25 years of 'terror'

When the twin towers of the World Trade Center crashed on September 11, 2001, no one had forecast that would mark the beginning of a long-term attack that would change the very shape of the world to come. Most of those whom the US agencies found as the masterminds of the attack were either killed or are languishing in the infamous Guantannamo jails, being subjected to physical torture and awaiting trial with shattered minds. Of them Osama Bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri were killed by American military action. But the war on terror did not end with these. On the contrary, the imperialistic occupations led by the US only expanded in its scale. With a look at the last 25 years, one can very well gauge how the 'war on terror' that started as a response to the 9/11 event laid foundation for a political, economic and social devastation. The Western interference that set out with a promise of security and restoration of democracy, in fact paved the way only to violation of civil rights and the total annihilation of countries and an arms trade running into billions of dollars.

When the whole world experienced the consequences of the war on terror, about 80 countries were the direct victims of the suffering resulting from, says a Brown University study titled 'Cost of War on Terror'. In Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, Libya, Somalia and Nigeria alone, over 10 million human beings were the victims of the lethal weapon. And the hapless ones who lost their lives due to the crash of health services and poverty number about 50 lakh. About four crores of people were uprooted from their own soil. The amount spent on the war on 'terror' by the Pentagon was 8 trillion dollar. But then what came of all this? Global terror acts increased 800 per cent since 2001. The economic infrastructure of West Asia, Africa, the Sahel region and South Asia was totally destroyed. Different governments on a global level made anti-terror laws, which served only as a tool to put those who expressed disagreements under the shadow of doubt and to put them in jail. Under suspicion of being 'sleeping extremist' every such citizen was subjected to surveillance of their privacy. The stereotype of 'terrorist' was ascribed to Muslim identity. Racial profiling in airports became routine. In short, the 25 years of peace and security the wars of 25 years had promised gave only human tears, loss of privacy and racism against the other.

The weapon that was wielded for all this incursions to gain popular approval was an artificially created Islamophobia. Western narrative through Hollywood films, international media and popular culture succeeded in portraying all Muslims as cruel terrorists and aliens. As a continuation, in India and in Kerala too, similar racial stereotypes were propagated and hate crimes became normal. The most silent but deep wound this war left is that a whole generation had to live under suspicion because of their beliefs. While looking back quarter of a century thence, one thing is clear: the 'war on terror' did not wipe out terror, but instead only created an unending series of wars.

In intensifying Islamophobia and in exploiting the concepts of war on terror for its own agenda, the role played by Israel is crucial. It was able to redefine the occupation of Palestine and racial suppression as part of 'war on terror'. And behind this also worked a strategic goal of weakening Arab regimes that posed a threat to them. It is an extension of that stream of thought which is in display in the attacks on Iran conducted by America and Israel. It proves how clear the imperialist goals hidden behind the frame of 'anti-terror' are. The world is being changed to a scene of endless aspirations of occupation of Zionism and imperialism. And to that end, regimes that would wish to maintain dictatorships lend support too. This gives them an opportunity to declare a permanent emergency under the pretext of war on terror. And that emergency is only an instrument to create internal and external enemies and rule over people by dividing them. When the world completes a quarter of a century since then, it has but to get free out of this prison of fear. If the world wants to restore its democratic values, civil rights and social justice, it has to start with an introspection about what were lost in the last 25 years. The winds of change can emanate only from the bravery to ask questions.