Sisi and the IS

The terrorist group Islamic State (IS) was in the headlines recently after they released pictures online showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians in Tripoli, capital of Libya.

The Coptic Christian workers in orange jumpsuits were kidnapped in Sirte by the militants in two operations in December and January. The pictures show the hostages kneeling on a bench with the masked militants wielding their knives to slaughter them simultaneously. The incident, being the first where more people are killed by the IS, shocked the world. The terrorist group started in Iraq and has seized large swathes of adjoining Syria and along the Turkish border and has allegiance from similar groups in several countries including Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen and now Libya. The group aims to establish a ‘caliphate’, has promised to ‘free Palestine’ and is rapidly advancing. The mass murders, abductions of people belonging to other religious and ethnic minorities as well as beheading of journalists, soldiers and aid workers have drawn widespread condemnation from the rest of the world. Not much details about IS are known to the outside world except the information available through the pictures and videos posted on the internet. No media had ever interviewed them or their spokespersons.

Islamic State is known for its huge financial backing from the Western powers, its well funded social media propaganda and its arsenal of weapons. The United Nations and Amnesty International have held the group responsible for human rights abuses and war crimes. The causes of origin of the group is unknown. But many believe that it is a product of conspiracy by the imperialistic forces including Israel who have wanted to topple the Arab world as well as the democratic uprisings in the region. According to them it’s the necessity of imperialism to retain autocracy in the Arab world as well as the .terrorist groups. The Arab Spring was a revolutionary wave of civil demonstrations that quashed Arab authoritarianism and the Islamic terrorism and therefore was to be suppressed for the growth of imperialism.

The incident increases the gravity of tribulations particularly in Egypt. Taking the instance of political turmoil in the country, the president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has ordered more mass killings when compared to IS. Arab columnists recently mocked the despotic ruler about his name hinting at the similar spelt names of Sisi and IS. He toppled the then President of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi and came into power, suspended the Egyptian constitution and ordered imprisonment and mass killings of thousands who protested against his rule. Sisi, who is usually dubbed as the cruelest autocratic ruler, has been trying to topple the Libyan democracy and position his supporters there intervening in internal conflicts and carrying out air strikes. The latest beheading incident has given Sisi another opportunity to intervene in Libya and he apparently, has already begun the moves. Through this he has been successful in repudiating the civil protests against issues like price hike, unemployment and human rights violations that have been gradually brewing up in Egypt. The incident seems to favour Sisi the most.

The world powers have remained silent spectators always. Questions regarding the financial backing behind the IS and the ever increasing members recruited from Western countries remain unanswered. When the imperialistic forces vying for economic and political power are coupled with insane people who reduce religion to plain letters, it is the rest of the world who covets peace and harmony, that bear the brunt of their activities.