After the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris and the ensuing California shooting rampage, democratic societies are anxiously rushing to impose harsh measures and new anti-terrorism laws to erect a defensive shield in the face of terrorists and extremists. Although these actions aimed at preventing yet another catastrophe in Europe and America are necessary, they actually fall short. The most important step necessary to bring an end to attacks by terrorist groups is to focus on their roots and stopping the motivating force behind all the sectarian cultures seen in different shapes and forms, from ISIS, al-Qaeda, the Lebanese Hizb'allah and other ruthless and lethal groups that deviously act under the flag of Islam. The true solution to guarantee world security lies in completely annihilating the roots that allow the growth of this notorious sectarian mentality. Iranian opposition leader Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, with over three decades of experience in the fight against fundamentalism, said in a recent speech in Paris: "As long as the factories of cultural motivations continue to burn the midnight oil for terrorism in Syria, Iraq and Iran, the current threat from terrorist groups that have risen from religious powers against democracy and freedom will never bear any fruit."
After witnessing vicious measures and fatwas issued by Iran's mullahs, terrorist groups that have staged vicious attacks against innocent people in the past decade under the name of Islam are all religiously motivated in their crimes. In the past three decades over 100,000 political dissidents have to this day been horrifically massacred by the mullahs ruling Iran. Beheadings, amputating limbs, raping women, executions and hangings of dissidents, even pregnant women in Iran under the name of "moharebe" (enmity against God) are all the sources of motivation for ISIS, al-Qaeda and Shiite militants roaming in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, and of course the crimes against innocent people in Paris and San Bernardino in California.
However, what has made the effectiveness and impact of the war against terrorism and fundamentalism more complicated, and resulting in the world completely forgetting about the roots of this crisis, is the newborn phenomenon called ISIS. Bashar Assad and the Iranian regime are profiting the most from ISIS' atrocities, diverting all attention from the main epicenter of this problem and legitimizing the West's failure in not supporting the democratic, moderate opposition in Syria and other countries.
The great divide in today's Muslim world is not as some so conveniently argue as being between Shiite and Sunni, as if this is a battle that has gone for centuries. In fact, the great divide today is between Shiite and Sunni extremists faced against moderate Muslims who have a very different view of Islam on the other.
"…the United States must join forces with moderate Muslims, including Iranian dissidents, who can lead in the all-important ideological fight, promoting a tolerant interpretation of Islam that respects human rights, women's rights, democracy, and the rule of law," wrote Governor Tom Ridge, the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security in a recent article.
Some are heard backing cooperation with Bashar Assad and Tehran in the fight against ISIS, arguing that the international community needs a ground force such as that of Bashar Assad and the Iranian regime's Revolutionary Guards to fight ISIS. This is nothing but a deception and plot planned by Tehran and Damascus, and a childish understanding of the current crisis engulfing the Middle East and the fight against terrorism. One is reminded of Iran's devious misinformation campaign regarding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction that led to the 2003 U.S.-led campaign of invading Iraq, which itself is another long story. Anyhow, neither the Assad army -- whatever is left of it -- nor Iran's IRGC are able to take on ISIS and destroy it. If there was actually such a potential the results would have been witnessed by now on the ground in Iraq and Syria.
The united fundamentalist front, with its heart beating in Tehran, is attempting to maintain ISIS and take full advantage of its atrocities in order to divert all public opinion from the root cause of this international dilemma. Reports confirm that Bashar Assad and former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki are closely associated to the Iranian regime. By releasing 2,000 prisoners – all senior al-Qaeda and ISIS commanders – they played a major role in the rise and growth of ISIS. The crackdown carried out by Iran-linked Shiite militias in Iraq targeting the country's Sunni minority community paved the grounds for ISIS recruiting and boosted its growth efforts immensely.
Although there are differences in mentalities between Sunni and Shiite extremist groups, the roots of all such groups and the existing unit amongst Islamic fundamentalist and terrorist groups lie in Iran under the mullahs' rule.
Therefore, the correct strategy in the fight against Islamic fundamentalism and extremism is to sack Bashar Assad from power and annihilate the front that has its capital and headquarters stationed in Iran. The regime in Iran must be evicted from Iraq and Syria. The very reasons behind the existence of ISIS are none other than the Iranian regime and Bashar Assad.
The most important necessity in the struggle against terrorism and extremism under the banner of Islam is for Muslims to play a role in the military, and of course the cultural scene to isolate this evil phenomenon.
"The NCRI has emerged as a powerful force for a values-based, mainstream, tolerant, non-violent Islam. A force that a lot of the non-Muslim world has been pleading for a long time. The civilized world needs you now more than ever," Senator Joseph Lieberman said at a recent conference near Paris.
Without a doubt, the recently formed coalition of Islamic countries in support of democracy against fundamentalism must be supported and strengthened. Only through such a policy can the free world be successful in uprooting terrorism in the name of Islam, be it Sunni or Shiite.
Shahriar Kia is a press spokesman for Iranian opposition in Camp Liberty, Iraq, who advocates for a democratic, secular, nuclear-free Iran. He graduated from North Texas University. His Twitter handle is @shahriarkia
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