Friday, June 29, 2012

The origin and the lasting solutions to terrorism.


Oftentimes, I have stopped people from exaggerating discussions regarding discriminations because in the process of fighting discrimination and attacking bigots; (if care is not taken), we ourselves, end up discriminating! And it is so subtle to detect at times. Well-intended, I will say that we have left the age of racism, some decades ago! Although it is still part of our history and many bigots still exists today; but looking back at history with a proactive viewpoints always makes a lot of sense than flashing back with a victim mentality. I usually say that leaving the unnecessary battles for the impending wars of our age remains the hugest challenge confronting our generation so far. 

 Racism. Terrorism. Hypocorism!
As of this date, many people have died from hypocorism and terrorism more than from racism. Although discriminations still tries to rear its heads in our day, it has transformed from the very form we seems to know it to be! Today, racism has transformed itself into terrorism. And hypocorism has become the commonest form of its expression. The evil of discriminations hides away from detective eyes under pseudonyms! So it is difficult to see it for what it is. I can blindly say that our battle is no longer racism in actual sense. Rather, it is terrorism and hypocorism. So, let us leave the glory of the victory of those days of civil rights movements to those who actually fought and won such victories! There are Great Wars worth engaging in our day and our role is not to hide behind past victories of others! 

So, what is our battle today? What does our generation need to know and war against? Terrorism has been seen only from the angle of the person making an attempt to bomb an airplane or a person strapping himself or herself with bomb and detonating such explosives in the public in order to kill as many people as possible. The point is that terrorism is even more reflective in any leadership that aids and abets terrorist groups. Failing to engage, expose and combat terrorists is the same thing as being a part of terrorist groups. If a leader remains quiet about evil happening under his roof, he's either a coward or an accomplice of such evil. 
 Hypocorism, I know you've been wondering what that word meant. It seems too big for relaxation. I understand. That was actually deliberate! How can I prove to my mum that sending me to the university with her life-savings was not a waste? Okay! Enough of grammatical innuendo! 

Hypocorism in this context means glossing over the actual thing. Beating about the bush, making excuses for the obvious, and giving abbreviated observations to what really demands thorough scrutiny. This is what our generation is fond of doing. We are experts at covering the truth! We love to cosmetically makeup realities. Designing authentic with falsehood! Rather than call a spade a spade; we call it a forklift. We give it nicknames and pet-names. Oftentimes we do so, to create temporal peace. We suppress truth and colour the face of justice. Imagine someone who committed a murder deliberately. Our Justice system would cover it up at law court as mere manslaughter. As a result of the insanity of the judicial system, the suspect who was let go under the cloak of self-defence would return as monster several years down the lane.
 You can remember the state of African politics. Imagine a politician who loots the public treasury. The society cried and screamed. The media will start celebrating the same thief in the same state where the funds was looted almost within the same political era. It is so sad that our generation will excuse the evil and say that everyone deserves his or her own share of the national cake. Sadly this same corrupt politician would usually contest audaciously and win at the polls in the future election. Why because we have not managed to identify the actual war that we should be fighting against in our day! It is easier and safer to banter about other things but the most pressing issues. We will never exhaust topics like Global warming, financial melt downs, HIV/AIDS, etc. We readily hide from being bombed by shying away in the safety-nets of our professions and disciplines. Not realizing that everything is interconnected and interrelated in the grand scheme of things. The need to confront issues that remains pressing in our generation cannot be overemphasised.

The origin of terrorism 
 The origin of terrorism can be traced back as human history. It is a result of sheer intolerance, pride and selfishness! It is partly religious driven, but it is much more than that.
 I daresay that terrorism has a spiritual dimension to it. Although, time would fail me to delve into such aspect at this stage; it is not just ordinary. To the more educated, terrorist are nothing but some groups of misguided individuals, unreasonables, and unenlightened. However, it is so funny to know that in the world of the terrorists, everyone else are unenlightened, except the people in their own circle. So how do we reach such sect who believes that everyone else are blind except themselves. People may easily cast blame on those who lack enlightenment. Not realizing that we are the same society that bred these people! 
In the West, we bred terrorists from inequality, gangs, homeless and dropouts. By allowing school dropouts because we increased the school fees incredibly. In Africa, we bred the terrorists by allowing corruption, homelessness, hooligans (Area-Boys), unemployment, poverty, inequality. So those groups of people stoop to weapons against other human beings. 

