The United Kingdom’s capital has now joined many world cities, which suffered or continue suffering from terror attacks, when four blasts killed no less than 50 people and wounded hundreds of others in various simultaneous underground bombings.
Shortly after receiving the news about this massive terror attack in London, it was published that the designated Egyptian Ambassador to Iraq was executed in Baghdad by el-Qaida-affiliated Islamists, a few days after he was kidnapped.
No doubt one doesn’t need much to learn the details about yesterday blasts in London, because many details are available in the press and many details are not clear yet, especially since no official responsibility was taken for these attacks and since many details are still unknown.
However, there are two main points to make: First, the simultaneous attacks were committed by a well-organized body or individuals, and that those who stand behind the attacks aimed to send a timed-message to the United Kingdom due to three simultaneous events that took place in this country: the G8 Summit, presiding over the European Union and probably also the winning of the competition for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Tied idology
Second, there are clear indications linking the ideology of those who probably committed the London attacks with those committing most of the blasts and attacks in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan in the recent few years, including the killing of Dr. Ihab el-Sherif, head of the Egyptian diplomatic mission to Iraq.
During the past decade, al-Qaeda, which was established to be an Islamic-Jihadi organization by Osama Bin-Laden, became a movement much more than being an organization. The fact that it succeeded to have followers in many countries didn’t contribute to strengthening the organization.
But the movement, due to geographic distances and security constraints, local cells and activists, became autonomous and even independent from bin-Laden and his surrounding al-Qaeda leaders.
Serious sources reported recently that Jordanian Abu-Mussa’ab el-Zarqawi, who leads al-Qaeda in Iraq, has very little to do with bin-Laden. There were some who claimed even that there is a certain competition between bin-Laden and Zarqawi about controlling the anti American activities in Iraq.
However, all those affiliated with al-Qaeda, and even those affiliated with the jihadist mentality telling that the United States and its allies are Muslims’ enemies and are eligible for death, believe that continuous messages should be transmitted continuously believing that creating fear and horror would change the American policies in specific and world policies in general vis-à-vis Muslim nations and movements.
A reaction
But, although any rational-thinking person and any person who cares for human life and dignity could not agree with the violent jihadist mentality and ideology, it is important to note that this ideology comes mainly in reaction to what its followers describe as the anti-Islamic approach of many western countries, especially the United States.
Although U.S. policies could be discussed and could be described as not being necessarily hostile to Islam, the most important is what the Islamic nations believe, and not what the observers believe or see in this regard.
To confront the supporters of the violent Jihadic mentality it is essential not to use a stick, such as what is perceived by most Arabs and Muslims as the current U.S. and even U.K. policies. We believe that the London blasts came in protest to the allegedly pro-U.S. foreign policy of the U.K. and that killing the Egyptian envoy in Iraq came because of the allegedly pro-U.S. foreign policy of Egypt.
Therefore, we could say there is a similar motivation that stands behind the violent acts in London. However, and while the United States and some of its allies use many "sticks," but not very successfully, they failed to offer sufficient “carrots” to the right addresses, meaning the vast majority of Arabs and Muslims.
Not enough 'carrots'
The vast majority of Arabs and Muslims continue to sympathize with jihadist groups and individuals who act against Western interests; but do not necessarily support them, knowing that they cause damage also to them.
However, the perception that the United States doesn’t provide them with “carrots” in any of the bilateral tracks, especially that of Palestine, continues to provide fertile grounds for the jihadist groups to recruit new followers not only in the Arab and Muslim countries, but among Muslims worldwide.
It should be clear to all that terror and violent jihadist groups and individuals should be stopped and brought to justice, but without providing solutions that would end or at least minimize the fertile grounds that produce followers to such thoughts.
The world in general, Western entities and their allies will continue to suffer from terrorism, especially from the worse kind of terrorists who will not care if they will die, but care mainly that their enemy dies.
