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By Dr Andrestinos N. Papadopoulos, Ambassador a.h.
The recent tragic events in Paris, a result of blind terrorism, raised reactions all over the world, as leaders condemned the abhorrent acts of violence perpetrated by the Islamic State (IS) and decided to intensify their struggle against it.
The reaction of the Supreme Leader of Iran, Sayyid Ali Khamenei, was quite different. In fact, it was totally different even from the very beginning, based on Iranian knowledge of what is happening in the region and the direct and indirect threat which IS represents to the security and strategic interests of Iran. In an open letter to the youth in western countries, dated November 29, the Supreme Leader shared his views on terrorism in the belief that it is only young people “who, by learning the lessons of today’s hardship, have the power to discover new means for building the future.”
Criticising the West for creating, nurturing and arming terrorist organisations, he confirmed that “today, terrorism is our common worry”, making, however, a reference to the pain experienced for many years by the peoples of the region. Stating with full regret that vile groups such as Daesh (the Arabic acronym for IS) are the spawn of imported cultures, he considers that the matter is not simply theological. In Khamanei’s view, “how is it possible that such garbage as Daesh comes out of one of the most ethical and humane religious schools, who as part of its inner core includes the notion that taking the life of one human being is equivalent to killing the whole humanity?”
To strengthen his argument, he stated:
“One has to ask why people who are born in Europe and who have been intellectually and mentally nurtured in that environment are attracted to such groups? Can we really believe that people with only one or two trips to war zones, suddenly become so extreme that they can riddle the bodies of their compatriots with bullets?”
Under the influence of public opinion and the anti-muslim sentiments prevailing in some western countries, their governments feel obliged to take appropriate measures. In view of these developments, the Supreme Leader advises moderation. He stated in the open letter:
“Hasty reaction is a major mistake when fighting terrorism which only widens the chasm. Any rushed and emotional reaction which would isolate, intimidate and create more anxiety for the Muslim communities living in Europe and America – which are comprised of millions of active and responsible human beings – and which would deprive them of their basic rights more than has already happened and which would drive them away from society, not only will not solve the problem but will increase the chasm and resentment.”
Concluding, we can observe that since the Supreme Leader is a religious personality and not a politician, in the common understanding of the world, the open letter to the young people could be considered as a message to western governments, offering at the same time an additional weapon to all those who fight terrorism.
How does ISIS fund itself?
Two weeks ago RAF warplanes launched their first bombing raids on Syria, targeting the Omar oilfield in the eastern part of the country. The extensive oil infrastructure across Syria and Iraq has made the so-called Islamic State one of the richest terrorist organisations in history, providing the group with an estimated $500 mln every year, according to a recent Bloomberg report. Kidnap and ransom bring in an estimated $45 mln each year, while foreign donations are worth approximately $5 mln. One of the so-called Islamic State’s most important resources is seldom mentioned and that’s farmland. Fertile agricultural territory controlled by the group across Syria and Iraq could potentially generate over $200 mln every year, according to a Thomson Reuters report. (Source: www.statista.com )
