Quiet on Hamas attack on Israel, Arab nations should join global fight against terrorism

By NS Venkataraman* 
It is not clear whether United Nations Organisation, which is supposed to be the world body to ensure a peaceful world climate without war and violence and terrorism, has defined as to which group or which individuals should be viewed as terrorists.
There are number of groups in the world now who believe in violence and terror acts and mass murder, claiming that they are doing so for a particular cause. Such groups call themselves as liberators and motivate their followers, in the name of fighting for a separate country or to spread the base of their religion to make it as the dominant religion or universal religion in the world and so on. There is really nothing wrong if someone would want to strive to achieve the cause that they hold dear to their heart. But, in the process, if they would indulge in violence and terrorism to achieve their cause, they can legitimately be condemned as terrorists.
While there are number of such terror groups in the world today fighting for various cause, the term Islamic terrorist has come to stay and has become a byword, when anyone would seek explain as to who is a terrorist. This is unfortunate, since there are millions of Muslims in the world, spread in different countries , who believe in peace and harmony and have no faith in violence to achieve their ends. Unfortunately, such huge population of muslims across the world remain silent for all practical purposes, without objecting to the methods and acts of Islamic terrorists. In the process, the glorious teachings of Islamic scriptures tend to face the threat of being misunderstood by casual observers.
While several Islamic terrorist acts have taken place in the last few years with the Islamic terrorists not concealing their religious background, the recent surprise and brutal attack by Hamas against Israel has brought the attention of the world once again to the grim reality of Islamic terrorism very much present across the world.
Though the attack by Hamas against Israel is said to be protect the cause of the Palestine people, certainly millions of Palestine people would think in their heart that this should not be the way to achieve their cause.
In the process of attack by Hamas which has to be necessarily repulsed by Israel to protect its survival and sovereignty, innocent people in Israel and Palestine people have suffered enormously. Perhaps, at present, the sufferings of the Palestine people seem to be much more intense.
In such circumstances, it is high time to realise that the acts of Islamic terrorists do not help the cause of the religion nor the cause of the Arab nations and other Islamic countries. The Arab nations and Islamic countries should realise that terror is a double edged sword.
In the case of Hamas-Israel conflict, the Arab nations and other Islamic countries have not voiced their protest and disapproval against the acts of terrorism by Hamas. Most of them have virtually remained silent and some of them have expressed mild support to Hamas. In such scenario , the silence of the Arab countries would be taken as approval by the terrorists, who would further intensify their terrorist acts. Even the world community would wonder as to whether such silence amount to approval.
The unfortunate fact is that most of the Islamic terrorist groups have their base in the Arab countries or in other Islamic countries. It is not in the interest of these countries to allow the terrorists to use their soil.
One can be sure that Arab countries realise this grim fact that terrorist acts should be put down but do not seem to have the courage of conviction to openly say so. In the case of the Hamas Israel conflict, a few Muslims have conducted demonstrations in support of the terrorist acts of Hamas and most of such demonstrations are taking place in Arab countries and a few Islamic countries. The leadership of these nations should educate their citizens about the adverse consequences of supporting terrorism.
It is now well recognised that Palestine need separate state and this is possible to achieve in a proactive and peaceful atmosphere. Certainly, it cannot be achieved by indulging in terrorist acts and launching war.
The ball is clearly in the court of the Arab nations and Islamic countries to speak against terrorism openly and boldly and ensure that the term Islamic terrorist would become a thing of the past.
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*Trustee, Nandini Voice For The Deprived, Chennai