The war against extremism

Jordan has been successful, so far, in confronting militant jihadist threat both domestically and along its wide borders with Iraq and Syria.

This is due, in big part, to its political stability and to the vigilance of its security bodies and strong armed forces.

Jordan has been affected by regional crises since the outbreak of the Arab Spring, of the civil war in Syria and the upsurge of bloody sectarian confrontations in Iraq.

More than a million Syrians found refuge in Jordan, adding to the Kingdom’s economic hardships. And since jihadist groups joined the war in Syria, hundreds of Jordanians have crossed the border to fight alongside Jabhat Al Nusra and the Islamic State (IS).

To deal with the challenge of Jordanian jihadists, the government has employed a number of strategies, including starting a dialogue with key salafists in the country, controlling hate speech in mosques and adopting economic plans to improve the lives of citizens living in impoverished areas such as Maan and Zarqa, where radical ideas flourish.

But it also relied on its security bodies to monitor and arrest would-be jihadists, those who promote radical ideas and fighters returning from Syria.

In the past few months, Jordan emerged as an important player in the war against Islamist militants in Syria and Iraq. It joined the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State and His Majesty King Abdullah has been active in local, regional and international arenas, defending the campaign against militants and proposing ideas to confront what he recently described as “the war within Islam”.

He is actually the only Arab and Muslim leader who has invested time and effort to explain the current crises in the region and to suggest ways to deal with them.

In his recent meeting with former prime ministers of the country, King Abdullah said the war against terrorism and radical ideologies “is a military war in the short run, a security war in the medium term and an ideological war in the long run”. 

He stressed the importance of building an Arab-Islamic coalition against terrorism, reiterating that “the war against the terrorist groups is an Arab and Islamic affair, because the groups with extremist ideologies will not stop at Syria and Iraq if they gain more power, but will work to extend their grip to other Arab and Islamist countries, and worldwide”.

The King knows that stopping IS militants and other terrorist groups who have hijacked Islam is a challenge for Arabs and Muslims, since radical jihadist ideology knows no border.

It is a challenge that the region must face collectively.

The military war, in the short run, may succeed in stopping the advance of militant groups and may even eradicate them, but without a long-term plan to deal with radical ideas, the threat will always be there.

This is the responsibility of Muslims everywhere and it will not be easy to defeat radicals who are active in countries that stretch from Pakistan in the east to Nigeria in the west.

Radical Islam has become a major challenge in Europe and the United States, among others, and defeating it means that moderate ideas, which make up the core of Islam, must be spread and promoted.

King Abdullah, who is well aware of the danger that militant groups in Iraq and Syria pose to Jordan, has warned that the air campaign will not be enough to defeat the jihadists. 

Jordan’s concern now is to make sure that the militants do not succeed in their attempt to take over Al Anbar province, in western Iraq, and in Syria’s southern governorates, which border Jordan.

He declared that Jordan will do its best to support the local tribes in these two countries. It is essential to make sure that these vast areas are defended by their own people.

It is not clear how Jordan will do this. The King pointed to the role of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army in this regard, but the extent to which Jordan will go in reaching out to these tribes remains unknown.

Historically, Jordan has had good relations with mostly Sunni tribes close to its borders, but it cannot carry out this mission by itself. It needs the help and support of countries in the region and beyond.

Jordan stands to play a major role in the war against terrorist groups, but that role goes beyond its military and security abilities. 

King Abdullah proposed what can be described as a roadmap to fighting radicalism in the name of Islam. His diagnosis of regional challenges is important. His role as a spokesperson on behalf of Arab and Muslim nations is invaluable and his ability to steer the Kingdom through major regional upheavals is commendable.

His call for an Arab-Muslim coalition to fight extremism and spread Islam’s message of tolerance and moderation must be embraced by regional leaders.

Defeating radicals is a long-term objective that requires commitment and devotion. 

The writer is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman.