It has long been feared that IS and its auxiliary forces would sooner or later inject a sectarian dimension into a hitherto largely non-sectarian conflict. It has been finally proved correct, when at least 80 people were killed and another 231 wounded in the Afghan capital on Saturday in a twin bomb blast. By carrying out this terrible attack the IS now has expanded its horizons of targeted massacres from non-Muslims to Muslims of other sects. Moreover, they have now re-defined themselves, an enemy of not only non-Muslims but of the entire civilisation. We condemn this brutal act of mass murder in the strongest possible terms.
On a broader perspective, the attack is also a reminder that the conflict in Afghanistan is not winding down, as some believe, but escalating, with unimaginable repercussions for the human rights situation in that country. This horrific attack, by now, has surely rung the alarm bell in all Muslim countries.
Considering the Middle-eastern countries and also Afghanistan, the Islamic State is profiting from the existing complex sectarian-geopolitical game, and with savagery and extremism tightening its grip over victims. Nevertheless, its recent repeated attacks ranging from Brussels, Munich, Nice to Dhaka do not make it invincible: it can be defeated, as by now it has lost many of its strongholds in Syria and Iraq. Simply speaking IS does not represent Islam, the only thing it is spreading is terror. They have proven it by shamelessly supporting the shooting at a shopping centre in southern Germany’s Munich last Friday. The organisation, guised as ‘Islamists’, is endorsing global terrorism.
However, eloquent condolences must give way to a merciless response to this Kabul massacre. Coupled with the West, the entire Muslim world too should begin the preparation for a merciless response to destroy IS. It has widely been argued that the IS’s advantage is perhaps that its rivals have no coordinated strategy: they are driven not by a common goal of defeating the enemy but by their own self-interest and sectarian calculations. If true, the pressing need of the hour is to address this key issue and therefore, act immediately.
Last but not least, as IS keeps losing more territory in the grinding war in the Middle East, it is fast focusing on less elaborate but lethal direct attacks on civilian targets ranging from Europe, Africa to Asia. In order to respond to this newer strategy we must all unite to demolish this evil force of extremism and terror.
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Editor : M. Shamsur Rahman
Published by the Editor on behalf of Independent Publications Limited at Media Printers, 446/H, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1215.
Editorial, News & Commercial Offices : Beximco Media Complex, 149-150 Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh. GPO Box No. 934, Dhaka-1000.
Editor : M. Shamsur Rahman
Published by the Editor on behalf of Independent Publications Limited at Media Printers, 446/H, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1215.
Editorial, News & Commercial Offices : Beximco Media Complex, 149-150 Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh. GPO Box No. 934, Dhaka-1000.