The 9/11 of Paris

The attackers took control of the concert hall, held the audience hostage & started firing

Multiple attacks in Paris last Friday once again reminded us of the gory scenes of 9/11. There had been a lot of talk about the increased popularity of the Islamic State (IS) in Europe and other parts of the world, which was amplified by social and mass media. Western governments, on the other hand, had been in a persistent state of denial and consequently innocent people had to pay the cost.

It is clear that there is a dire need to understand the policy, mission and capabilities of the IS. Here it is important that we do not confuse the dynamics of al Qaeda with those of the IS when analysing the latter’s policy, mission and goals. The IS is a by-product of the crumbling edifices of a few Middle Eastern states and is trying to occupy the vacuum created by the conditions in Syria, Iraq and Libya. Al Qaeda believes in a restricted agenda while the IS has an expansionist agenda that has attracted hundreds of European Muslim youth searching for their ‘Islamic identity’. The highest number of those who are inspired by the IS ideology seem to come from Belgium. According to media reports, with a $2 billion annual turnover, the IS is the richest terrorist organisation in the world, also enjoying territorial control.

The Paris attacks represented the deadliest attacks on French soil since the Second World War and have pushed France to extreme actions, like the imposition of an emergency and the closure of its borders. The atrocity speaks of well-knitted coordination amongst the attackers and the well-entrenched presence of extremists in Europe. The selection of venues, the timing of the attacks and the day they were carried out were indicative of the minute planning.

Looking at the modus operandi, the attackers took control of the concert hall, held the audience hostage and started indiscriminate fire. They also used grenades and upon completion of their mission, blew themselves up.

The incident dispelled the impression — if there was any — that the IS was confined to the Middle East alone. It has now been proven that the group is an international terrorist organisation that has operational presence in Europe. It is yet to be determined whether the attacks were carried out by those who were directly linked with a central organisation of the IS or by a franchise of the IS already existing in Europe. The imprints of the incident suggest that the attacks were an outcome of a well-thought out strategy and compliance of directions from the IS’s central command.

The incident has now given birth to concerns regarding security features of travel and identity documents, such as passports. A Syrian passport was recovered from the venue of the concert hall, creating the impression that it may have been a possession of one of the attackers. Media reports suggest that human smugglers may have managed to steal genuine blank passports from a government building in Syria or the IS might have acquired them when it took control of government offices in that country.

The closure of borders may not only have a negative impact upon tourism in France, it could also restrict opportunities for new immigrants. While France’s estimated population is 67 million, an estimated 83 million tourists visit the country every year, with revenue from tourism accounting for almost 7.5 per cent of its GDP. To keep the inflow of tourists intact, France will have to review its border management and security of tourists.

Since 2011, four million Syrians have left their country. Owing to strict conditions in France, only 7,000 Syrians have received asylum status here. After the Paris attacks, France may make the asylum-seeking process even more rigid and adopt a highly suspicious attitude towards refugees. There have been voices raised against restricting the entry of refugees, and the situation warrants that refugees should not suffer for the acts of terrorists. There are around 4.7 million Muslims in France, constituting 7.5 per cent of the population. In Paris, around 15 per cent of the population is Muslim. The perpetrators definitely wanted to widen the gulf between Muslims and non-Muslims. The Grand Mufti of Egypt has aptly expressed that “terrorist groups flagrantly use religion as a cloak to cover up for their cowardly acts of violence, and ideologies of hate and terror must be challenged and routed out”.

The multiple attacks suggest that a more coordinated de-radicalisation and counterterrorism effort is needed in Europe. The incident has exposed that depending only on technology cannot avert such grim situations and that European law-enforcement apparatus must make changes in its operational response.

The Paris attacks have negated the myth that extremism is region-specific. They depict that it is a concern for both the East and the West. Such atrocities cannot be viewed though the religious prism alone, but rather have to be evaluated through the prism of international dynamics, like respect for territorial sovereignty and the need for the spirit of peaceful coexistence.

While polarisation in European society may increase now, every effort must be made to ensure that civil liberties remain intact. It is high time Europe evaluated the socio-economic scenario in the continent and the divisive discriminatory values that push European Muslim youth towards a vicious circle of extremism. Hopefully, the solution of the problem will not be explored through the use of force alone. Had the use of force been an enduring antidote, the post-9/11 incursions would have resulted in a peaceful world, but is far from the case. The great powers need to realise that to avert another 9/11, a hasty and miscalculated power-centric approach will only fuel further extremism. Other solutions are also needed; otherwise, innocent people will continue to become victims of savages.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2015.

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