London Riots: Another Face of Terrorism

As we are near to the tenth anniversary of 9/11 a stark realization must be dawning upon those who have used certain acts of terrorism as a means of creating a bi-polar perception of humanity, a “them and us.” Typically, this has been manifest in religion, specifically Islam, which has been presented as a conquering force. But as events of late have shown, this isn’t actually the case.

Just a few days ago Norway suffered the wrath of a right-wing extremist. We have been told that this was ‘unexpected”. Yet I wonder if this is complacency based on political agenda no better illustrated in the fiasco that was Herman Cain’s candidacy where he spent much time criticizing Muslims only to later backtrack when he realized that his policy of gaining election through fear wasn’t quite working.

Whether it is a group of people blowing up the twin towers in NY, a group bombing the London underground, an individual murdering children in Norway, or rioters and looters in London; these and other groups have a single objective in mind, to protest – not lawfully, but through any means possible, irrespective of the consequences of their actions, be it the loss of life or the destruction of property.



Crucially, the mindset is not singular to any faith group; rather it is a matter of intolerance and impatience.

Where Everything Starts

I’ve been following the riots, not through traditional media rather through first-hand reporting via twitter and Facebook – these are real time updates where I’ve noticed published media tend to be 15-30 minutes behind. On the issue of technology there have been widespread requests to shutdown the Blackberry Messenger service, which some believe has been fundamental in organizing these riots, to shutting down the entire mobile network.

Both are of course mute points and side issues as the same technologies are helping the emergency services and citizens report and warn on incidents.

Amongst the many groups on Facebook that have popped up garnering tens of thousands of supporters is a matter of hours is one where a rioter claims that Mark Duggan, the man who was shot, around whom these riots were apparently instigated, was his friend.

Putting aside reports that he was a gangster and a drug dealer, after his opening status, “I’m loving what is happening…mark wasn’t just any random guy like yourself. He was someone who took care of our own community. In every way possible you imagine in your head”

My initial and simple response to his statement was to question how he is honoring the death of a man who ‘looked after his own community’ by destroying the communities of other people. This, sadly, is the same mindset employed by every terrorist group – the destruction of something else, to express your own anger.

Stripped down, this attitude is not a reflection of any religion, rather, it is the disturbing reality of a poor, selfish, character, unaware of the impact of his actions; just so long as when he goes home to bed at night he has safety and security – a luxury he has no hesitation in denying others.

Responsibility...
Herman Cain isn’t a foolish man; a quick look at his bio on Wikipedia shows a smart, successful businessman. Yet for someone with his position, he has shown the same level of irresponsibility as thugs currently rioting and looting. Sure the two are at different extremes, the mindset is however the same.
As people of conscious, we need to redefine a few things, the first being this war on terrorism. It is already a marginalized phrase as the only terrorists it seems as (crazy) Muslims, while anyone ‘white’ is ‘disenfranchised.’ And secondly, we need to address our approach based on common values – it is possible to have very different faiths while sharing core common values.
If instead of stereotyping large swathes of our communities based on color or creed, we focus more on understanding people and their concerns; addressing those concerns instead of sidelining them, we may be a step closer to stability in our societies.
If a person wishes to cause harm to themselves or to others, in reality there is probably very little any of us can do to stop them. However if our police and security services are going to stand a chance of doing just that, stopping them, they need the support of people across colors, across creeds; they need that relationship of trust to be in place.
The problem is, every time society suffers in this way, it is so much easier to blame someone else than to reflect on whether we were part of the problem in the first place; e.g. spending billions on wars which many of us did not believe we needed in the first place all the while basic services are being cut.
Nearly 12 months ago home Secretary Theresa May said, ‘We can cut police budget without risking violent unrest.’
Instead of cutting our basic services as a means of getting out of this recession, we need to start investing in our people and in our industries. For as it stands some of the rioters opined that their stealing during akin to the bankers who we bailed out while they continue to reward themselves with excessive bonuses. If we’re going to clear the apartment block, let’s look at every floor, not just the lower echelons.
As to the rioters a simple message: Mark Duggan died leaving behind three children. There is much heartache and misery. Be the better persons, and do not inflict heartache onto other people. As if he was a good person, who did good things, by doing bad, you are dishonoring his memory.

