Violence begets violence

In the aftermath of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, there were frenzied calls for “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle has sailed to the Mediterranean shores, while hostility toward Muslims and Islam skyrocketed in the West, as a result of which many mosques came under attack.
Enemies of yesterday joined hands in the war against Daesh, while many opportunists found an excuse to start their witch-hunt against Syrian refugees. Many others saw this anti-Muslim atmosphere as an opportunity to settle scores against their political opponents like German Chancellor Angela Merkel who supported hosting these refugees.
People in their animosity toward Muslims have stooped so low that a Greek sailor reportedly tried to drown a dingy carrying refugees in the middle of the sea.
Amid this charged atmosphere, France, which has announced a state of emergency for three months, looks more enthusiastic than others to go to war.
In the meantime, Russia, which has lost more civilians in the crash of the Metrojet over Sinai last month, has warmly welcomed the French involvement because this will help President Vladimir Putin get off the hook. It is understandable that Putin wants to protect Russian interests in the Middle East and to fill in the vacuum created by the clumsy US policies in Syria and Iraq. But how can we understand the chanting of “la Marseillaise” so loud, a reminiscent of the French war against Austria in 1792?
Obviously, what is going on in the so-called war against terrorism is actually a war of intelligence agencies. In the phantom world of these agencies, they believe that “everything is fair in love and war,” as the English proverb goes.
In fact, the way in which the French authorities handled the Paris attacks raises many questions about the motives and timings. In brief, the French leadership is following in the footsteps of the US administration, which acted unwisely after the Sept.11 attacks in New York and invaded Afghanistan and Iraq. Everyone knows the horrible results of these policies.
Historically, France, a former colonialist power, couldn’t stay as an onlooker while Russia takes over Syria, a former French colony. This explains why other NATO countries are hesitant to join in the war against the Daesh thugs.
Undoubtedly, we would be happy if this meaningless war could succeed in annihilating these suicidal adventurists.
But what is alarming is that the Syrian people and their resistance will be the only victim of this war. They are now between the hammer and the anvil. The Syrian regime, Daesh and the Iranian and Hezbullah militias are killing the Syrians now. Now, they will become lab rats for the Russian and French war machinery.
We in KSA were the first to call for fighting all forms of terrorism by striking at its roots, and by ending policies that lead to its spread — including the Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman had proposed — before the G-20 summit held in the Turkish city of Antalya — formation of an anti-terrorism center.
But it seems that the western countries have developed the habit of turning a deaf ear to sincere calls against terrorism and anarchy. They appear determined to spread chaos, and this is what Daesh wants.