RISE OF ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS WORLDWIDE
The rise of Islamic fundamentalism world-wide is causing concerns, especially to those countries that follow different faiths, notably Christianity and Hinduism. Implications of this could be multi-faceted: political, geographical, economical and cultural. Apart from these, the threats to lives and settlements of the innocent population at the ground-level are incalculable.
Why this sudden ascent in Islamic fundamentalism?
This is a question being asked by everybody. If we look for the causes, we can find these as the major ones.
1. Growing intolerance amongst Muslims, in general, towards people of other faiths and beliefs, whom they call infidels’.
2. In countries where they are in majority, they declare themselves an Islamic state, evolving the laws of governance and social practices based on Koran and its edicts.
3. But in countries where they are only minority, they still demand separate set of laws guaranteeing full autonomy to them, in religious, social and cultural spheres.
4. This ‘autonomy’ is not granted to the religious minorities in Muslim nations. On the contrary, several restrictions are placed on the minorities to openly profess their faith and follow individualistic customs. All languages which are considered alien to Arabic group are considered unfriendly / inimical.
5. Islamic societies, due to historic reasons,cannot function on democratic lines and they have been ruled only by monarchs, dictators or military leaders. Thus, they have only two options: absolute tyranny or servility.
Obviously, the second one before leaders or groups following other religions is simply unthinkable and is possible only in ‘their own’ nations.
6. In the name of defending Koran and following the diktats of Mullahs and Imams, the religious bigots, majority of them want others to embrace their religion or face the consequences. This is sometimes a veiled threat
and many a time, an open threat.
7. The abundance of petroleum fields have enriched the middle-east group of countries with billions of petro-dollars and this economic might of theirs must have given them the wherewithal and necessary courage to export terrorism to countries that contain ‘infidels’.
THE EFFECTS OF ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM
Youngsters, even highly educated and working as professionals in other countries are indoctrinated so deeply on religious lines and importance of ‘jihad’ (holy war to defend Islam), ‘fiyadeen’ (suicide attacks) and ‘fatwas’ (commands from the top echelons of religious order) are emphasized and people are made to internalize these concepts. People who were brain-washed thus lose their capacity to think rationally and become beasts in human form.
Even right-thinking people within their own community either countenance all these ugly goings on or tacitly support such activities, without any sense of guilt.
When terrorists are found in their midst, the community elders do not chide them nor throw them out nor inform the law-enforcing agencies (police/any investigating agency/army). Instead, they choose to protect the ‘black sheep’ by giving them food, shelter and even organizing resources for them to meet, plan and act. This is nothing but active connivance.
Sadly, nobody realizes that their religion has come to be associated with terrorism, even though peace-loving people among them who adopt a neutral stance are still the majority (> 70 %).
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS THAT MAY ARISE
1. Since Chechnya and Kazakhstan are now affected by the rise of Islamic radical groups, Russia which was once their natural ally in Afghanistan, Iran etc. may be compelled to rethink about continuing their friendly ties
with all the Islamic states in general and the aforesaid countries in particular.
2. Some parts of China are also witnessing upcoming Islamic radicalism and thismay force it to withdraw all its moral, economical and military support to Pakistan, Iran and others.
3. Israel and USA will become partners to India in combating global terrorism and India may have to openly acknowledge receiving help from Israel one day, even if it means loss of Islamic vote bank locally.
4. All the countries outside the Islamists ring may jointly strive for developing alternate fuels, so as to reduce their dependency on petroleum products.
5. In the world bodies, the representation of the Islamists may become low and their voices weak. Furthermore, severe economic sanctions against the rogue states may be imposed. Thus, it will be a kind of global ostracism.
How fast all these are going to happen is entirely in the hands of the groups led by Osama Bin Laden, Mulla Omar, Dawood Ibrahim, ISI and their supporters.
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