World economic problems show how closely linked states are financially and commercially. The so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) showed that they are also connected in the realm of security. No politician in Europe, America, East Asia, or Australia can ignore what is happening in the Middle East. No matter how far he may be from the line of fire, its fall-out will be felt. The lifting of real boundaries and the elimination of borders between countries has made this so. And, the best proof for the absence of borders between countries is the fact that the 10- year- old ISIS, was able to recruit people from 80 countries around the world. It was thus enabled to line up more than 30 thousand fighters who were ready to die and commit atrocities, the like of which, the world has not witnessed in recent times. This organization is composed of inseparable military and ideological elements. These elements, along with environmental condition, permit the organization to surface in any part of the world. ISIS is not only a terrorist organization; it is also a very evil ideology. Wicked ideologies cannot be combatted by military alliances alone. ISIS has confirmed the fact that there is more globalization than any time before. ISIS is a barbaric, brutal, terrorist organization. It does not represent Islam. It does not even have a minimum acceptable outlook on humanity. Overpowering the organization will not be as easy as many may think. What is combatable by military means is the military structure alone. The coalition force, in which the Emirates will have an effective role, can do this. But what about the ideological outlook? It is close to impossible, to sever the ideological element from the military one. We also cannot ignore those circumstances that permitted the organization to show up abruptly in different parts of the world. ISIS is not only a terrorist organization; it is also the repository of a very evil philosophy, which is shared by Al Qaida and its off-shoots in Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Morocco and the states of the Arabian peninsula. This ideology has also started to sow its seeds in Europe and America and other places. ISIS is, in fact, a manifestation of a malignant idea, which cannot be conquered by military means alone. It is probable that this evil ideology, and its product, is the worst that the world will face for the next ten years. It is an ideology, with a religious touch, ready to be picked up by any terrorist organization. These organizations will recruit thousands among those desperate, malicious and angry young people that they will use to strike at human civilization. What worries me most is the evil ideology upon which Al Qaida was based and its use of primitive facilities in the Afghan caves to shake world security. This same ideology is used by ISIS today, but implementation is now done by sophisticated technological equipment, substantial funding and the control of a huge geographic area equivalent to the Jordanian kingdom. There is also a great deal of collaborative Jihadi effort in different parts of the world. All these are clear indications that the world has failed to confront this evil ideology, and that the challenge ahead is much greater than expected. The challenge, moreover, is growing by the day as the fierceness and spread of this organization grows. I am not a pessimist but rather an optimist, because the world has started to unite in an organized way to confront this challenge. The power of hope, and the strong urge for the stability and prosperity of nations, also significantly adds to my optimism. The world has faced much worse than IS and in the past. Looking at the ISIS issue positively we can see that it has united the opponents against it. All have laid their differences aside to face the growing danger positively and quickly. I hope that the world will continue confronting the hazards involved in the same spirit and with the same determination. All means of confrontation should be used in the fight, military, finance and media resources. Additionally there are still some supplementary means through three other channels: One: This evil ideology must be confronted by an enlightened intellectual approach, tolerant and with a firm belief in co-existence. This confrontation should be based on the enlightened ideology of our true Islamic religion, which calls for peace, forbids bloodshed, protects honor and directs humans to be righteous and serve their fellow men. The young suicidal volunteers will never be deterred except by a more powerful, convincing ideology, able to steer them in the right direction. The problem lies in their belief in this wicked ideology, but true Islam should be able to convince them that God has created us to populate the land not demolish it. I would like here to praise our brothers in Saudi Arabia and their experience in that respect. They were able to convince many of the youngsters through advisory centers (Monassaha) that they built. It is probable that the Saudi Kingdom with its thinkers, scholars and undeniable spiritual weight in the Muslim world, is the most capable to lead that ideological change. Two: another important resource in the battle for a solution can be through those countries that have stable governments that are keen on providing real services to their people without discrimination. These regimes provide a climate that repels such organizations, and do not support its activities. It may not be a secret that the very rapid success of ISIS can be attributed to two governments in the region. One of them was killing its people, and the other was dividing them on a sectarian basis, thus providing very fertile ground for the escalation of this organization, attracting to it thousands of fighters. It also served as a good reason to kill more civilians from others denominations. Serious challenges are facing other unstable regimes in the region. They may well provide very suitable environments for terrorist organizations to infiltrate. Three: The world cannot ignore development failures in many parts of the Middle East. This is in reality an International as well as an Arab responsibility. Projects and effective initiatives are required. There has to be an overall plan for development, education, health, infrastructure and advancing economic opportunities. It is thus a long term confrontation that we face. There are 200 million young people in our region. We can either give them hope, direct their power to change their lives and the lives of those around them for the better, or we can leave them to unemployment, wicked thoughts and eventually terrorist organizations. Providing economic development together with work opportunities to raise the standard of living should eliminate every cause for the existence of terrorist groups, even if some youngsters are recruited here and there. There is no force greater than the force of hope for a secure life. A while ago a responsible Arab personality asked me about the Emirate's goal in launching an Arab probe to Mars, and how useful it is for the region. I told him that we want to send a message of hope to 350 million Arabs. We Arabs are capable of creating our future and confronting the entire world if we so desire. (This article is reproduced from the Emirates newspaper Albayan)
