For those who thought the war on terror was winding down, the
recent London attacks should have come as yet another rude
awakening.
A week and a half ago, four bombs exploded in England, killing
over 50 civilians and injuring more than 700 people. It was an act
of unadulterated barbarity. It also should have come as no
surprise.
Though war has been openly declared on the West for decades,
many continue to shut their eyes, hoping that the problem will
simply disappear.
Those who ignore the harsh reality of modern-day terrorism
remain willfully blind to our generation’s predicament. Bali,
New York, Turkey, Australia, Morocco and so many other nations have
felt the brunt of savage, unapologetic, fundamentalist terrorism.
Last week it was London’s turn.
England has in fact become a safe haven for radical Islamist
groups. British extremist networks have produced a number of
home-grown terrorists, and it remains likely that the London
bombings were perpetrated by such people.
Richard Reid, the notorious “shoe bomber,” was from
England. Two Britons infiltrated Israel and blew up a Tel Aviv
night club in 2003. In March 2004, British authorities arrested a
cell of terrorists with quantities of the biological agent
ricin.
Given the current threat, there is absolutely no excuse for
anything short of an all-out assault on terrorists and those who
harbor and aid them. The enemies of freedom have stated their
abominable intentions and we must respond in kind.
The war against al-Qaeda and their ilk is not about a border
dispute, an occupation or any one foreign policy decision. Such
terrorist groups are fundamentally opposed to who we are and what
we stand for. This is clearly understood from the writings of their
ideological mentors, including Ibn Taymiyya, Mohammed ibn Abdul
Wahhab and Sayyid Qutb.
Wahhabism specifically has laid the foundation upon which
today’s terrorism and xenophobia emanate. The same
hate-filled Wahhabi ideology now invoked by al-Qaeda instigated
numerous massacres against those branded as “infidels,”
such as the murder of 5,000 Shiites in Karbala in 1802.
Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad, the well-known pro-bin Laden British
radical, declared April of last year in a Portuguese magazine,
“We don’t make a distinction between civilians and
non-civilians, innocents and non-innocents. Only between Muslims
and unbelievers. And the life of an unbeliever has no value. It has
no sanctity.”
Similarly, the man who recently confessed to murdering Dutch
film-maker Theo van Gogh stated in court, “I can assure you
that one day, should I be set free, I would do exactly the
same.” Addressing the victim’s mother, he continued,
“I cannot feel for you … because I believe you are an
infidel.”
The enemy is crystal clear about its intentions, if only
we’d listen.
Several principles thus must be clearly established.
Primarily, we must win. If Osama bin Laden wins, all women will
be forced into servitude and all men will be forced to partake in
his perverse interpretation of Islam. Our lives, our civilization
and our culture will be destroyed. This is why our victory must be
absolute and total ““ not just in the battles, but the war.
America, Britain and our allies will be triumphant so long as we
stay the course and act with unwavering resolve.
Though bin Laden sees democracy as weak and fractious, the
forces of freedom provide strength far beyond what he could
imagine. Women’s rights, freedom of press and religious
pluralism are heretical to bin Laden, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Mullah
Omar and the rest of their gang of thugs.
In reality, however, the freedoms that a liberal society
embodies are its ultimate strength and are far more powerful than
any bayonet, bullet or bomb.
Additionally, there must be absolutely no victory for terrorism
““ period. There is much work to be done on this front, and
indeed the trend must be reversed after the shameful Spanish
capitulation in the wake of the Madrid train bombings.
Terror must never elicit political gain, only the firm
understanding that resorting to terrorism delegitimizes even the
most legitimate of causes. In the war on terror, victory fuels
victory and defeat begets defeat. Anything short of total victory
is unacceptable.
Meanwhile, I predict more bombs and carnage. Unless grave
measures are taken, including pressuring dictators, supporting
democratic reform, and toughening counter-terrorism actions, the
streets will continue to run with blood.
London will be hit again and again, as will Poland, Washington,
Spain, Israel and elsewhere. Until the world recognizes that this
war extends far beyond Iraq, and will continue decades into the
future, these senseless murders will continue unabated.
With quiet determination, we must fight on, never hesitating and
never halting. The enemies of freedom must be crushed. Their demise
can come about not a moment too soon.
Keyes is a third-year Middle Eastern studies student. E-mail
him at dkeyes@media.ucla.edu.