MODERATES VS EXTREMISTS: If radical Islam gains a foothold in Asia, there will be dire consequences.
OUR times are marked by a period where one part of the developed world, Europe and the United States, live terrified by the power of the Islamic State. However, the real threat of IS is not only felt on the streets of Paris, or in the fear of what could happen in New York or Washington, but in the set of strategic moves focused on the conquest of a dominant position in Asia, which in numerical terms could completely change the balance of power on an international level. There are two relevant and particular aspects to this.
First, the conquest of Indonesia, a country with the largest Muslim population in the world. And second, the attacks in Malaysia, as well as the use of violence and the interference in Thailand. As, in the last days, Thailand has been in the headlines because of its approval — through the citizens’ vote in a referendum — of a reform to its Constitution that reinforces military power, after the 2014 coup. And, on the other hand, the alleged corruption of the Malaysian prime minister which distorts focus on the real problem in the country.
On the night of June 28, a loud explosion rocked the streets of Kuala Lumpur. A grenade that was thrown into a local nightspot caught the patrons by surprise, injuring eight of them. Local police declared the incident a terrorist attack, most likely directed and performed by individuals affiliated with IS.
If one looks at the facts, however, the attack itself might be surprising, but that one took place in Malaysia did not surprise those who have been following the activity of Islamic extremists in Asia.
This creates a decision point for Western nations, which must decide on a way to approach the challenges faced in Asia.
History has shown that cases in which outside forces try to enforce its values on others only lead to chaos, fuelled by the inability of the West to understand different cultures and mentalities.
For example, in Egypt, Hosni Mubarak’s downfall was endorsed by the West and led to the rise to power of the extremist Muslim Brotherhood.
In Libya, the removal of an admittedly problematic regime led to the creation of an IS stronghold on the shores of Europe, amplifying the refugee crisis.
The West must now make a choice — continue with the aforementioned self-righteous but ineffective approach, or choose to cooperate with the best partner it could ask for in the region.
Authorities in the Philippines have been dealing with the militant Islamic group Abu Sayyaf for decades.
The southern Thai provinces of Yala and Songkhla, which border Malaysia, have also suffered from Islamic terrorism.
According to publicly available information, Malaysia has thwarted nine different attacks planned by IS that were meant to harm targets on Malaysian soil.
More recently, videos spread online featured a declaration of war by IS against Malaysia. The nation prides itself as a bulwark against the rising tide of extreme Islamism, and as a major player in stopping it from spreading. Even though 61 per cent of Malaysians are Muslims, the country is defined as secular in its constitution. This poses a serious threat to the Salafi ideology promoted by IS.
Therefore, according to this, Malaysia is the embodiment of the enemy that is near, as it is exactly opposite to what IS is trying to impose on the Muslim world. It is a thorn in the side of all those who try to spread extreme and violent ideology.
If radical Islam gains a foothold in the region, the consequences can be dire and will not be confined to that area of the world.
Today’s interlocking economies could suffer greatly from insecurity and terror, and many countries will be severely harmed by that. The first in line will be the economies of Indonesia and Malaysia, followed by a cascading effect that can lead all the way to two of the world’s most important economies — China and India. Such an occurrence can have a detrimental effect on the global markets, with far reaching effects worldwide.
The days in which the nations of the world could afford to have a separatist position regarding Asia are over. The West must adopt a more pragmatic view regarding its policies in the East, and understand that it must strengthen the allies with which it shares common enemies and interests. One of these governments is that of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Even though he is under attack due to allegations of corruption, one must take the local context into consideration.
Najib is fighting extremism in his country and abroad, and by doing so is aggravating those who support the extremists. Allegations of corruption are a fine weapon of choice for those who oppose Najib, as it diverts the discourse away from dealing with the core issue — moderates versus extremists.
Najib is a partner for the Western world, and shares a similarity in interests. His time as prime minister has proved to be beneficial for Malaysia’s relationship with the Western world, with cooperation in the fight against extremism reaching new heights.
In that sense, the West and United States during the last 10 years have given us a model of failed political actions; they made a mistake with Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and they made a mistake with Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. Now, these countries are one of the main challenges for Western security forces because of the instability and the terrorist attacks being launched from there.
If the whole Western world gets it wrong again and gives Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand away to the radical Muslims, without any doubt, the battle will be transferred to China and the proportions of this conflict will have changed dramatically in favour of the terrorists. El Pais
Antonio Navalón is a journalist, entrepreneur, cultural promoter and marketer of books. (This article was published on Aug 16 in ‘El Pais’, the highest-circulation daily newspaper in Spain and one of three Madrid dailies considered as national newspapers of record for Spain.)