The need to stay the course

The terrorist attacks in Paris should remind us one more time that the failure to bring about a political settlement to the Syrian crisis will cost us dearly.

It is not enough for the world leaders to condemn the terrorist attacks, as this will not affect the modus operandi of the terror groups.

Daesh leaders must be rubbing their hands in glee as world leaders express their sadness, shock and solidarity with France.

The heinous attacks should surprise no one, as Daesh has never stopped its deadly attacks. And yet, one is perplexed why world leaders have demonstrated inaction with regard to the root cause of terrorism in this part of the world.

Thus far, every country that is involved in Syria claims that countering terrorism is the most important objective. This sort of declaration should lead to common ground among all countries.

And yet, this is not happening.

The struggle over Syria is deeper than many can imagine. For some, President Bashar Assad’s presence and that of militias serves as a magnet to the terrorists. The argument is that removing Assad from power within the context of a political transitional process is key to successfully and effectively fighting terrorism

On the other hand, there are those who insist that Daesh should be defeated first and a political process that does not exclude Assad can come afterward.

Unless there is agreement among the key regional and international supporters on
either side of the conflict in Syria, success in fighting terrorism is far from certain.

While one can understand the position of Assad’s regional and international backers, the same cannot be said about the West.

Western leaders never missed an opportunity to underscore that Assad’s presence helps Daesh recruit foreign fighters.

The West should realise that Daesh would not have reached this level of strength had it not been for the world’s inaction.

The attacks in Paris provided right-wing forces in the West with further ammunition to attack Islam, rather than militants.

The vast majority of Muslims around the world does not condone these attacks. Yet, in the wake of the attacks, Islamophobia is most likely to be felt among some circles in Western societies. 

Many Muslims living in the West will fear being associated with terror. This time around, right-wing forces may capitalise on the terrorist attacks to remind the French people that Muslims can be dangerous.

After the Charlie Hebdo attack in January, French statesmen, especially French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, made it perfectly clear that France was not at war with Islam. And yet, those statements did little to quell the underlying tensions between the French society and the Muslims of France.

This incident is not an isolated one. Many French would make the case that France has been the target of radical Islamists for a long time. But more than before, French statesmen should send a clear message that Muslims of France are also a victim of the attacks.

In brief, the deadly attacks can be a watershed that came as a reminder of the reality unfolded in the post September 11 world.

And what happened in France should not divert our attention from two key points. First, while the war against Daesh is in the best interest of all, Muslims across the world have nothing to do with the incident.

Second, the West should stay the course with regard to the need to get Assad out of Syria as a cornerstone of the strategy of fighting terrorism.