(As appeared in Ithaca Journal 01/27/2015, Page B02, New York)
Arab leaders need to focus on defeating extremists
by NAT YOGACHANDRA
Early this month, hundreds of Boko Haram Islamic militants drove in trucks and armored vehicles, seized the Nigerian town of Baga and killed nearly 2,000 villagers, including women and children. They left bodies scattered everywhere.
Amnesty International described this terrible crime as the “deadliest massacre” from Boko Haram, and leaders said they had given up counting the bodies left lying on the streets.
While France mourned the recent terror attacks in Paris and global leaders joined the march in a show of unity on the streets of Paris, many around the globe have questioned why this terrible crime against humanity in Nigeria was almost ignored.
According to data compiled by the U.N. Council for Foreign Relations, deaths caused by Boko Haram are now comparable with the number of civilians killed by ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) in Iraq.
Therefore, the prime political issue for 2015 will be on how to defeat the Islamic terror groups. The world failed in 2014. Last year, when ISIS invaded a large part of western Iraq and seized power in a very daring way, many neighboring Arab countries looked shocked but did not take any immediate action. Based on several recent threats and bomb attacks in Western countries, ISIS also has become an evolving threat to the United States, Europe and elsewhere in the form of violence, supported by the group’s foreign fighters and its abundance of cash and heavy military equipment.
We all agree that these groups pose major threats and cause severe political and economic damages to the Middle East and to the Western world. Not only does it challenge the geography of the Middle East, tearing apart or eroding its borders, but it also spread its culture of destruction against women, children and education.
It is no secret that the Middle East is full of bitter rivals, since they belong to various sects of the Islamic Faith. But now they all have a common enemy that is trying promote violence and destroying the name of Islam. The terrorist groups have now identified a common objective of promoting violence and coordinating terror attacks.
Now is the time for all the Arab countries to grab this opportunity to put their differences aside and join in full force to combat these terrorist groups. Middle Eastern leaders should see a bright side in the emergence of ISIL, put aside their differences and petty rivalries, and join forces to eliminate ISIL and other terrorists groups.
Defeating ISIL will require a concentrated effort by the Arab countries over time. U.S. or Western military action alone will not defeat ISIL and could very well be used to recruit more young people to join their cause. Any strategies from the U.S. or Europe will only work with the regional cooperation of Arab countries.
Let 2015 be the year in which ISIL can bring all the Middle Eastern rivalries together so they join forces with the Western world and eliminate Islamic extremists forever.
Yogachandra is a Lansing resident.
Copyright © 2015 The Ithaca Journal. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March 2007. 01/27/2015
Arab leaders need to focus on defeating extremists
by NAT YOGACHANDRA
Early this month, hundreds of Boko Haram Islamic militants drove in trucks and armored vehicles, seized the Nigerian town of Baga and killed nearly 2,000 villagers, including women and children. They left bodies scattered everywhere.
Amnesty International described this terrible crime as the “deadliest massacre” from Boko Haram, and leaders said they had given up counting the bodies left lying on the streets.
While France mourned the recent terror attacks in Paris and global leaders joined the march in a show of unity on the streets of Paris, many around the globe have questioned why this terrible crime against humanity in Nigeria was almost ignored.
According to data compiled by the U.N. Council for Foreign Relations, deaths caused by Boko Haram are now comparable with the number of civilians killed by ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) in Iraq.
Therefore, the prime political issue for 2015 will be on how to defeat the Islamic terror groups. The world failed in 2014. Last year, when ISIS invaded a large part of western Iraq and seized power in a very daring way, many neighboring Arab countries looked shocked but did not take any immediate action. Based on several recent threats and bomb attacks in Western countries, ISIS also has become an evolving threat to the United States, Europe and elsewhere in the form of violence, supported by the group’s foreign fighters and its abundance of cash and heavy military equipment.
We all agree that these groups pose major threats and cause severe political and economic damages to the Middle East and to the Western world. Not only does it challenge the geography of the Middle East, tearing apart or eroding its borders, but it also spread its culture of destruction against women, children and education.
It is no secret that the Middle East is full of bitter rivals, since they belong to various sects of the Islamic Faith. But now they all have a common enemy that is trying promote violence and destroying the name of Islam. The terrorist groups have now identified a common objective of promoting violence and coordinating terror attacks.
Now is the time for all the Arab countries to grab this opportunity to put their differences aside and join in full force to combat these terrorist groups. Middle Eastern leaders should see a bright side in the emergence of ISIL, put aside their differences and petty rivalries, and join forces to eliminate ISIL and other terrorists groups.
Defeating ISIL will require a concentrated effort by the Arab countries over time. U.S. or Western military action alone will not defeat ISIL and could very well be used to recruit more young people to join their cause. Any strategies from the U.S. or Europe will only work with the regional cooperation of Arab countries.
Let 2015 be the year in which ISIL can bring all the Middle Eastern rivalries together so they join forces with the Western world and eliminate Islamic extremists forever.
Yogachandra is a Lansing resident.
Copyright © 2015 The Ithaca Journal. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March 2007. 01/27/2015
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