Will Islam or Muslims gain anything from ISIS or USA?

 -DR. ABDUL RUFF COLACHAL

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This is the question the terrorized global Muslims would certainly ask themselves without even expecting a proper answer to ward off their suspicions and fears. 

I

A Caliphate for global Muslims and Islamic nations as guiding establishment is a good idea because that can guarantee Muslims and Islamic nations for their rightful existence in a  world  surcharged with Islamophobia and deal with emerging issues with authority.  Attempts since the early times of Islam after first Caliphate of four infallible caliphs (Rightly Guided Caliphs) to establish a Caliphate, however, have unfortunately not succeeded as there are opposing views within Muslim groups as well as attacks form enemy states.

Today, not many Muslims really think a caliphate could be established globally or it can really play the role envisaged.

Big Muslim businessmen in the West even use the term Caliphate to articulate the idea of an elected and democratic leader for the Islamic world. Today, most Western discussions of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), the Islamic group that has declared a caliphate across much of Iraq and Syria, begin by referencing this event as if it were a profound turning point in Islamic history.

In fact, the caliphate is a political or religious idea whose relevance has waxed and waned depending upon circumstances. In 1924, Turkish leader Kemal Ataturk officially abolished the Ottoman caliphate, limited to Turkey nation. Even if today’s Islamists reference the Ottomans, though, most of them are much more focused on trying to re-create earlier caliphates: the era of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs, who ruled immediately after Holy Prophet Muhammad’s death in the seventh century, for example, or the Abbasid caliphate, which existed in one form or another from the ninth to the thirteenth centuries (before being officially abolished by the Mongols). By conflating the nineteenth-century Ottoman royal family with these caliphs from a millennium ago or more, Western and nostalgic Muslim thinkers alike have built up a narrative of the caliphate as an enduring institution, central to Islam and Islamic thought between the seventh and twentieth centuries.

The caliphate’s more recent history under the Ottomans shows why the institution might be better thought of as a political fantasy—a super slate just as nebulous as the US led regime changes in Islamic world to suit American interests or the Soviet model of  “Dictatorship of the proletariat”. 

When some Islamic religious leaders take upon themselves the responsibility of  being the custodians of Islam and try to imitate Prophet Muhammad (SAS) what they fail is to comprehend the simple fact that what  the Prophet of Islam  achieved was due to God's blessings and the direct guidance of God and that  they  are not empowered by God to push Islam towards a danger line. 

Islamist agenda in Afghanistan, Pakistan and  Egypt, for instance, of ruling classes themselves,  has not made any headway but  could be crushed by the  anti-Islamic forces led by USA, including Egyptian military and  fascist Israel. Americans do not make any objections  if some Muslim groups make a political party or an organization  to fight for certain rights as part of US brand democracy, but would not allow them to come to power  or implement Islamist  ideals. 

Islamist leaders certainly try to help the  fellow Muslims live as true Muslims  in a positive manner that provides  confidence in non-Muslims also to embrace Islam to  be good  humans but  should not think that  their violent or aggressive  fight for Islamic Caliphate has  the  endorsement of God. Instead of helping the non-Muslims follow the positive life patters emulated by Muslims, they are discouraged to look to Islam for guidance especially as the anti-Islamic forces and media project Muslims as terrorists - and Islam as a terror sponsoring religion.    

II

One wonders if an Islamist Caliphate to lead entire world of Muslims and and their nations in today's' essentially anti-Islamic world and if the effort by democratic or revolutionary means would be as futile as before and if the Caliphate itself would remain a myth forever.  first of all  not many Muslims and  Islamic nations are serious or sensible about  establishing really Islamist  societies  and most Muslims  wonder if the NATO would ever allow a truly Islamic Caliphate to emerge in the world.  

Islam is not the major concern of Muslim nations and global Muslims, especially the youth that is under the grip of anti-Islamic media messages, today.  It is because the bulks of global Muslims continue to be under illusion of false western democracy; they do not think Islam or God plays any role in their lives.  

Any movement that claims to be Islamic should have better and true Islam as their goal to help Muslims to live as true Muslims.

Of course, in order to help Muslims live like good humans, first of all the enemies of Islam that target Muslims should be made to realize that Islam is the best religion on earth. .

The force of ISIS is apparently an invincible and unstoppable war juggernaut that is mercilessly conquering in pursuit of establishing an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. It is, indeed, carefully controlled and managed by its creators and supporters, that is, by the United States and its allies in the regions — those who now pretend to have established a coalition to fight it!

It appears, the ISIS, like Al-Qaeda, Taliban, etc, can be seen as essentially another newly manufactured instrument in the tool-box of US foreign policy, which includes “global terrorism,” the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, weapons of mass destruction, Iran’s nuclear technology, al-Qaeda, and many other radical Islamic groupings — all by-products of, or blowbacks to, imperialistic US foreign policies.

