Opinion

Tom Kelly: Leaders in the Islamic world must confront radicalisation within their own countries

Tom Kelly

Tom Kelly

Tom Kelly is an Irish News columnist with a background in politics and public relations. He is also a former member of the Policing Board.

The scene after three people were killed at a church in Nice in southern France. Picture from Tom Vannier via AP
The scene after three people were killed at a church in Nice in southern France. Picture from Tom Vannier via AP The scene after three people were killed at a church in Nice in southern France. Picture from Tom Vannier via AP

The news about the murders in Nice was spine-chilling. A 60 year old woman was virtually decapitated. A second victim died from multiple stabbings to his throat. The third victim managed to flee to a restaurant only to die from her injuries.

The attacker, according to French prosecutors, was Tunisian. Amongst his belongings was a 17 centimetre blade and a copy of the Quran. He was not yet 21 years of age. Too young to have yet explored or experienced the kaleidoscope of life but old enough to murder in cold blood. To have murdered in the vicinity of a church is sacrilegious.

These murders are not merely random acts. They are purposeful in that they inspire terror.

This is not the first such attack by an extreme Islamist in France.

Remember the butchering of eighty five year old Father Jacques Hamel in his church. Fr Jacques was made to kneel at his altar where the heartless killers slit his throat and then got a parishioner to film the dead priest as he lay.

The last words of Fr Jacques were reportedly “Go away Satan”. He was right. The perpetrators were the manifestation of pure evil. Ironically the French priest worked on an interfaith council with members of all faiths including Islam. Not that this mattered to his murderers.

None of these killers actually operate alone. They are the product of Islamic radicalisation. The activists are usually young, impressionable and confused. Their interpretation of the Quran is medieval and has no place in the modern world. Christian fanaticism is equally repulsive.

The shadowy world internet has played a huge part in spreading the hate fest of poisonous and perverted interpretations of Islam’s most holy book by extremists.

President Macron is correct to say that France is “at war with this type of Islamic fascism”. But this is not just France’s war. It is a war which everyone must fight, not just Western countries but Islamic countries too. Most Muslims are appalled and repulsed by the actions of these murderous zealots with their warped mentality.

France is a staunchly secular country. It guarantees religious freedoms to all. The murder of a teacher a few weeks ago was deeply disturbing.

Samuel Paty did not deserve to die in such a barbarous way but the unsettling aspect was that of the seven people detained in relation to his slaughter, two were students aged only fourteen and fifteen years of age and another was the parent of a pupil Mr Paty taught. The killer (who was shot dead) was also only eighteen years of age. Mr Paty’s alleged offence was to have shown his pupils cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

It is entirely understandable that devout Muslims are sensitive around such a matter. Their faith explicitly forbids images of Muhammad or Allah (God). But neither they nor believers of any other faith live in a religious bubble. This is the real world and for the most part, those of faith and none, must and do live side by side. Education is about broadening understanding - not limiting it because aspects may offend. Radical Islamists cannot invoke God to set themselves above the law or to act as judge or jury.

Macron has been criticised unfairly across the Muslim world. Some of those countries doing the criticism fail to show any respect towards minority faith communities within their own jurisdictions. The oppressive nature as to how some Islamic regimes act towards Christians is mind blowing. (Not that historically Christians have not acted with similar levels of intolerance - after all there was no Islamic Inquisition).

Instead of criticising President Macron, leaders in the Islamic world should confront the growing issue of radicalisation within their own countries and that section of militant preachers who incite young people to kill in the name of their faith.

Once Islam led the world in enlightenment. It needs to recapture that torch.