MAKING announcement in a televised address that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died “whimpering and crying” in a raid by US special forces in northwest Syria, President Donald Trump described it a major victory over the militant group. Baghdadi killed himself during the raid by detonating a suicide vest after fleeing into a dead-end tunnel.
There are serious questions as to who created and for what purpose the dreaded IS that once controlled large areas in Syria and Iraq and leaked intelligence reports of different countries spoke of its traces and growing influence in other countries including our neighbouring Afghanistan. At the height of its power, Islamic State ruled over millions of people in territory running from northern Syria through towns and villages along the Tigris and Euphrates valleys to the outskirts of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. It was propagated that after Al-Qaeda, IS presented biggest terror threat to different regions of the globe. The speed with which the outfit grew, expanded and operated was amazing, raising doubts that it was created by vested interests to malign and target Islam and its followers. This was also evident from the fact that the so-called Islamic State carried out atrocities against religious minorities and attacks on five continents in the name of Islam that horrified mainstream followers of the religion. The death of Baghdadi means the monster has served its purpose and the terrorist organization might now be in disarray. Though Western and some other countries claim that organizations like IS and Al-Qaeda harmed their interests but the fact remains that they inflicted more harm on the Muslim Ummah through unacceptable interpretation of the religion and indulging in activities that resulted in foreign interventions in several Islamic countries. Their activities also tarnished image of a religion that preaches peace, love and affection and compounded sufferings and challenges of Muslims almost all over the world. In this backdrop, it is time that Muslim countries both individually and collectively should strive not to allow growth of such entities and nip them in the bud.
