Vilifying entire nations as being terrorists will only perpetuate violence, writes Joleen Steyn-Kotze.
Events of this past weekend shook the core of the world as the self-styled Islamic State struck not just in Beirut, but Paris as well.
These attacks follow an equally brutal show of terror in January 2015 when Charlie Hebdo’s offices were targeted because of cartoons ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad.
France is also a country with a strong anti-immigration political rhetoric that actively discriminates against those who are different. The most renowned case was the controversy surrounding the hijab.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks. World leaders have pledged support, solidarity and condemnation of terrorism. In the next few weeks, we may even see a resurgence of rhetoric calling for more resources to fight this War on Terror.
There is also the inherent risk that Islamophobia may take deeper root - not just in France, but in Europe as a whole.
Yet as the world consumed the messages of support, sentiments of outrage and condemnation of violence, some also asked: Why such a strong show of support for Paris and not Beirut?
The answer, seemingly, was that it is because Arab lives matter less than those of Europeans. We should not be surprised that this perception exists today - especially if one considers the rise of the radical right in Europe, coupled with a “refugee crisis”.
European right-wing parties increasingly gain political ground on a strong anti-refugee rhetoric that can be characterised as xenophobic, perhaps even racist.
The message is clear: You do not belong here. The European refugee crisis is also in fact a humanitarian crisis that enables terrorist organisations like Islamic State to recruit disillusioned youth.
This is the case not just in Syria, but also in places like Kenya and Nigeria.
We need to remember that the brutal Afwerki dictatorship in Eritrea and Islamic State in Syria, among others, drive millions away from their homelands in search of one thing: a safe and secure environment.
Ultimately, is this not what all humans want: safety and security in which to raise a family and prosper?
Europe has lived through the devastating consequences of a rise in political radicalism. Underemployment, poverty and a general sense of hopelessness drove many to support radical and extremist parties that saw the rise of fascist regimes.
In Germany’s case, Hitler constructed the Jew as the scapegoat for the hopeless situation Germans found themselves in.
Auschwitz and other concentration camps serve as reminders of the terrible events that followed. Similarly, we find that deprivation, unemployment, marginalisation and poverty fuel the imagination of some angry youths.
Corrupt governments entrench absolute deprivation, genocide, displacement, dictatorship, and violence fuels political radicalisation. This creates fertile recruitment fields for radical terror groups. The Sahrawi refugees, who are the Western Sahara’s dispossessed, are a case in point. Known as “Africa’s last colony”, many Sahrawi have been stuck in refugee camps for two to three decades.
With reports highlighting burgeoning criminal network activity and potential terrorist recruitment, life for the Sahrawi offers little hope of security and prosperity. They remain on the periphery of the international agenda; reduced to potentially another failed state if they gain their independence from Morocco.
The world’s marginalised have been taught that their lives matter less than others. Their culture and humanity is not as important as that of, perhaps, the West. It may be this sense of being dispensable - in a context of hopelessness, deprivation and rejection - that pushes young people into the embrace of radical movements.
French President Francois Hollande said Friday’s attacks on Paris were an “act of war” - words that had echoes of the US’s declared “War on Terror” after 9/11. We may see stronger calls for military retaliation as a response.
Yet we must also take a moment to validate the value of the “other”. While terror is perpetuated by a few, as humanity we do need to guard against vilifying entire nations and cultures as representatives of the terrorist.
If not, we run the risk of entrenching a cycle of discrimination that works to further the radical political agendas of terrorist groups. - This article first appeared in The Conversation (www. theconversation.com)
*Steyn Kotze is Associate Professor of Political Science at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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