Peter Adamis 16 July 2014. The article attached (I would fight in Syria today if I could) barely touches the inner emotions of a person of the Islamic faith and does not truly address all the good work of parents, Imams, Islamic clerics and teachers do to stop young men and women from travelling go war torn countries. A complete copy of the article may be downloaded by clicking on: IS IT A JUST WAR TO LEAVE THE SAFETY OF OUR NATION & THE WESTERN WAY OF LIFE
Many parents are aghast at the decision made by their young to travel overseas to enlist in a conflict that their parents fled. The same parents in order to stop these young men and women from travelling overseas now report their own children to the authorities in order to save them. Imams, priests and other teachers of the various religions and faiths have a duty of care towards their flock and should be preaching the positive aspects of their faith rather that use their position as a recruiting ground to capture the hearts and minds of their youth.
They are no different to the young Israeli men and women who fought prior to gaining their independence and no different to the young men and women fighting for their causes in Mesa and South America and no different to the youth of Vietnam who fought against America. They also no different to the Hellenic young men and women who fought during the Greek War of Independence, During WW2 and the apocalyptic Greek Civil war that followed it. In fact these young men and women are displaying the same commitment as our young men and women demonstrated during all conflicts in the past 100 years. They are driven by the same zeal and faith that what they are doing is in their eyes saving their world as they know it.
We who live in the West may not understand that passion until we ourselves are faced with the same dilemma and circumstances. It would take a great war and a fight for our survival for our women to take up arms in similar circumstances. We are fortunate that we live in a society that takes action to look after our interests and to water down our passions should they rise above what is considered normal behaviour in our society. But at what cost to the nation, will we in the Western world lose the ability to be free from prying eyes and will our privacy be n o longer considered in the equation and worst still will free speech and free will be a thing of the past.
Our law enforcement agencies share the same vision and information with the same objectives in mind by monitoring online traffic and behaviours of communities and individuals that display unwarranted and ill conceived and poor thought processes that are not conducive to what society considers to be acceptable. Having said this one wonders whether we are being hypocritical when it is well known that many from Western nations have left their homes to fight in a war that they believe is a just one. Whatever the case may be, those who choose to leave do so at their own peril if that war is not in the interests of their nation.
As for the ISIL, the more publicity we give them, the more they revel in it. Reduce their online presence and you reduce their effectiveness and cut of their methods of recruiting young men and women who are driven by passion and zeal. Western Law enforcement agencies should be provided with the legislation to monitor such groups by isolating them and monitoring their activities with encroaching on the civil liberties of society and without the need to move towards a “Big Brother” approach.
In the first place, the only time I would consider going to battle is (heaven forbid) that Australia is faced with a force that is alien to our western culture and is hell bent on enslaving us to meet their interests. In the second place should in the unholy event that my place of birth is overseas and faced with extinction, I would be moved to consider my options and be compelled to leaving the safety of these shores in order to give it my best shot in ensuring the survival of my birth place. To undertake the following options will mean that we have reached dangerous levels within our Western world as we know it and evil times means making drastic decisions.
My first option would be on humanitarian grounds in providing food, clothing, medicine, shelter and comfort. My second piton would be in raising funds on humanitarian grounds to ensure that those who need it do receive it and it is not channelled into weapons. My third option would be to create a media and online environment that highlights the plight of the nation. My fourth option is to do nothing and allow nature take its course hoping that all will turn out for the better. My last option would be to leave the safety of these shores and become involved. In life we will all b e faced with such decisions and the options are many and diverse, but in the end one hopes that we who live in the Western world do not have to come to that point.
I have also stated elsewhere in other articles that should the Western world as we know it is faced with such overwhelming odds of extinction such as the UK, USA, France, NZ and Canada I would also seriously consider supporting them in their time of need. However for that to occur, many actions and events would have passed in order that we reach that point of no return. Still we must be cognizant of our own nations self interests and economic stability and abide by its laws even though in some case we may not believe that we are heading in the right direction.
That is why in the Western world the man and woman in the street have a voice and their opinions do count and can be heard without coercion and without the fear of being suppressed or overwhelmed by a “Big Brother” approach. We indeed are blessed to be living in the Western world and it’s no wonder that may are seeking solace and an economic security within our borders.
The Voice from the Pavement – Peter Adamis is a Journalist/Commentator and writer. He is a retired Australian military serviceman and an Industry organisational & Occupational (OHS) & Training Consultant whose interests are within the parameters of domestic and international political spectrum. He is an avid blogger and contributes to domestic and international community news media outlets as well as to local and Ethnic News. He holds a Bachelor of Adult Learning & Development (Monash), Grad Dip Occupational Health & Safety, (Monash), Dip. Training & Assessment, Dip Public Administration, and Dip Frontline Management. Contact via Email: [email protected] or via Mobile: 0409965538