 We sit in our homes arguing what audacity these terrorist have to assume that they can wipe out a certain race, a certain culture, a certain ethnic group. We sneered at them that these misguided folks does not realize that God is sovereign and he is always preserving at least a remnant in all His creation. Such school of thoughts expose our indifference and inefficiency when we start facing the extinctions of vital creatures from small to great. From great animals like the Dinosaurs to small animals like the Galápagos tortoise that refused mating and eventually went extinct recently for not breeding. 
The challenge we have in our hands by the series and continuous attempt at destroying another sect by some group of extremists is no longer a matter of cursory discussion.
 The need for in-depth analysis and study for solution becomes germane. We can no longer say that those extremist are stupid for attacking other tribes, race, or religion. That is not a solution. It is not enough to assign unnecessary respect to them as though they are sacred cows for attacking other groups of people with different ideologies. So, what is the way forward? And how do we solve the puzzle of terrorism in our day?

Lasting solutions to terrorism
Firstly, we must understand that there is no problem without solution. Thus, we must prepare for drastic measures. Some problems demands solutions that transcends waiting on nature and science. We cannot wait for terrorism to bid its time! We cannot rely on international communities to solve most local problems. Let every country whose citizens are oppressed by suspected terrorists take on their fight and engage their foes! This requires a deliberate and timely intervention by the government of each state. In every state that is besieged by terrorists, let every leadership be changed completely. Everything rise and fall on the leadership. The leadership that abets terrorism cannot fight the same (terrorism).
 Overpowering terrorism does not require a rocket-science! The leadership must take initiatives to investigate and prosecute promptly. And that may mean unveiling of series of names. Such need for flushing the societal system cannot be overemphasised. However, it will require true leaders, who are bold enough to stand in their office and confront evil and pluck out the unquenchable fiery darts of its power! 

The fact that terrorist have strategies that are difficult to understand does not mean that they cannot be traced and tracked. There is no secret under the sun. The way heaven so designed His universe, is so simple; such that every terrorist have relatives, one family member or the other! Since, terrorists are human being with families; who is going after these blood-ties and weak links? How many investigators, criminologists, forensic experts have been despatched so far? Where are the case files? Who is evaluting these cases for due diligence? So, where are other qualified, smart, spot on detectives? Where are the secret investigation bureaus? Where are the revamped police force and law enforcement agencies? Where are the unpolluted military forces with their artillery in battalions? But wait a second. Before we deplore bloodshed, have we thought of dialogues? Before going brutal, if we try negotiation, dialogue and diplomacy; we may succeed in ameliorating terrorism. But if those tools failed, then there will be no point wasting time.
We can also solve the problems of terrorism by creating an enabling society where things work naturally based on the good system that we have in place. This is not just a matter of the government but every members of the society must cooperate to achieve that. This is where social responsibility lies on the part of the entire state that demands a change. 

The Priam's principle.
Lastly, the audacity of a true leader will always put an end to terrorism. 
 The conversation that ensued between Priam, the king of Troy and Achilles; comes in handy here:
 Achilles: Who are you? 
 Priam: I have endured what no one on earth has endured before. I kissed the hands of the man who killed my son.
 Achilles: [realizes, stands abrubtly] Priam? How did you get in here? 
Priam: I know my country better than the Greeks, I think. 
 Achilles: [walks forward, lifts Priam] You are a brave man. I could have your head on a spit in the blink of an eye.
 Priam: Do you really think death frightens me now? I watched my eldest son die, watched you drag his body behind your chariot. Give him back to me. He deserves a proper burial, you know that. Give him to me. 
Achilles: He killed my cousin.
Priam: He thought it was you. How many cousins have you killed? How many sons and fathers and brothers and husbands? How many, brave Achilles? 

Just as King Priam, (the king of Troy) had to go after Achilles the one all warriors dread. When it comes to terrorism, the chief of armed forces, the prime minister, the president, the head of state must dare to go after the menace that threatens the dynasty of his state. The leader must learn to repeat the words of Priam to the terrorists, that: I know my own land more than any of you strangers! Lastly, the writer of proverbs said: be careful to know the state of thy flocks. The leader, the president who is not in the know of the state of things in his own country needs not be kept in office. A vote of no confidence, an impeachment, or even a voluntary resignation will help the state from terrorism. Why because the longer such leaders stay in position of authority that aids violence, the more devastating and irreparable the nation  gets. Education and enlightenment are two different things. So also is leadership  in terms of mere figure-heads, office-holders, and true audacious leaders!

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