A menace to humanity

ISIS has pitted itself against the whole humanity bringing the crisis to a point of do or die, kill or get killed. The horror of their violent pattern added a new dimension to ruthlessness. No religion, culture or relic of civilisation is safe. Countless historical heritages and priceless artifacts dating back to the dawn of civilization were either destroyed or looted by them.

It thrives on the confounded ideology of righting centuries' old wrongs inflicted by the oppressors on the oppressed. Islam is their tactical cover to confuse and consolidate power base as well as galvanise international radical appeal. ISIS hydras cannot be fought out solely by military means. Efforts should also be geared to dislodge them from the self-righteous moral podium. The coalition partners led by US should also concentrate on the moral front so that ISIS was stripped of their appeal. What prevents them from stopping Asad's juggernaut at the point of two hundred thousand dead already and several millions uprooted in Syria? Is it too difficult to stop Israel from carrying out medievalist barbarity on the defenseless Palestinians for more than sixty years? Only Palestinian statehood can solve half the ISIS problem and Asad the rest.

Yusuf Azad
Chief Evaluation Officer (Retd.)
Education Board Rajshahi