If the so-called Islamic State wanted a certain type of reaction to the Paris terror attacks, they must be rubbing their hands in glee. After all, what would be the purpose of killing so many innocent people if it doesn’t evoke a strong and somewhat kneejerk response – preferably one that would result in more deaths, destruction and chaos all around?
Immediately after the latest atrocity committed by a group in the name of Islam, French President Francois Hollande vowed a “merciless” riposte. French jets then intensified their attacks on IS strongholds in Syria, while other Western powers racked their brains on how to tackle the crisis which many claim could lead to a third world war.
The US had been conducting bombing raids in Syria for over a year now, although it is unclear whether any goals have been achieved. Russia joined the bandwagon recently, claiming more success in a few weeks than the Americans have in an entire year.
The mid-air bombing of a Russian jet by IS has given Vladimir Putin’s ambitions vis-à-vis his tussles with the West a sense of urgency. It is almost as if he wants to complete the job by himself in his desire to be seen as some sort of superhero.
While politicians are experts at milking a crisis to suit their own dubious ends, a disturbing, if somewhat predictable corollary to the Paris attacks has come in the form of rising anti-refugee sentiment across the free world.
At least 22 states in the US have started a campaign to scuttle a plan to resettle 10,000 Syrians by 2016, playing up fears that IS sympathisers and potential terrorists could sneak into the country riding the refugee bandwagon.
“I will do everything humanly possible to stop any plans from the Obama administration to put Syrian refugees in Mississippi,” said the state’s governor Phil Bryant.
President Barack Obama’s policy of welcoming such individuals “is not only misguided, it is extremely dangerous,” he added.
It simply flies in the face of logic and morality that innocent and helpless people fleeing the same IS scourge are being looked at with suspicion. Some officials have also gone on record saying only Christian refugees would be welcome, prompting Obama to call their suggestion “shameful”.
Obama, speaking on Monday at a Turkey summit of the world’s top economies, said it is “very important... that we do not close our hearts to these victims” of violence in the Middle East.
In Europe, too, refugees are being viewed with increasing suspicion with the leaders of Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic going public with their fears. The Czech President, Milos Zeman, even attended an anti-Islam rally on Tuesday, adding fuel to the problem of Islamophobia.
Those stoking the flames of hatred should ask themselves the question if wars have solved any problems. It has been several years since the US entered Afghanistan, but the Taliban are still alive and kicking. Strife and uncertainty still rule Iraq despite the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2006, and Libya continues to struggle after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.
Is it, therefore, not high time that the right lessons are learned and a new approach adopted in dealing with such problems?