The shooting of two National Guardsmen some 500 metres from the White House in Washington DC by an illegal immigrant from Afghanistan has led to another tirade by US President Donald Trump against ‘aliens from hellhole countries’. He has described it as a terrorist attack, even though the exact reasons are not yet known. Trump’s outrage is ironic, however, considering he feted and glorified the biggest patron of terrorism, Pakistan’s Asif Munir, at the White House not so long ago. It is not possible to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds at the same time for too long.
The need to define terrorism in a way that is accepted by all has been reiterated many times at the United Nations by not just Indian delegations and Prime Minister Modi, but also the UN Secretary General. It is only when there is clarity on the subject can effective action be taken against it on the global level. The adage that “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” is what provides space to ideologies that inflict enormous suffering on individuals and societies across the world. A very clear example of this is the sanctuary, even support, that has been provided by nations like the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc., to followers of the Khalistan dementia. This is despite the fact that it is an ideology based on religious hatred and it attempts to achieve its aim through terrorist acts. The terrible consequences of the Naxal and Maoist inspired violence have been the greatest against the very sections of society these were supposed to liberate. And, yet, this tragedy is still being sought to be perpetuated by ‘ideological hobbyists’ safely ensconced in the corridors of academia. The recent infiltration of the pollution protests in Delhi by such elements is a case in point.
Human civilisation has evolved a long way to a level where it is actually possible to give a good quality of life to all across the globe. Unfortunately, the conflict of ideologies that belong to another era continues to destroy entire economies, societies and nations. It has been pointed out only recently that conflict in Nigeria is leading to widespread starvation – how can anything justify such consequences? Freedom of belief and speech have become the cover for many extreme ideologies in almost all democracies. As such, the international community must win through definitive clarity the battle of narratives that provides space for crimes against civilians, the unarmed, and the helpless.
