Editor,
American adventurism on immigration has stoked the fire in the eyes of many ordinary citizens in Minneapolis. Gaza, which has been the central point of focus of a Rivera plan for rich oligarchs, has already caused an eyesore to many disaffected Muslims. The latest incident in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district, where a poster displaying the Islamic State of Khorasan Province’s insignia threatened the community, deserves attention. Whether someone put it up in their vested interest or as a political ploy to create disharmony, it definitely triggers alarm bells. According to the National Counterterrorism Center, Al-Qa‘ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) is an al-Qa‘ida affiliate active in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. AQIS is primarily based in Afghanistan and seeks to establish an Islamic emirate governed by strict Sunni Islamic law.
We should not underestimate several important questions, which remain unanswered, including the message’s purpose. Escalating rates of radicalisation through images and violent literature from virtual space have filled the muscle of foreign fighters in the past.
With the 443-km long Meghalaya-Bangladesh border which is highly porous and the staggering unemployment coupled with deep fissures on the educational system, the state intelligence machinery should start sharing real time intelligence with the National Security Council Secretariat in order to close gaps within the virulent forms of ideology, this can only happen with the right resources, plan and working with moderate Muslims across all spectrum.
A mature leadership strategy—rather than relying solely on theology—requires engaging with all parties involved. BBC investigative journalist Peter Taylor, in his book ‘Talking to Terrorists,’ offers a sobering reminder: to resolve complex conflicts, we often have little choice but to engage in dialogue with our adversaries.
Christopher Gatphoh,
Via e-mail