Al-Qaeda and Taliban, spreading violent faith in the name of Islam, have made the global Muslims run for cover every where as the anti-Islamic nations and forces target both Islam and Muslims.  In fact USA and its NATO alliance promoting capitalism by imperialist methods have indeed complicated the life of Muslims even in Muslim dominated societies, worldwide,  as more and more Muslim regimes willingly aid the anti-Islamic ideas by terrorizing them. 

Even though Washington’s military entanglements in the Arab and Muslim worlds have greatly adversely affected its credibility, influence and standing in the region, the super power decided to resume and prolong the wars in Middle east as well as  Afghanistan. . 

As per the central feature of the strategy USA carried out airstrikes both in Iraq and Syria y to stop the heretofore irresistible advance of the IS and to degrade its capabilities. The USA and its partners have by now carried out a few thousand airstrikes. However, Obama has made it clear that there will be no American boots on the ground, meaning Americans in the tens of thousands will not be there as in the past. Another caveat is that combat activity must absolutely include the active involvement of regional countries. This is what the US has been implementing. Even though it is clear that the illegal war on fake pretexts cannot be won, the reality is that the world has no better alternative of peaceful approach for humanity survival.

The central feature of the strategy is to carry out airstrikes both in Iraq and Syria initially to stop the heretofore irresistible advance of the IS and to degrade its capabilities. This has happened in many sectors if not everywhere. The USA and its partners have carried out a few thousand airstrikes. So far, however, a Shiite coalition, of Iran, Hezbollah, Iraqi Shia militias and the Iraqi and Syrian governments, has been the main force arrayed against the IS on the ground apart from particularly valiant contributions by the Kurdish Peshmerga.

III

Uncle Sam decides for entire world on the basis of what it considers good and bad. No surprise that many critics blame USA for the emergence and existence of ISIS. The US double-standards are well known.

Americans, who are so used to argue rather too well about democratic values, are not worried about deficits in democracy in non-Arab world or even Israel. It seems the ISIS is a counter force to American oil wars perpetrated in Middle East.  Since USA does not want to reveal the state secret about the CIA agenda of regime changes in energy rich Arab world.

While the USA plans for too far distant future as well, the Islamic State (IS/ISIS) has a limited mandate or mission is only to dismantle the corrupt and illegitimate regimes in Iraq and Syria and replace them with a “pure” Islamic state under the rule of a “pious caliphate.” Against the   powerful anti-Islamic war by the NATO, the ISIS benefactors control its operations and direct its activities in accordance with their own geopolitical interests - and not as per the Holy Quran.    

Obviously, USA invented ISIS variety as a source of legitimacy for resuming the so-called war on terror which is indeed a war on Islam; the Obama regime used the ISIS as a serious threat to civilization and wanted people and the Congress to support the prolongation of war.  The US corporate media lords used the rise of ISIS as resurgence of Al-Qaida to end human race in the name of religion.

Despite this professed mission to fight the dictatorial regimes that have tarnished Islam, however, ISIS does not question the most corrupt, dictatorial and illegitimate regimes in the region — such as the Israeli, Saudi, Qatari, Kuwaiti and Jordanian regimes that fund and arm its operations.

USA and Turkey are the major players in the ISIS zones. Even while officially condemning the ISIS, the USA, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and other allies in the region continue supplying fuel for its fire, funds, mercenaries, military training and armaments.

The USA led “coalition to fight ISIS” has been targeting the ISIS. When the Iraqi Kurds in Irbil came under attack by ISIS in early August, the US unleashed the full force of its air power in concert with the Kurdish peshmerga fighters to repel the attack. By contrast, while the Kurdish city of Kobani in Northern Syria is being attacked by the disproportionately better armed forces of ISIS. Only occasionally the coalition forces carry out bombing missions that seem to be essentially theatrical, or just for the record.

Turkey’s overriding interest in Syria is not so much against ISIS as it is against the Syrian Kurds, as well as the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad; because the rabidly anti-Kurd regime in Ankara fears that the weakened regime of Assad may not be able to do away with the self-governing Kurds in Kobani and the surrounding Kurdish areas. The Turkish regime is concerned that if the Kobani Kurds succeed in fending off the ISIS forces, their success and their experience of self-government in the Kobani region may serve as a tempting model of self-rule for the 15-million Kurds in Turkey. The Turks are also concerned that the success of the Syrian Kurds against ISIS would thwart their long-harboured ambitions to occupy and/or annex the oil-rich Kurdish region in Northern Syria — hence their insistence on a buffer or no-fly zone in that region.