Farrukh I. Younus holds a master's degree in international business management and works in the emerging telecommunications industry across Europe and Asia. Dedicated to understanding and delivering solutions based on new technology, Younus has spoken on the subject to the European Parliament in Brussels, and regularly attends industry-leading conferences worldwide. His cross-cultural knowledgebase is strengthened with extensive international travel that includes visits to China on more than 25 occasions. His interests include travel, nouvelle cuisine, and chocolate.

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Somalia’s forgotten war

Al-Shabab’s celebration of the Kampala attacks is bad news for Africa
Sunday's twin suicide blasts in Kampala, which killed more than 70 people mostly football fans, are a grim reminder of the festering conflict in Somalia. The radical Al-Shabab movement has claimed responsibility and threatened to carry out more attacks against Uganda and Burundi unless the two countries withdraw their forces from Amisom, the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia.
Somalia has been embroiled in a bloody civil war, which has left this once promising country in tatters, for more than 20 years. The tragedy of Somalia is compounded by the fact that no one really cares about what’s happening there. Its conflict has become invisible. But this is proving to be a costly mistake, as the terrible attacks in Kampala have shown. Somalia’s disintegration as a country has produced a number of anomalies such as pirates, but the biggest threat is the rise of extremist movements in the midst of total anarchy and their quest for control.
Baghdad and Kabul are like Scandinavian cities compared to Mogadishu, Somalia’s decrepit capital. The daily reality there is made of street wars, bombings, beheadings and tribal fighting. It’s a forgotten war that now threatens to bring to power a regime that is more ruthless than the Taleban. But what is worse is that if it succeeds then Al-Qaeda and other fanatics will have a base from which they can destabilize other countries in Africa.
But getting involved is costly. Those who did were eventually chased out. The US, under President Bill Clinton, intervened briefly but left in a hurry after suffering 19 Marine casualties in Mogadishu. The UN too sent two peacekeeping missions between 1992 and 1995 only to see its coalition forces attacked by power hungry warlords. It finally abandoned the country and few months later the government collapsed.
As Somalia became engulfed by civil war, its neighbors, primarily Ethiopia, stepped in. Addis Ababa had previously supported the armed insurgency that ended the long rule of the country’s dictator Mohammad Siad Barre. But that only led to Somalia’s partition with Somaliland, the northwestern part of the country, declaring independence in 1991. By then the various Somali parties and coalitions had declared war on each other and a long and brutal fighting ensued. The result was disastrous for civilians and famine claimed the life of no less than 300,000 people in the mid-1990s.
By the onset of the 21st century Somalia had been divided largely along tribal lines with Somaliland and Puntland autonomous regions in the north and in the Horn of Africa while the south slowly fell under the control of Hizbul Islam and Al-Shabab movements. The federal government, recognized as the legitimate power in Somalia, could barely keep hold of parts of the capital and nearby regions.
When the Islamic Courts Movement briefly took over in the south, including the capital, in 2006 and imposed Shariah law, Ethiopia and the African Union quickly responded. Ethiopia invaded the south dislodging the Islamic Courts, but that only led to the birth of more radical off-shoots including Al-Shabab.
Al-Shabab was able to regroup and become a considerable force. They defeated the Ethiopians in a number of battles and finally drove them out the country. Now they have managed to neutralize the interim federal government and wage war against fellow Islamist rivals, including Hizbul Islam and others. The small African Union force is what stands in their way.
Al-Shabab movement will almost certainly take over Mogadishu and overthrow the government in the coming weeks and months. It will impose a strict Shariah law and turn what is left of the country under their control into a closed society run by arbitrary laws and ironclad rules. But that should be the least of the world’s concern.
The collapse of Somalia will have catastrophic results on all of its neighbors and most of Africa. The Kampala attacks prove that Al-Qaeda-like tactics, adopted by Al-Shabab, can easily move across borders with lethal results. The fact that the African Union peacekeeping mission there is hapless and could soon abandon the country is frightening.
Somalia is an ancient civilization and a land that has played a key part in East African history. Like many of its neighbors it has a checkered past and a complicated tribal and ethnic make-up. Now major chunks of this country have been impregnated by extremist militants. Piracy is only one face of Somalia today. This Arab League and African Union member state has been abandoned by the world community. But leaving it to its fate will not be easy or free of cost.
Somalia could prove to be more dangerous to world stability than Afghanistan and Iraq put together. It is true that it is an impoverished land, with little strategic assets, but allowing a radical Islamist movement to take over will have severe consequences on Africa and the region.

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