Fear.

By: Ahmed ELNAHAS – Montopoli, October 24^th 2013.

Yesterday the news agencies Ansa and Reuters have respectively aired two flashes, in few words each, apparently having no connection whatsoever binding them; however I think that a connection exists..

1.      “…there are more than 60 thousand Iranian fighters present in Syria engaged in combat flaking Assad’s armed forces”. So confirms Ahmad Jarba, leader of the Syrian National Coalition, in London where the international conference “Friends of Syria” is taking place.

2.      Hassanial Bolkiah the Sultan Of Brunei (and one of the top five richest men on the globe, nfa), announced the entry in force of the ‘Sharìa’ into the Penal Code by April 2014. Thus penalties like “Stoning” and “Amputation” will be introduced and executed.

One may wonder where is the connection? What could be the relation between a Syrian Civil War and the peaceful Sultanate of Brunei? My answer can be envisioned once we realise the western fearsome understanding of the fast spreading bush-fire-type Radical Islamist Movements over vast areas of the world; and the extended ability of those movements to shape and influence International Politics.. For the USA, NATO and Allies it is a very serious hazard other than a very costly one (in terms of intelligence, planning, coordination, logistics, displacements... etc).

In the Syrian case, we have a large scale Shia intervention in support of Iran’s last, and most important, ‘front line foot hold’ in the Middle East.. For Iran, Syria is its National Security strategic defence line against [a] the Turkish expansive intentions, and [b]  the Western Alliance sponsored New Kurdistan project. That’s why the leader of the Syrian National Coalition, knowing well the western worries though not too well the western plans, did confirm the volume of the Iranian interventions in Syria to enhance western ‘fears’ and accelerate their ‘plans’ of a substantial political and financial support for a ‘New’ Syrian Government (hopefully not another replica of the Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya experiences).

Also for the Sultanate of Brunei case, I believe that the same applies.. We have an extra rich oil producing country, trapped and encaged geo-politically inside Malaysia (one of Asia biggest Islamic States which is hosting large militarised Fundamental Islamic groups); so by risking the expansion of Islamic Militancy Extremism into his Sultanate, and not having enough popular support to counter such possibility; the Sultan, also not wishing to mortgage his oil revenues and/or concede foreign bases in guarantee for a Western intervention to protect his Throne (as the Gulf States did for the past two Gulf Wars with the consequences that we all know); he chose to present his plan for establishing the Sharìa as the Main Source for legislation.

So both issues are closely connected by the Fear from Islamic Extremism, in one way or another.. Regardless how you look into the merits of each one of these news flash, or read what may be hidden between the lines.

Having reached such an observation, I can’t help wondering about the reason(s) of the Islamic Moderate currents’ reluctance (or perhaps even incompetence) to make front against the growing defiant frustrated and aggressive thrust of the Islamic Radical Extremism; the one that has even succeeded in two decades to infiltrate the upper ranks of the International Islamic States Conference, other than its increasingly alarming influence over the International Congress for Islamic Studies and  Researches  (through the effective roles of the Shia scholars on one hand and the financial muscles of the Wahabies on the other). 

That’s why I invite all Historians, Sociologists, Anthropologists, Ethnologists, Philosophers, Muslim Clergy Scholars and competent analysts to study carefully the phenomena in order to diagnose its root cause and suggest the practical remedy(ies) that are needed to definitely cure the cause, not just like ordinary pain killers to periodically calm the symptoms.

Maybe then our future generations could find a way out from the overwhelming senses of doubt, fear and insecurity that are corroding our daily lives; magnified by the paralysing uncertainty about how safe we really are.. All of which are legitimate sentiments when constantly nourished for long periods by such a spiral of Irrational Blind Arrogant Violence.

Pass On The Word.