A deep dive into the biased narratives, selective outrage, and political motives that shape our understanding of international crises and terrorism
Raqif Makhdoomi
Terms like “Islamic Radicalisation”, “Islamic Extremism”, “Islamic Terrorism”, and “Islamic Fundamentalist” have become part of our everyday vocabulary. Many Islamic countries are routinely labelled as “sponsors of terrorism.” Yet all these terms have been introduced at the behest of the West.
Have you ever heard phrases such as “Jewish Radicalisation”, “Jewish Extremism”, “Jewish Terrorism”, “Christian Radicalisation”, “Christian Terrorism”, “Christian Fundamentalism”? No. Why? Because Western nations classify their every act as “peacekeeping operations”. They enter a country that is happy and flourishing in the name of “saving democracy” and leave it in ruins. Yet no one ever calls them radicals or extremists.
We are witnessing Gaza as a visible example of how openly a genocide is being carried out and still being called self-defence. Israel has violated almost every international law, yet no military action has been taken against it. On the other hand, Saddam Hussein had to face a full coalition of world powers for allegedly possessing weapons of mass destruction—weapons that were never found.
The main reason for the United States’ interest in attacking Iraq was to gain control over its resources. Iraq was exploited and destroyed, but no one calls the US a sponsor of terror. In March 2003, the US, along with allied forces, launched an operation against Iraq that included carpet bombing of residential areas—areas that had nothing to do with the so-called weapons of mass destruction. Has anyone seriously questioned the US for its actions? The answer is a resounding no.
The US has not only attacked Iraq. Its military interventions include China (1945–46), Syria (1949), Korea (1950–53), China (1950–1953), Iran (1953), Guatemala (1954), Tibet (1955–1970s), Indonesia (1958), Cuba (1959), Libya (1986 and again in 2011), and Kuwait (1991).
In total, the United States has attacked and destroyed 48 countries. Out of 195 countries in the world, this means the US has attacked approximately 24.6 per cent—nearly one-third of the world. Yet no US president has ever been labelled an extremist, a radical, or a terrorist. Saddam Hussein, however, was quickly labelled and eventually hanged for his alleged—and unproven—involvement.
Donald Trump has openly called for the mass displacement of the people of Gaza. To be put on record: mass displacement is a war crime under international law. Yet the so-called United Nations will not call for any action against the US or Israel. Why? Because whatever the West does is framed as being for the “betterment” of democracy and the “safeguarding” of humanity. But has the West ever truly acted for humanity? All it has done is ensure that humanity suffers wherever it sets foot.
Remember Afghanistan. The West made us believe that the Taliban were an evil entity. Yet after years of fighting, they handed over the country to the very same Taliban. We, as people with sane minds, must ask: how does bad become good? The answer is simple: the Taliban were never bad. What the West hates is Islam. Wherever they see Islam as a way of life, they become worried and spring into action. Dr Israr Ahmed (RA) explained this very well. The US has no problem with Islam as a religion. The problem arises when Islam is embraced as a complete way of life.
Israel is the largest distributor of pornographic content in the world, especially child pornography. What is wrong with pornography? Studies conducted on the effects of pornography show that it damages the brain. Pornography is a major reason why youth are engaging in premarital sex. A recent study conducted by a group of sociologists and psychologists concluded that premarital sex affects both body and mind, and deadens the soul. When a person’s soul dies, they become good for nothing.
Under the Rome Statute and various war conventions, psychological warfare is also considered a war crime. But has anyone ever held Israel responsible? No. Israel continues to play the victim card in Palestine while killing innocents, even after the so-called ceasefire.
Approximately half a million people died in Iraq as a result of war-related causes between 2003 and 2011. University researchers from the US, Canada, and Iraq based their estimate on randomised surveys of 2,000 households. This toll includes not only violent deaths but also deaths resulting from the invasion and subsequent infrastructure collapse. It far exceeds the 112,000 violent deaths reported by Iraq Body Count.
George W. Bush ordered and led these attacks. Why is he not seen as a threat to humanity or democracy? I do not recall a single US president who has not bombarded or invaded a country. Yet none of them has ever been listed on any terror list. Saddam Hussein, who allegedly had weapons of mass destruction, was hanged to death.
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are war criminals, as they have ordered the displacement of Palestinian people from their homeland. International laws and numerous conventions have declared mass displacement a war crime. But no one is speaking up. Meanwhile, the world is very concerned about democracy in Afghanistan. Where does the world get this audacity? I fail to understand.
There have been approximately 70 to 80 million deaths in World War II, the deadliest military conflict in history. These deaths represented about 3 per cent of the total global population in 1940, which was estimated at 2.3 billion. Yet there is no such outrage over these wars. Have you ever wondered why? Because such outrage does not serve the West’s purpose. Those countries never faced what Iran, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Cuba, and many other nations have faced or are facing.
2,976 people died in the 9/11 attacks. The whole world still calls it an attack on humanity. But half a million people killed in Iraq? No one bats an eye.
Selective outrage is what the West does best.
The World Trade Centre attacks remain a mystery. Do not believe that it was done by the Taliban. Most serious writers do not believe it—and neither should you. Question: How does an enemy plane enter the airspace of the United States without being detected? And that too twice in a single day? The Twin Towers were also attacked, but the world has always been told only about the World Trade Center.
Next time you hear terms like “Islamic Radicalisation,” “Islamic Extremism,” or “Islamic Terrorism,” remind yourself that this is Western propaganda and nothing else. And remind yourself that terms like “Jewish Radicalisation,” “Jewish Extremism,” and “Jewish Terrorism” are things the world should be saved from and must be called out.
The writer is a law student and a human rights activist
ra***************@***il.com