'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed: 'Extremist Islam Is Like Nazism; The Way To Eliminate It Is To Go After Its Ideology.' (
Memri).
Terrorism
Is Not About Leaders Or Their Motives But About Ideology And Those Who Spread
It.
In
his November 22, 2015 article, Al-Rashed wrote: "In May 2011, millions of
people across the world witnessed the end of al-Qaeda organization, or to be
more accurate, the end of the organization's leader, Osama bin Laden, who was
killed during a skillful intelligence operation. Bin Laden's body was wrapped in
sheets and iron chains and buried at sea. Whatever he had symbolized also ended
with his death, and al-Qaeda, which had terrified the world, was also buried
with him. All significant figures within the organization were either killed or
detained [as well]...
"What was believed to be a motive behind terrorism –
the U.S. military presence in Iraq – was also believed to have come to an end
when [the U.S.] withdrew.
"I think the problem
here is related to diagnosing the initial problem. Terrorism was neither about
leaders or their motives but about an ideology motivated by preachers, media
personalities, teachers and strong believers in extremism, who are more
dangerous than Bin Laden and Zarqawi.
These people are capable of producing
alternative leaderships and organizations, under different slogans and in
different areas. They invented Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as an alternative to Bin
Laden, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as an alternative to
al-Qaeda. Syria has become a new battlefield and Bin Laden's videos were
replaced by taking to Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp. They have become more
dangerous.
"The war has gone back
to square one, [but] terrorists nowadays are distinguished from their
predecessors. [The organizations] have now not only grown in size but also have
more experts and are more influential. They brought down a Russian plane using
a bomb estimated to contain 1 kilogram of explosives and carried out a series
of terrorist attacks in Paris. A terror branch in Nigeria crossed the borders
to Mali and seized a hotel taking hostages. Then ISIS claimed it executed a
Chinese hostage and threatened the United States with imminent operations. All
these terrorist acts which horrified the world were committed in less than a
month."
"Today's
Extremist Islam Is Also Fascist, And It Resembles Nazism, Which Is Based On The
Concepts Of Discrimination And Elimination"
"I think there is a number of mistakes when it comes to
understanding [the] “new” terrorism.
- The first mistake is believing that a
terrorist organization collapses with the murder of its leaders.
- The second is
believing that declared excuses are the motive for terrorism - particularly by
linking these excuses to liberation plans of the past; for example, claiming
that the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq would bring about an [end to] terrorism.
Historically speaking, al-Qaeda was born six years before the Iraq invasion and
it further expanded after the U.S. withdrawal.
- "The third mistake is
believing that the solution is to withdraw from crisis areas, like what
happened in Vietnam. The U.S. withdrew its troops from Iraq and refused to
enter Syria. The fourth mistake is getting involved in the sectarian game by
supporting Shiites or Sunnis against one another. The fifth and most important
mistake is taking a lenient approach to extremist ideologies, which is a major
problem and the source of the power of terrorism.
"After Adolf Hitler
committed suicide and following the burning of his body, the war's winners did
not just raise the flag of victory over Berlin but they also banned Nazi
ideology. They prohibited teaching it or marketing it and also prevented those
who are in any way related to it from practicing any social activities.
"Today's extremist Islam
is also fascist, and it resembles Nazism which is based on the concepts of
discrimination and elimination. Like Nazism, extremist Islam is based on
absolute loyalty to an ideology and to hatred and hostility against others,
whether Muslims or not. If you want to eliminate al-Qaeda, ISIS and al-Nusra
Front, you have to go after the ideology. Without doing so, we can expect the
next century to be filled with anarchy and terrorism."
"In
The Middle East, Our Version Of Nationalist Fascism Is Religious Extremism,
Which Is Just As Dangerous And Destructive"
In his May 28, 2015 article, Al-Rashed wrote: "It
is not a coincidence that in some Western countries, whose constitutions
clearly stipulate protecting freedom of expression and partisanship, Nazism is
exceptionally banned in belief and in practice, and those who violate this law
are punished. This is not hypocrisy or a retreat from respecting freedoms.
Nazism is banned because it is an extremist, fascist, nationalist ideology that
represents a direct threat to the nation. Its bloody history is modern, and its
fire still burns under the ashes. Extremist ideas are present everywhere, but
since Nazi extremism is very dangerous, liberal countries that believe most in
freedoms have decided not to tolerate it.
"In the
Middle East, our version of nationalist fascism is religious extremism, which
is just as dangerous and destructive...
"Nazis
believe in elevating the white race above all others. Nazism caused the
destruction of Europe, with 60 million people killed. After this disaster, the
majority took it upon itself not to allow this extremist ideology to dominate
in their societies. One can be religious, patriotic and nationalistic without
being committed to eliminating others.
"We fear
that we are at the beginning of the road to destruction in our region by
allowing extremists to impose their agendas on society... Confronting these
groups is everyone’s responsibility. Governments have major duties to fulfill,
their core task being to provide protection from the evils of extremist groups
that operate across borders...
"Extremists
have succeeded at confusing people’s perceptions of what is just and unjust,
and of who is friend or foe. They are also trying to divide people by
categorizing them by sect, ethnicity, good and evil, to the extent of
strengthening the idea of alternative identities to love of one’s country,
which is supposed to come before one’s tribe and sect, and where everyone
should have the same rights and duties."
"Amid
this poisonous atmosphere, the [nation] state has become the most threatened,
not groups and minorities, as some think. Destroying the civil ladder and
dividing societies harms the backbone of the state, its structure, [whereas]
persecuted groups always survive, no matter how besieged, pursued and displaced
they are. States have collapsed, but these groups have survived throughout the
centuries.
"Dangerous
extremism is expanding, and it requires serious restraints. It is not
acceptable for a university teacher, mosque preacher or ministry employee to
incite against certain social [sectors], as the government is responsible for
such acts because they employ these people.
"The
government itself refuses to be betrayed and punishes whoever violates its
laws. Those extremists, whether they know it or not, are destroying the
structure from its base. They are more dangerous to society than foreign
enemies, who fail when people are united and succeed when there are domestic
disputes and divisions.
"What
[obligates us to make] a law that criminalizes racism and sectarianism is the
collective stance of clerics, intellectuals and social leaders who voiced
support for unity and considered last week’s suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque
in the Saudi town of Al-Qadeeh as an attack against all of them.
Dozens of
writers, thinkers, and people with a clear conscience wrote in condemnation of
the attack. This was the biggest solidarity campaign Saudi Arabia has ever
known. The king’s statement against extremism has encouraged them to voice
their condemnation. These strong manifestations have disproved extremists’
claims about their popularity and influence, and confirmed that the state can
lead a project to eliminate extremism before it rots society’s strongest
pillar: its youth."
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