Pretty lies, ugly truths and ISIS
Unable to address the ugly truth, masking it with pretty lies, and substituting subtle innuendo for courage have become operational standards for this White House. Though the pretty lies sound good, they often cause irreparable harm. This administration has pushed pretty lies about American policy posture regarding ISIS since the organization's emergence, essentially fueling the war against us by violent Islamic fundamentalists.
The unvarnished truth is we won't create comprehensive solutions or strategies to mitigate this complex problem until we honestly define it. In regards to the problem of ISIS, they are but a symptom of a much larger issue. That issue is the ideology promulgated by the violent Islamic fundamentalists conducting jihad. This ideology is based on the most fundamental teachings of Islam. Starting with Muhammad, to the religious proclamations of the likes of Ibn Taymiyyah, Sayyid Qutb, Osama bin Laden and Bakr Al Baghdadi, three key beliefs create a common thread for their stark interpretation of the Muslim faith. They encourage intolerance toward nonbelievers, they advocate violence against nonbelievers and they purport that there will be peace in the world only when the world becomes Islamic. In the Quran, the violent Islamic fundamentalist is epitomized by passage 60:4 in which Allah, via his messenger, Muhammad, summarizes the Muslim infidel when he states, “We disown you and that which you worship besides Allah. We renounce you. Enmity and hate shall forever reign between us — till you believe in Allah alone.”
There are over 164 passages in the Quran advocating violence against the infidel. These passages are the embodiment of the violence perpetrated by ISIS and violent Islamic fundamentalists around the world. Understanding their ideology is imperative if we are to develop an effective strategy to combat this evil force.
We must resist responding with bombs and bullets alone. While it is critical that force be met with force, it is also imperative the underlying motivation that fuels their violence be addressed. Unfortunately, eradicating ISIS will only bolster the hundreds of other similar groups waiting to fill the void. The logical approach is to find solutions looking at the whole situation.
In analyzing how the ideology is promulgated, we see four common themes. The violent Islamic fundamentalist controls the information flow to populations most susceptible to align with their ideology. They control education, dictating what is taught. Lastly, we see the creation of a permissive environment for violence against those who do not share the fundamentalist's world view.
Moving forward, a strategy to be successful must reverse engineer these four common themes. The four cornerstone principles to facilitate this endeavor are: information, education, reformation and elimination. These four principles must stand on an Islamic foundation analogous to the prevailing culture in the country of Jordan, or in the actions of leaders like Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the President of Egypt. The supporting walls connecting the four cornerstones should include an international coalition, which will provide the fortitude and resources to ensure a resilient foundation. The roof will be composed of the overarching promotion of tolerance, modernity, and the elimination of those who place more value on martyrdom than life.
This conflict has been going on since Islam's conception. Violent Islamic fundamentalism has always ebbed and flowed. By studying the Quran, ideology, and history of the region, we can identify time frames where fundamentalism tapered and try to promote those conditions by employing the above strategic framework. What we cannot do is avoid the ugly truth by preferring pretty lies that guarantee failure.
Larry Kaifesh, who has a master's degree on strategic studies from the Naval War College, is a colonel in the Marine Corps and former candidate for U.S. Congress.