more extreme, radical group that enjoys more killing?
The question which lacks a convincing answer is: How a group that does not have anything other than a few thousand fighters could expand on the ground that easily?
ISIS overran — without resistance — large swaths of Iraqi territories, continues to spread in areas in Syria, has besieged Kurdish cities on the borders with Turkey, controls more than 60 villages, and deported more than 100,000 refugees within a few days.
According to information leaked by the Pentagon, the cost of the war on ISIS amounted to about $5.7m a day since the beginning of air strikes in Iraq. It added that spending on the war can would exceed $60bn in the coming three years.
How can we fight terrorism? Can this be achieved by eliminating ideas, or fighting the group that embodies them on the ground? The English philosopher, John Locke, said: “Wherever law ends, tyranny begins.”
Without an end to the religious, political, social and human tyranny, without building a civil society that spreads the culture of dialogue, without believing in the principle of moderation to face violence, corruption, militancy, rigidity, and without respect for the rule of law, the Arab and Muslim world will not stop producing the culture of extremism and terrorism embodied in groups like ISIS, Al Qaeda, Al Nusra, Boko Haram, Abu Sayyaf, Houthis, Asa’ib Ahl Al Haq, Swat and others, until the end of time.
The funniest piece of news in the past few days dealt with statements by Al Qaeda leaders, who warned against the danger posed by the militant organisation, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), to Islam and Muslims.
But the most ruthless piece of news, however, declared the detection of a new militant group, which could be more dangerous than ISIS.
The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia described ISIS as the Khawarej of this era. He said ISIS fighters kill innocent people and understand only the language of bloodshed.
He noted that ISIS is a bad group that came with the aim of sabotage and destruction and that the group was made up of misguided bandits.
The mufti explained that talking about ISIS fighters and exposing their deception and deviation is a must, adding that their reality must be revealed so that the people would not be deceived by them or by the name of their group.
If this is the description of the ISIS, then what will be the future with the appearance of a more extreme, radical group that enjoys more killing?
The question which lacks a convincing answer is: How a group that does not have anything other than a few thousand fighters could expand on the ground that easily?
ISIS overran — without resistance — large swaths of Iraqi territories, continues to spread in areas in Syria, has besieged Kurdish cities on the borders with Turkey, controls more than 60 villages, and deported more than 100,000 refugees within a few days.
According to information leaked by the Pentagon, the cost of the war on ISIS amounted to about $5.7m a day since the beginning of air strikes in Iraq. It added that spending on the war can would exceed $60bn in the coming three years.
How can we fight terrorism? Can this be achieved by eliminating ideas, or fighting the group that embodies them on the ground? The English philosopher, John Locke, said: “Wherever law ends, tyranny begins.”
Without an end to the religious, political, social and human tyranny, without building a civil society that spreads the culture of dialogue, without believing in the principle of moderation to face violence, corruption, militancy, rigidity, and without respect for the rule of law, the Arab and Muslim world will not stop producing the culture of extremism and terrorism embodied in groups like ISIS, Al Qaeda, Al Nusra, Boko Haram, Abu Sayyaf, Houthis, Asa’ib Ahl Al Haq, Swat and others, until the end of time.
