By Aziz A. Mubaraki,
Following the 9/11 massacre, many believe that all or at least most Muslims support bin Laden’s hateful doctrines. But the fact is, the majority of Muslims, do not subscribe to Al-Qaida’s twisted interpretations of Islam and they think that it can be fittingly compared to the KKK’s interpretation of Christianity or the fanatic Hindu groups’ interpretation of Hinduism. They all mischievously use the religion as means to spread their vicious messages and knowingly misinterpret the words of peace in the holy books, to justify their evil actions.
The death of bin Laden is more symbolic than substantive. The September 11 attacks had a searing emotional effect on the lives of common Americans — especially those families who lost their near and dear ones in the terrible tragedy. One does not need to be an expert in psychology to understand why Americans flocked to the Ground Zero, the White House and a few other points in celebration of the news of bin Laden’s death.
But I feel America has won nothing by killing bin Laden- even though it’s possibly true that Osama’s death will weaken al Qaeda’s capacity to sow terror to a good extent. Real victory against terrorism will continue to dodge us all until we finish rebuilding the countries destroyed in the US-led war against terrorism.
Seething in anger and vengeance the US rushed into Afghanistan without having conceived any plan or will to rebuild the country which was set to be ravaged in the US-sponsored war. They embarked on another unnecessary war in Iraq destroying it completely, chasing the phantom of their national fears. Fighting for their self-importance, they squandered treasures on ill-conceived military misadventures and created more bin Ladens for the future. No doubt, the ordinary people who died on 9/11 were innocent. So were the victims in Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan. And we know that many of them suffered horrible deaths, unthinkably horrible.
US cannot escape the conclusion as to what unfolded inside those prisons at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, were inhuman and gruesome. They misused international support to fight for their personal grudge, and to re-establish their much-scratched reputation, egotism and monopoly. Bin Laden’s death will not change much of the situation on the ground as many still lie in limbo as victims of sheer injustice. People are still oppressed and denied their basic human rights. Their lives are threatened every day.
If good men do nothing the evil will triumph- it’s a natural rule. We should not stay complacent and bury our heads in the sand foolishly hoping that injustice will not target us again. We need to stand by them who are victims of injustice and join hands with those who fight against injustice. We have to get united in sincere effort to rebuild the world all over again…
(The author is Member, Advisory Committee, Airport Authority of India(AAI), Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India)