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| An ISIS execution. Unfortunately, this is not a scene from a movie! |
And not just ISIS. I think the world needs to take a stronger stand on ISIS, Al Qaeda, Al Shabaab, Boko Haram, and the many other terrorist organizations that seek to take away our freedom and return us to the dark ages.
It is not enough to ‘contain’ ISIS or any terrorist organization; they have shown what they can do despite being ‘contained’. Terrorists have no interest in cohabiting peacefully with the rest of the world. They have attacked men, women, and children regardless of ethnicity or religion, and have committed heinous crimes against humanity.
Terrorists should not be contained; they should be eliminated.
It is unfortunate that destroying terrorist organizations often means all out war. I am not ignorant that wars are costly efforts. Young soldiers and innocent civilians will lose their lives and homes, families will be torn apart, cities will be destroyed. However, we must consider the costs of doing nothing. The enlightenment ideals of liberty, progress, reason, tolerance, right to life, separation between religion and state – all of which evolved over centuries and millions of people died defending - are under attack.
I have long wondered what form the Third World War would take. Yesterday, it struck me that it was upon us already! The world, developed and developing countries alike, is at war!
Beyond destroying terrorist organizations militarily, we must also address the root causes. While rich and poor people alike start and join terrorist organizations – these organizations often operate from unstable societies beset by poverty, unemployment, injustice, hunger, and lack of hope for the future. Terrorist organizations offer disenfranchised people an alternative to their current realities – whether in form of a salary, social services, or promises of an eternity in paradise.
This may be the conflict that defines our generation.
How will we respond?
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