Shock: The Grand Lesson of the Paris Jihad
Raymond Ibrahim/November 14/15
What is the grand, take away lesson from yesterday’s jihadi/terrorist attack in Paris, that left 129 dead and hundreds injured? Is it a result of the mass influx of Muslim migrants into Europe—including Islamic State operatives? When will such increasingly common scenes no longer “shock” people? Is it yet another reflection of Islam’s unwavering Rule of Numbers, which holds that, wherever and whenever Muslims grow in numbers—and they make for a large minority in France—the same acts of “anti-infidel” violence that are endemic to the Islamic world grow with them? For all who are uninformed, the above are certainly lessons associated with the Paris attack. But they are not the grand lesson. The grand lesson is that such attacks must and will continue to multiply in severity.
Why? Because Western nations, their leaders and media talking heads continue to be shocked and dismayed. As Judith Berman writes for the Gatestone Institute today: One of the most surprising aspects of the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday night is how “deeply shocked” members of the European political establishment appeared to be. Angela Merkel, David Cameron and the Pope all expressed their condolences — and “deep shock” — at the well-coordinated, citywide terror attacks in six different places across Paris, which as of this writing have claimed at least 128 lives and more than 200 wounded.
Even NBA players express shock, sympathy over Paris terrorist tragedy. What is truly shocking is that so many are still shocked. When someone is shocked, they are essentially saying they have no idea how a specific event, in this case yesterday’s Paris attack, came to pass. In turn, this means that all the factors that led up to such terrorist attacks—from an already large Muslim presence further engorged with more Muslim migraters, to an inability to speak honestly about Islam’s supremacist and violent teachings—will continue unabated. And that means many more such attacks and worse will continue. Count on it.
Paris attacks, a strike on France’s values!
Mohamed Chebarro/Al Arabiya/November 18/15
France is again in the eye of the storm.
It’s been a long year since the attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in the center of Paris. A long year in which France was diplomatically and militarily trying to help relieve oppression by speaking out against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.The details of Friday’s simultaneous attacks across Paris and claims of responsibility are yet to emerge and be analyzed. But attackers in the Bataclan concert hall, three of which were killed by activating their suicide vests and one shot by police, were reportedly heard saying that this was payback for France’s involvement in Syria.France was not flying more air sorties targeting ISIS than the U.S., Russia or those declared by the Syrian regime. France’s air force started its active pursuit of ISIS leaders in Syria last September, long after many of its Arab and Western allies. The latest Paris attacks are another warning to France to change its stance, to relinquish its values of standing with the weak and the oppressed against their oppressor.
But yes, France has been active in calling to find an end to the Syrian crisis ever since the Syrians rebelled and called for the removal of the regime more than four years ago. France has been instrumental in its defense of the Syrian people, at least in building pressure and saying that it was morally wrong to leave the Syrian people to choose between living under ISIS or the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Only Paris remained focused and courageous enough to point out repeatedly that to eradicate ISIS, it is obligatory to remove Assad. Meanwhile, to weaken ISIS in Iraq, the French belief was that more pressure should be applied on Iran’s regime to stop fanning the flames of sectarianism in the fractured country.
France foreign minister was repeatedly pointing in the direction of Iran’s meddling in the affairs of Arab states. It was clear to French policy makers that wherever Iran meddled, ISIS or al-Qaeda emerged as a threat or main player in the given state. The latest Paris attacks are another warning to France to change its stance, to relinquish its values of standing with the weak and the oppressed against their oppressor. It is as President Obama said; it was an attack on the values of France which of course are too dear for the French to relinquish. It is very early to analyze as who and what will claim responsibility, but clearly these agents of death have been busy traveling from the Middle East to corners of the globe, in an effort to spread violence and to pressure governments. The attack was clearly a carefully developed plan aimed to kill the values that France upholds so dearly in our world today, and especially in the Middle East regarding Syria. Those values are liberty, equality and fraternity.
