The terror attack believed to have been carried out by ISIS on Friday March 22 at a rock concert in Moscow’s Crocus City Hall has killed at least 137 and injured around 100 people, sparking a controversy in the political firmament. Putin quickly scrambled to blame it on Ukraine, nonetheless IS-Khorasan claimed responsibility for the attack. Putin’s reaction stemming from the background of two years of Ukraine war was natural. However, IS-Khorasan, the terror outfit operating from Afghanistan, claimed they meticulously carried out the attack. The international media outlets have confirmed it. On the third day after the incident, Putin confided to his senior officials that the terrorists behind the attack are the ones that the Islamic world has been fighting for centuries.
Russian authorities have revealed that the suspects captured are Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni and Muhammadsobir Fayzov. Media outlets reported that all four appeared to have been beaten up as they were brought to the court. If asked why ISIS has carried out this attack at all, their answer would be: Russia helped crackdown the militia that fought against Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime and Russia has a role in wiping out ISIS camps. Before that, Putin regime carried out a bloody crackdown on the Muslim-majority Chechnya between 1994 and 2009. ISIS cites Afghanistan invasion that paved the way for the fall of the Soviet Union as another reason. Thus, IS-K claims they are waging a rightful jihad against Russia, the arch-enemy of Islam and the Muslim world. Islamic State-Khorasan, or IS-K is a militant group that was formed in Afghanistan and Central Asia by scattered ISIS operatives after their outfit fell apart and leadership crumbled.
With the Moscow attack it is considered that ISIS has once again entered the scene to disrupt peace. Muslim world and scholars have only ever disowned and rejected ISIS which - contrary to the fundamental teachings of Islam including humanity, tolerance and friendliness - conceived its own methodology and style of operation based on their Imam. No sensible person can justify or endorse this suicide squad. It is obvious from their targeting of Muslim states and worshipers congregating in mosques that they do not stand for the interests or beliefs of Muslims. At the same time, efforts are ever underway in the post-truth world to cobble up and nurture similar extremist groups and blame them on Islam. Agencies and interest groups lure people to these outfits captilising on the situation where the denial of justice and democracy, racial bias and disregard for certain groups are being played out breaking all limits. The terror outfit IS was formed from the backdrop of the brutal attack on Saddam Hussein’s Iraq by US imperialism and NATO accusing the country of having hoarded up weapons of mass destruction and thus putting in power a puppet government overriding UN directives. Similarly, most of those who joined IS are ones who fled Syria when Russia militarily supported Bashar al-Assad regime’s crackdown on the protest against the regime. The only way to nip sprouts of terrorism is for the world to stand together without compromising on the denial of justice and human rights abuses.