Whose road is ISIL (ISIS)?

By: Mohamed S. Kamel*

@mskamel

June 21, 2014

Until a few weeks ago most of us knew nothing called ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), some know them as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and ‘Sham’).  But why did they move now and why are we hearing about them today?

ISIL’s goal is the establishment of an Islamic state in Iraq and the area known as the Levant, which is Syria, Lebanon and partially Jordon. They are labelled Islamist Sunni group. ISIL was formed after we brought Al-Qaeda to Iraq. No one can say for sure who they are exactly.  Is it Al-Qaeda’s agenda or a western one?  Are they freedom fighters? Or are they created to distract the revolution and initiate the inter-Islamist fighting (Sunni Vs Shiite)?

I am not too concerned with this group called ISIL as I was not and I am still not concerned with Al-Qaeda.  But we should be concerned with the environment that is creating these types of movements. Without justification, are these groups a reaction to a sort of injustice or are they being created to execute a hidden agenda?

 

After the fall of the Othman Empire and the rise of the nationalism in the land of that dead empire, we, in the west, were busy assuring that this area does not arise at all.  We used legitimate and illegitimate means to dismantle that empire into tiny states with disputed boarders.  And appoint tyrants to manage these pieces of land for our own interest, to guarantee the flow of the resources and the silence of the people’s ambition.  Nothing different than what we are doing in Latin America.

Our governments succeeded in their mission in preventing any people’s movement.  We stood against people’s ambitions and supported military coups.  Examples are several, the top ones are 1953’s removal of the democratically elected Mosaddeq in Iran, and in the same style, the 2013 removal of the democratically elected Morsi in Egypt.  Mosaddeq was a leftist and Morsi is an Islamist.

Working clearly against the Arab liberation movements in the 50s and the 60s, and working strongly against the Arab spring in 2011 until now, and all through our strongest and most hated allies, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  It is the birth place of Al-Qaeda and main supporter of the ISIL to defeat the revolution in Syria and to intense the relation between Sunni and Shiite.

We limited the rights to us and limiting the ‘Human Rights’ to a slogan could be used when we disagree with any of these tyrants or when they become a liability to us as with Saddam and Mubarak.

I was never a fan of the Othman Empire and not a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, but people’s choice is a basic right and have to be supported by all of us, by all legitimate means.

     

We usually follow the road that goes against people’s wishes and expect that these people will respect us.  Are we really interested in stability and peace?  I don’t think so.

I still have hope that there is a Ghandi somewhere that can stop this insanity that is taking place in the Middle East.  Why don’t we give these people a chance to try our deficient democracy that we enjoy?

Can’t we understand that not supporting people’s rights and democracy, is the road for terrorism and destruction, the road of Al-Qaeda’s family. Hate is a can of worm that we opened and no one ever will be able to close it.

It has been said that “insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”
So we are!

Mohamed S. Kamel