American forces in advancing joint NATO interests also just obey the Turkey. The reason why the Kurds of Kobani are to be sacrificed stems from the fact that they are the wrong kind of Kurds. The rich Kurds of the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) are the ‘good Kurds’ and the predominant force among the Kurds of Iraq. Their control of almost 45% of Iraqi oil reserves and the booming business that they have been involved in with US oil companies and Israel since their ‘liberation’ with the US invasion makes them a valued asset for Uncle Sam. The same goes for Turkey where despite the historic oppression of Kurds in Turkey, the government does a robust business with the Kurds of Iraq.

Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and UK too have joined in “coalition” conducting airstrikes in Iraq. Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have carried out airstrikes in Syria. After doggedly refusing to allow any support for any military action in Iraq or Syria against the ISIS despite intense personal efforts by US President Obama and the secretaries of state and defense, Turkey has reluctantly allowed the Free Syrian Army fighters and the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga to transit its territory en route to Kobani to dislodge the IS from there.

IV

US strategy for the Islamic State (ISIS) has been to target both ISIS and Arab nations that it seeks to destabilize further.The US approach to ISIS would be better understood when it is viewed in the context of its overall objectives in the region — and beyond. That overriding objective, shared and reinforced by its client states, is to undermine or eliminate “the axis of resistance,” consisting of Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas and, to a lesser extent, Shia forces in Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

USA is eager to undermine Russia’s influence and alliances in the region and, by extension, in other parts of the world — for example, its critically important role within both the Shanghai Cooperation Council (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) and the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). In order to achieve the goals, the US and its allies need pretexts and/or enemies — even if it means inventing or manufacturing such enemies. Without ISIS, resumption of US military operations in Iraq and extension of those operations into Syria would have been difficult to justify to the American people. A year or so ago, the Obama regime’s drive to attack Syria was thwarted by the opposition from the American people and, therefore, the US congress. The rise of ISIS quickly turned that opposition to support.

Who says the educated Americas are terror victims and not too cleaver? 

The anti-Islamic global media (AGM) based in Washington and other capitals of US allies swear that there is no possibility at all of any political approach to successfully confront and overcome the challenge posed the ISIS. Instead of   admitting openly that USA would be the sole loser if ISIS is not defeated, the corporate media cries loudly that the whole system of nation states in West Asia will surely crumble.

That is called US crocodile tears. Maybe true, given the ground realities in Iraq, Syria and the Arab world in general – and internal divisions amongst Arab states and between Arab states and non-Arab states such as Iran and Turkey – there is no possibility of any regional military coalition being forged to take on the ISIS.

US involvement in Muslim nations, starting from Afghanistan, has, just like Israeli regular attacks on Gaza strip, only exacerbated extremism and spread the malice globally.  

The USA has assumed the role of preeminent regional security architect in West Asia for the past several decades and remains the major weapons supplier to regional countries barring Iran and Syria. As Arab nations become destabilized, USA becomes richer with more Arab petrodollars being pumped into US treasury  for terror goods sold to them.  

Turkey links US war in Syria with ISIS. This helps explain why the Turkish regime insists that the overthrow of the Assad regime must take precedence over the fight against ISIS. The inaction or half-hearted action of the US in the face of the preventable slaughter of the Syrian Kurds, which makes it complicit in the carnage, can be explained by its political horse-trading with Turkey in exchange for the Turks’ collaboration with the pursuit of its imperialistic interests in the region.

The ISIS occupies 2/5ths of the total territory of Syria and 2/5ths of the total territory of Iraq and is actually stronger in Syria; the border between the two countries has been erased. The ISIS cannot be defeated in Iraq. Countries opposed to Assad are maintaining that they will not cooperate with Assad in fighting the IS and will continue supporting so called ‘moderate’ rebels by supplying arms. So far, however, a Shiite coalition, of Iran, Hezbollah, Iraqi Shia militias and the Iraqi and Syrian governments, has been the main force arrayed against the ISIS on the ground.

Meanwhile, the USA has promised $500 million worth of arms and training is going to be provided to the rebels in Saudi Arabia, the closest ally among Arab nations. This will only exacerbate and prolong Syria’s civil war and help the ISIS. Washington, as usual,   pursues the tactic of secret deals with Arab nations both for and against ISIS. USA more often than not publicly denies any open explicit collaboration with individual Arab nations. This is a part of the ground reality even if not a formal part of US strategy.

Arab leaders stay confused, as before.  

As the enemies of Islam want to defeat Islam as well as those seeking to establish Islamic societies, crush and kill Muslims, loot the resources, unfortunately, several Muslim nations also help Uncle Sam to expand its destabilized empire in Islamic world.  

It is not likely that global Muslims including Arabs and Islam would gain anything from the ISIS or USA. On the contrary, ISIS, USA and Arab nations can help the enemies of Islam insult Islam and harm terrorized global Muslims.