Mourning preventable deaths

Ideology rooted into hatred always nourishes hatred. This is a fact, which I have been continuously reiterating in these pages and have stressed numerous times the need for educating people on this key issue. As evident from the current global situation, people knowingly or otherwise have ignored this fact due to which our world is in a mess.
During the past few days, we witnessed the brutal execution of two Japanese citizens and a Jordanian pilot at the hands of the members of the self-ascribed Islamic State (IS).
The two Japanese were executed a few days apart. The series of pictures (and sometimes videos) issued by the IS showing executions of innocent people is part of the IS media warfare apparently either to teach world leaders a lesson or to frighten them. It goes without saying that the brutality has had an impact on the international community and on the world leaders. Let us further analyze the situation from two perspectives.
Talking of world leaders, readers will recall that the IS had asked for a ransom of $200 million for the release of Japanese hostages. It would be instructive to note that it was the same amount Japan had given to the coalition forces fighting this terrorist organization. The IS had made similar demands for the release of journalists and peace activists earlier. They also met the same fate. Washington put an end to the matter by announcing, “The US government does not make concessions to terrorists, which includes paying ransom.”
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe echoed similar views when the IS made its demand for the release of the two Japanese. “Japan will not bow to terrorism!”
The leaders refused to succumb to IS demands and as a consequence the hostages were savagely murdered before the eyes of the world.
The world leaders tend to ignore that life is sacred. We strongly believe that if you have the means to prevent someone’s death, you must use them. There is no room for selfishness or excuses when it comes to a person’s life. If you choose not to save someone’s life when you could do so, then it means that you are an accessory to murder. All the excuses you make to ease your conscience after becoming an accessory to murder are invalid. The chance to save that life has been gone.
Therefore, excuses such as “We will not make concessions to terrorism” and using terror against terror, do not change the outcome. Murder could have been prevented, but was not. One of the foul methods of terror could have been prevented, but was not. The lives of those people who were in that bloody region solely for peace could have been saved, but were not. Money can always be compensated, but those lives have been lost. Who can compensate for that?
It is specious to claim that paying ransoms means making concessions or bowing to terrorism; that is presumably a guise intended to give allies the impression that “I am standing firm against terror.” The world knows well that the ideology and terrifying logic of terror is rooted in the minds of IS operatives and their likes. The barbarity of these groups knows no bounds. Unfortunately, they easily find funds and resources to unleash their reign of terror on the world. Paying ransoms to such savage elements will not further increase them in their barbarity. So long as they adhere to the skewed ideology, the IS militants will continue this bloodbath wherever they go. Neither Japan’s nor America’s behavior has even slightly turned them away from their destructive path.
Ironically, the violence inflicted by the IS on local residents does not create a buzz in the world. Being fully aware of that, the IS through the execution of foreigners, due to their high propaganda value, is trying to attract the coalition forces to the battlefield. The coalition forces are already carrying out aerial assaults on IS targets, which in fact are adding to the woes of the Middle East. Countries that refuse to pay ransoms are not avoiding submission to terrorists or their ideology. These countries, which spend millions of dollars on rockets that mostly hit civilians, have merely become accessories to murder by refusing to pay ransoms and are seeking to get rid of violence by using violence.
Let us make it clear here that the burning to death of the Jordanian pilot, Maaz Al-Kasaasbeh, was utterly barbaric. It is a further proof of IS’ terrifying mentality. However, the Jordanian government’s swift execution of terror convicts following the release of that video has just made matters worse. This response will only kick off a vicious and never-ending cycle of violence in the Middle East.
Looking at the issue from the IS perspective, it is trying to implement a skewed interpretation of Islam. The actions of this organization are in sharp contrast to the true teachings of Islam.
If leaders want to fight terrorism, they need to act in a discreet way and should not regard the taking of life as that easy or life as cheap. Instead responding to violence by violence, they should seek to show the other side that life is valuable. Just because the other side is screaming for violence does not mean they should resort to the same horror. They should not become part of terror for the sake of not making concessions to it. Let us remember, sitting back and watching murder, no matter on what pretext, means becoming an accessory to murder.
These words by Kenji Goto, the Japanese journalist executed by IS, that he shared on Twitter four years ago may serve as a guide to governments as they decide on other people’s lives: “Closing my eyes and holding still. It's the end if I get mad or scream. It's close to a prayer. Hate is not for humans. Judgment lies with God. That’s what I learned from my Arabic brothers and sisters.”

— The writer has authored more than 300 books translated into 73 languages on politics, religion and science. He tweets @harun_yahya.