The right path to eradicating Islamic fundamentalism

The massacre of France’s Charlie Hebdo staff and the events that ensued served as a grim warning about the mounting threat posed by Islamic fundamentalism and extremism.

At present, a general consensus has been reached that Islamic extremism must be fought in earnest, but the solutions that are put forth are regretfully not adequate to ultimately eliminate this infesting plague. World leaders are searching for the answer in increased surveillance and security measures, and also in the intensification of military strikes against the al-Qaeda and Islamic State, to which the perpetrators of the France massacres were linked.

{mosads}But these methods per se will not be enough to completely eliminate the threat of further terrorist attacks and the growth of extremist groups.

Al-Qaeda and Islamic State owe their rise in power and influence to the machinations of a much older and greater evil that has been haunting the region for decades: the Islamic fundamentalist regime ruling Iran, and its allies and proxies in the region.

The Iranian regime has a long history of meddling in affairs of neighboring countries and stoking the fires of sectarianism. It is the main broker of global terrorism and is responsible for the formation and nurturing of dozens of terrorist extremist groups operating in the Middle-East and across the world, including a wide array of Shiite militia groups in Iraq, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen.

In Syria, Iran’s support of the Assad regime has resulted in a prolonged Syrian conflict, resulting in more than 200,000 casualties and allowing the Islamic State to entrench itself in parts of the chaos-riven country.

Also, former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who ruled Iraq under the thumb of Tehran and through a reign of terror made possible by Iran’s Shiite militia groups, undertook violent sectarian policies, which allowed I.S. to set-up shop in large parts of western Iraq and create a stronghold for the growth and flourishing of Islamic fundamentalism in the region.

Furthermore, the turmoil and instability caused by the Iran-backed Houthi Shiite extremist group in Yemen has worked to the benefit of al-Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula, which has claimed responsibility for the January 7-8 attacks in Paris.

Regretfully, the West fails to recognize and deal with Iran’s undeniable role in the spread of Islamic fundamentalism and religion-based violence. President Obama’s tacit approval of Iran’s meddling in Iraq and Syria under the pretext of fighting I.S. has allowed the Iranian regime to reap the rewards of the international coalition’s strikes against the group. Wherever the I.S. is routed, the void is filled with Iran’s proxy Shiite militias, which are every bit as violent and brutal as their Sunni counterparts.

If the fight against the Islamic State continues to remain lopsided, where Sunni extremists are quelled to the benefit of their Shiite equals, any reprieve from extremism will be short-lived, and as soon as the U.S. decides to call it a day and return its troops home, pockets of terrorists will start to sprout and join forces. Therefore the eviction of the Iranian regime from Iraq and the ouster of Bashar al-Assad from Syria must be considered as a vital part of any campaign against extremism. Otherwise, all gains made through the international campaign against the I.S. will be reversible.

Also, the military campaign against Islamic fundamentalism must be complemented by an ideological one. It must be made known across the world that extremists do not represent the reality of Islam.

This goal can be achieved by supporting followers of the true interpretation of Islam, which promotes peace, tolerance and coexistence with all religions and faiths. Therein lies the cure that will prevent the plague of Islamic fundamentalism from taking root again.

One prominent example is the Iranian opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), a movement that aims at toppling the ruling regime and establishing a secular and pluralistic state that contributes to regional and global peace and stability.

In early 90s, the PMOI first raised concern about the threat of the Islamic fundamentalism rooted in Iran. But the West failed to heed the warnings, and in many cases opted to appease Iran and cast its lot with the Iranian regime for the sake of short-lived economic and political benefits.

The disastrous results of this approach can be seen in the violence and chaos that has engulfed the Middle-East and is finding its way into Europe and beyond. This situation will grow worse unless a serious change of attitude is adopted toward Islamic fundamentalism and regimes that promote it.

It is time to fight and eradicate the threat of Islamic fundamentalism in its entirety and at its source, lest we face more tragedies in the future.

Basiri is an Iranian human rights activist and supporter of democratic regime change in Iran. Follow him on Twitter: @Amir_bas