-An Emancipation/Arrival nugget
Taking a break from our local stresses of life here, I venture to comment on the burgeoning globalised ballistic stress that is terrorism.
In truth, I feel that Guyanese, despite our own home-grown challenges and tribulations, should express, even demonstrate, some active interest in the brand of terror being unleashed by ISIS, often in the name of a major religion, Islam.
Terror, terrorism, terrorise, terrorist- how these words easily strike fear into innocent hearts. That’s because terror is itself fear- in varied dimensions. Terror can be personal, sectarian, and communal. Organised international terrorism is manifested by “violent, destructive acts executed to intimidate and overcome even a people, their group or government.” We in economically- challenged, religious-neutral Guyana seem safe right now.
But the variety of terror being visited on certain societies makes no nation really immune when the ISIS terrorist hierarchy decides on “targets.”
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ISIS: Who? What? Why?
But who is this feared, few-years old terrorist organisation that seems to have upstaged, murderously, even bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda?
Iraq’s late dictator Saddam Hussein definitely hoped to rope in most of his geo-political neighbours’ lands to establish an empire. That’s called a Caliphate, as a supreme Caliph always fancies himself the successor to Mohammed himself and as head of all Islam.
After the USA struck back after September 2001 and in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, Saddam, Gaddafi and a few other Middle Eastern autocrats were killed. The vacuums left in those societies-where little democracy was known- were filled by historical tribal enemy- groups. There were now no iron-fist dictators to keep lids on factional enemies. Soon, tribes and sects spawned new greedy leaders and managed to secure unstable territory.
Quickly, one group- ISIS or ISIL- named for an Islamic State to include hopefully, all the states on the Eastern Mediterranean- the Levant, even captured American weapons and know-how from weak Iraqi soldiers and spread its deadly wings. Oil revenues from black-market sales, sourced from captured wells, enriched the ISIS terror organisation.
Too easily, by using modern methods of infiltration and influence; utilising elements of true Islam and the attraction of adventure and the adrenalin of removing unpopular governments, ISIS was established as the world’s most murderous and effective terrorist organisation.
And perhaps its most insidious weapon is its long-term ability to influence and recruit the world’s impatient, disillusioned youth.
So that now, whether it’s the little ones from Pakistan’s mosque-“schools”, radicalised Muslim youth or under-cover refugees, European, African, Asian, North American societies, peaceful people, now seem “soft targets for terrorists’ bombs, bullets, trucks, machetes or knives.
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Perspectives and Responses
The American and European responses to the now weekly terrorist attacks of deadly effect, are instructive as to the lack of cohesion and the intensity of effort needed to subdue or eliminate this now global threat.
Migrants and refugees threaten to overwhelm a too-friendly Germany and or terrified France.
Even genuine refugees seem not to want to integrate into the host nations. They want to establish their (miniature) countries into age-old cultures. And these refugees were not always poor in their homelands. They knew oil wealth. They were displaced by wars – on-going devastations. One day they should be assisted to return to their lands.
American hawks and Republicans say ISIS has launched a new-type of full-fledged World War. Appropriate responses should rely on Middle Eastern “allies” to assist, whilst Turkey’s leaders play it both ways as the terrorists use Istanbul to get to Syria’s training camps- or as a gateway to Europe/NATO itself!
It’s a mighty complex situation. And war. Innocent societies are at risk as ISIS wants to alter the Western way-of –life. Until I return to this issue, I say that the Middle Eastern States of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, even Iran, must join the fight against the Jihadists. And we here must take active note!
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Real scare from our nurses
Look, I’ll leave the fundamental, perhaps more long-term dimensions to those qualified, who, I note have already joined this important fray.
I’m constrained to agree however that the charges (allegations) from the nurses representatives issued last weekend are scary, frightening.
Those representatives told us that (1) allegedly, nurses are being described a “novices” even though employed; (2) patients’ illnesses are mis-diagnosed causing them to spend longer periods hospitalised; (3) if deaths in other GPHC departments are investigated as is done for the maternity ward, the nation will be shocked (allegedly at more mis-diagnoses); (4) doctors need to do more clinical research and not nurse/ward management.
Wow! More woes for the working-class? Chairman/Hanoman has been shedding light on causes of nurses/doctors friction now exposed.
I’ll allow others to investigate and analyse. One glimmer of hope: Dr Hanoman promises compromise. Even as he needs 200 additional nurses. Trained, professional -and kind.
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A Post- Emancipation positive
I forego today my annual “Emancipation Blues”. (I won’t even repeat how we got our (original) Post Emancipation Douglahs!)
Just to mention that after it was revealed that the newly-arrived (1838) Indentured/Contracted/ “Bound” Indians were being flogged and tortured, many African (Ex-Slaves) testified at Inquiries initiated by the Anti- Slavery Society.
Will Clay was from Pln. Vreed-en-Hoop; Alexander Barrington and Elizabeth Caesar were also among the first to give damning evidence against the powerful Planters.
Moral of that tidbit? A reflective Emancipation Observance to you-all.
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Ponder Please….
There would hardly have been the type of 1838 Arrival, had there been no Emancipation.
Who is best equipped to finance submersibles air-strips, boats, bribery, couriers and air-tickets to facilitate the cocaine trade?
Acquire the derelict Co-op Bank building in Stabroek and convert it into a modern, spacious vendors’ arcade.
Til Next Week!
(allanafenty@yahoo.com)
