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WORLD CITIZEN LETTER: 545
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WCL 545 January 2007
Jihad
The word jihad originally meant ‘struggle' and had a particularly religious significance in Islam. Understandably, it soon took on other wider connotations. It is now being frequently used to denote any kind of struggle, religious, sectarian, nationalist or otherwise political. Iraq has proved a testing-ground for a great many varieties of jihad and as a result, not surprisingly, is a thriving civil war. The earlier insurgency raised against American and British invaders has now degenerated into a blood-bath that is consuming Iraq.
What began as Arabs v Americans is now Sunnis v Shias and will soon be Iraqis v other Arabs, But there are potentially, no limits: Arabs v Persians is an old tale always ready to emerge once again. Kurds v Arabs will recur, as will Kurds v Armenians. Kurds v Turks is in process. Iraqis v Kuwaitis is only suspended. Saudi’s v Iranians is on the cards. Kurds v Syrians, Kurds v Iranians and Iranians v Americans are only in waiting. And the Islamacist fundamentalists have the word to hand to excuse every enmity.
World citizenship is the only antidote to nationalism and racism.
The lively conflict that has kept the Middle East in a ferment for 50 years is still flourishing. Israelis v Palestinians, Jews v Arabs, Semites, v anti-Semites, Egyptians v Israelis, muslims v Copts, Turks v Armenians, Armenians v Georgians, Russians v Chechens, Russians v Afghanis, Afghanis v Americans, Pathans v Afghanis, Pakistanis v Indians, Sikhs v Hindus, now Ethiopians v Somalis, Taliban v Americans etc. Of course, for muslim fundamentalists, the word excuses every excess.
World citizenship is the only antidote to nationalism and racism.
But the Middle East is merely one place in need of such good sense as that. Turks v Greeks, Albanians v Serbs, Bosnians v Serbs, Croats v Bosnians. Turks v Cypriots, Gangaweed v tribesmen, Hutu v Tutsi, Congolese v Congolese; and across the Atlantic, Americans v Cubans, Argentinians v Chileans, the list is virtually endless. All could come under the rubric of jihad and it only needs the introduction of a few muslim of fanatic cast to turn one of the usual quarrels that human beings are prone to, into a ferocious conflict of life and death. The religious origin becomes forgotten, quickly or gradually, but the quarrel persist and may become permanent, prejudice and hatred taking the place of grievance and reason.
So remember that, in the long run - world citizenship is the only antidote to nationalism and racism.
John Roberts
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