The present migrant crises needs a permanent solution which may be achieved by restoring peace and stability in Syria by creating highly protected safe zone there by World Powers .
The unabated Civil War like situations in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan has led to the inflow of migrants in large numbers to European Countries from the aforesaid areas through Mediterranean sea. The problem of rushing of migrants to Europe has risen to such an extent that Countries of European Union (EU) were forced to discuss and fixing about their capacity to give asylum to the migrants in their respective countries and the migrants have even started claiming their right to move the countries of their choice. The problem is quite grave and gigantic which shall certainly affect the financial and law & order problem along with additional loading of the infrastructure of European Countries on a large scale.
Further, out of Islamophobia, which is quite obvious because of existence of Jihadis in west Asia to a large scale that Australia and Hungary have been blunt in discouraging the refuge to the migrants in their countries? However, Irony of the situation is that the neighbours of victims of west Asians, the Arabian Countries, have been indifferent to the plight of the refugees who refused for any asylum in their own countries. Though the European countries more or less have been quite receptive to provide refuge there which further got accelerated owing to Aylan Kurdi’s affair. However, the whole world including the US, EU and United Nations Organisation (UNO) is watching this menace helplessly as their air strikes on ISIS have been insufficient to crush the terrorists forever. Rather, for a permanent solution altogether, they should force the Shia-Sunni power centres as Iran and Saudi Arabia respectively to mend their ways and stop fighting immediately so that West Asian people are not forced to take refuge in their countries to stretch and choke their resources.
Role of Russia, at this moment, when they are strengthening the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against two pronged attacks from ISIS and al-Qaeda, is praiseworthy which has further exposed USA who have been training al-Qaeda terrorists against Syrian President. Earlier, UK also tried to help rebel forces against al-Assad which has deteriorated situation in Syria. Migrant problem may further enhance Very soon from African Countries too because of onslaught of a ISIS offshoot Boko Haram there at one end and from Turkey at other end as fighting of its government forces with their Kurdish minority population has also started which may take a vital turn in near future by forcing them to take refuge in EU.
The root cause of the problems in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan is basically the deep rooted sectarian conflict of interests between Shias and Sunnis and colonial legacy which do not want them to sit and resolve their issues amicably, contrarily, they are strengthening their respective terrorist organisations ISIS and al-qaeda on one side and Hezbollah and Houthis on other side. Sectarian violence persists to this day from Pakistan to Yemen and is a major element of friction throughout the Middle East. Tensions between communities have intensified during power struggles, such as the Bahraini uprising, the Iraq War, and most recently the Syrian and Yemeni civil wars. Let us understand their internal status in detail.
The formation of the self-styled ISIS and its advancement on Syria and Northern Iraq has been there because of the fact that it is a Sunni Jehadi group in addition to Al qaeda which was already existing there and both of them are fighting against Syrian president Al Assad as he belongs to a minority Alwait sect of Shias which is being supported by a Shia terrorist organisation Hezbollah. The situation is so grim in respect of killings and bloodshed that about 2.5 lacs of innocent people have already been slaughtered there and about 4.5 million people have either taken or at the verge of taking refuge in other countries including Europe in last four years. Further, the city of Palmyra, an important site in respect of ancient World cultural heritage, has been ruined by the madness of ISIS.
In Iraq, the Sunni minority community had allegiance with ISIS to oppose majority Shia community there which has resulted in forcible occupation of its two major cities Mosul and Ramadi by ISIS and mass rape of Yezidis women. The Tyranny and merciless killings of at least one million people has occurred during the last decade. In the recent past also, who can forget a long war between Iraq of Saddam Hussain, a Sunni and Iran,a shia country, which got started in 1980 and ended in 1988 leading to a massive bloodshed and deaths of around one million Muslims.
In Yemen too, the Houthis, a shia terrorist group, is fighting a fierce battle with the Sunni president Hadi who is supported by Saudi Arabia which is conducting unabated daily air raids on Houtis, killing thousands of people including innocent children and ladies. In Afghanistan, Shia-Sunni strife has mainly been a function of puritanical Taliban’s clashes with Shia Afghans, primarily the Hazra ethenic group. The involvement of two Jehadi outfits of Al qaeda and Taliban had led to killings of about more than 2.5 lacs of people in last decade however it has further escalated the exodus of people from there because of latest onslaught of ISIS.
Sunni and Shia are the two major denominations of Islam. The demographic breakdown between the two denominations to a good approximation is that 87–90 per cent of the world’s Muslims, having a population of around 1.57 billion, are Sunnis and 10–13 per cent are Shias. Most of the shias, about 68 per cent to 80 per cent, live in just four countries : Iran, Pakistan, Bharat and Iraq and there are only four countries in the World having Shia Majority : Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Bahrain.
Origination of this sectarian battle dates back to 7th Century AD, during the death of prophet Muhammad in the year 632AD, which led to a dispute over succession to Muhammad as a caliph of the Islamic community spread across various parts of the world. The dispute intensified greatly after the Battle of Karbala, in which Hussein ibn Ali and his household were killed by the ruling Caliph Yazid I, and the outcry for revenge divided the early Islamic community. Today, there are differences in religious practice, traditions, and customs. Although all Muslim groups consider the Quran to be divine however, Sunni and Shia have different opinions on hadith.
The present migrant crises needs a permanent solution which may be achieved by restoring peace and stability in Syria by creating highly protected safe zone there by World Powers wherein Syrians may stay safely as continuance of migration may change the demography of western Countries and induction of Jihadi elements in the form of refugees may take place not only in western countries rather they may endanger the peace of other countries too. Now at this stage, instead of facing this menace of West Asians refugees helplessly at their boundaries, the European and other World powers must unite themselves to such a large extent that they should make a force of common Army at ground level along with its Air cover to cope up with the onslaught of Shia and Sunni terrorist organisations at the World level wherein UN should act swiftly in regard to the Modi’s call for identifying and fighting with terrorism with full might otherwise every country shall keep on fighting with this monster on its individual capacity.
However, it is apprehended, that the recent support of Russia to Syrian President AL Assad and further allegiance of Iraq and Iran to Russian may pave the way for another confrontation between Russia and USA in the long run. As far as Bharat is concerned, presently it is undergoing through the brunt of terrorism from Pakistani supported Jihadis on a large scale since last about thirty five years and is fighting its battle bravely on an individual basis.
Surendra Kumar Gupta (The writer is Ex-General Manager, BHEL, New Delhi)
