Lindsey German
Medics stretcher victim of the terror attack on tourists in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse.
THERE IS a sense of shock and horror at the series of terror attacks which took place yesterday.
One can only condemn attacks which lead to the deaths of innocent people, whether praying in a mosque or lying on a beach.
The claiming of these actions by ISIS speaks of a strategy which is not just about fighting in the Middle East but about bringing the war into Europe.
ISIS explicitly stated with the Tunisia attacks that they were in response to members of the coalition at present bombing in Iraq and Syria.
While we can all condemn the attacks we need to also try to understand he reasons why they happen.
ISIS is the child of war, the creation of more than a decade of invasion, occupation and bombing in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere.
It’s brutality was forged those wars, funded by Saudi princes, facilitated by the Turkish government which allowed it to cross its borders, tacitly supported by Middle East despots.
Isis and other terrorist groups have grown as a result of the civil war in Syria, the bombing of Libya and the sectarian tensions fostered by the US in Iraq.
Support for it has also grown in western countries because of the way in which Muslims are treated here. The growth of Islamophobia means that Muslims are repeatedly under attack by government, police, media and the establishment.
The Prevent strategy in Britain is an attempt to criminalise, to spy on and to censor the Muslim community.
The vast majority of Muslims reject terrorism, but they are now being told that even if they are non violent extremists, this leads to violent extremism. The only Muslim acceptable to them are those who raise no criticism of government policy.
Racism and attacks on civil liberties will only serve to marginalise young Muslims.
All these policies are symptomatic of government failure in its various policies.
The war on terror has created more terrorism. The prevent strategy has not prevented anything but has bred resentment among Muslims.
These are the problems which need to be addressed if we are to stop the tragedies like those on Friday, and the daily tragedies which afflict so many people in the Middle East.
Source: Stop the War Coalition