Two terrorist attacks last week on the Canadian parliament and the country”s National War Memorial in Canada have brought the spotlight on Jihad and Jihadists. In both the attacks soldiers were attacked and killed by suspects whom Canadian authorities had barred from travelling abroad, as they suspected them to join the Islamic militants in Iraq. Recently, the Canadian government gave the approval to launch joint air strikes with US against the Islamic State of Syria and Levant (ISIL) and this could also be the cause for the attack on the soldiers.
In the first incident, Martin Couture-Rouleau, a 25-year old radicalised Muslim convert, used his car to run down two Canadian security personnel, killing one soldier Patrice Vincent, before being shot by the police. Two days later, another gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau killed a soldier, Nathan Crillio, and then entered Parliament with a gun, where he was shot dead. The Canadian PM, Stephen Harper, referred to this incident as an ISIL-inspired terrorist attack.
The terror attack in Canada should act as an eye opener for the Indian political parties—Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (United), Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Left who have been sympathising with the arrested Muslim terrorists. Each time a Muslim terrorist is arrested by the intelligence agencies, political leaders from these parties raise hue and cry in media and Parliament that innocent Muslim youth is being harassed and framed in terrorist acts. The leaders from these parties conveniently ignore the fact that our intelligence agencies toil hard to establish their connection in the terrorist activities.
The SP which misses no opportunity to retain its grip on the Muslims’ vote bank, had in the past made an unsuccessful attempt to get the Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) terrorists free on the ground to promote communal harmony!!! The District court in UP’s Barabanki had to dismiss the plea of SP government seeking withdrawal of charges against the HuJI activists for the serial blasts in the district courts in 2007. Earlier, on November 23, 2012, the Allahabad high court, disposing of a petition challenging the government”s initiative, observed “Today, you are withdrawing cases against them; tomorrow will you give them the Padma Bhushan.”
Just two minor terrorist acts on Canadian soil were enough to shake Harper’s government. Post these attacks, the Harper government plans to put in place new anti-terror laws which will give security agencies more power to track, investigate and detain suspects having inclination towards terrorist activities.
Indian politicians who practice secular politics must know they have little sway on the Muslim youth. Today, Muslims around the world are at war with the non-Muslims. West is paying the penalty for its policies in Iran, Iraq and Syria. Many Indian Muslim youth have joined ISIL and are fighting for them. In the past, many had joined Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan to fight against the US and its allies. This is enough to prove that Muslims are inclined towards their religion and firmly believe in the cause of Muslim brotherhood.
In the Kashmir Valley when Muslims took up arms, political commentators referred to them as disgruntled elements that were fed up with the centre’s step motherly treatment towards the Valley. Will the political commentators now call Muslims as disgruntled youth who have gone on their own to join Sunni ISIL and are equal partners in committing atrocities against—Shias, Christians, Yazidis and Kurds?
HuJI, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Indian Mujahideen (IM) have their links with the terrorists based in Pakistan. The arrest of Yasin Bhatkal was a major breakthrough and during the interrogation, he spilled the beans which were an eye opener for the intelligence agencies. Our so-called secular brigade must remember that the activists associated with these Islamist terror groups have links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) that is using Indian Muslims to inflict thousand wounds on mother India. The day is not far when these Muslims having fought alongside global Jihadists will not hesitate to attack them. In Pakistan those who had dared to go against them were targeted and killed. It’s time, the secular brigade of Hindu leaders learn from the West to protect the interest of the nation, before it’s too late.
-Manoj Sharma ?
(The writer is a senior columnist)
