How to Respond to Terror?

It could be contended that all the governmental responses to terror thus far have provided fertile ground for terrorism to take further root and spread—and unless leaders across the globe alter their approach, it is likely to worsen.

The world is an extremely insecure place at the moment. Terrorism and murder in the name of religion has grown from being an isolated, regional issue to a global concern. France, a Western European nation that is regarded as one of the economic and political powerhouses of the world, could not prevent one of the most prolific terrorist attacks in recent history.

The infamous 9/11 attacks in 2001 evolved the nature of terrorism. It became a global issue; terror was no longer regarded as something that was geographically limited; ideology and religious interpretation fuelled terror and determined who the enemy was, thus turning the entire world and its people into potential victims.

But has that global response in fact bred further dissidence? Young people, usually part of a racial or religious minority, who are sidelined by societal prejudice, repressive laws and prejudicial action by governments, become prime recruits to embark on these terror attacks.

It has been perpetually argued that France is a state with a proud secular tradition, which would be defended at all costs; a country where the right to freedom of expression protects sacrilegious over religious expression.

Whereas the wearing of a veil, hijab or crucifix in public spaces is either strictly or partially restricted, cartoons that offend an entire religion are permitted. These circumstances may breed the resentments that makes it easy to radicalise young disaffected Muslims—and make extremism lucrative.

South Africa also is a secular state where religion regularly has to take the backseat when measured against other rights. But religious extremism has not been a real threat in South Africa because everyone, including religious minorities, has been given a space to believe that they are part of society and that the laws and Constitution of this country uphold their rights as equally as others.

Rather than this more rational approach being adopted, France has redoubled its current hard stance—a stance which, if reinforced, could see the unfortunate backlash of religious minorities increasingly being viewed as outsiders and an increase in resultant radicalisation in response.

 

This sentiment sadly extends beyond the borders of France and is starting to take root throughout much of Western Europe. An unintended consequence of this approach is also to make a religion the enemy, rather than the extremists who abuse that religion to justify their terror.

South Africa’s balance of rights and our relative freedom from terrorism, however, does not extend to all of Africa. Boko Haram, responsible for the single most brutal and horrific slaughter this year, has been a scourge in northeastern Nigeria for years.

From the ineffective #BringBackOurGirls campaign that set the social media alight last year, to President Goodluck Jonathan’s threats that the terror group will be dealt with only if Nigerians vote him back into power, all point to the sad reality that even in the presence of an actual government, the country’s national response to terrorism has been poor.

Worse yet, regional bodies such as the African Union have failed the people of Nigeria just as much. With no concerted and effective military response to guarantee the safety of her citizens, Nigeria has handed northern Nigeria to the terror group. The African Union has stood by and failed in its mandate to maintain and strengthen stability across the continent by ignoring both Boko Haram and Somalia’s Al-Shabab, which grew out of weak, ineffectual governments.

If the world truly wishes to bring global terrorism to an end, it is obvious that the “Coalition of the Willing” will not be that vehicle. Afghanistan and Iraq have taught us that valuable lesson.

However, the current trajectory seems to be strengthening a campaign of terror—and at the heart of it lies the lack of an effective global response which addresses terror while at the same time not conflating it with one of the world’s major religions.