HIGHLIGHTS
- read the article paying attention to the words in bold
- summarize the main ideas
- comment on the ideas expressed by the author
- compose 3 questions for discussion
FOCUS WORDS
| contain | сдерживать, удерживать, ограничивать |
| scourge | бедствие |
| subjugation | подчинение, покорение |
| pervert | искажать, неправильно истолковывать, препятствовать |
| secular | светский |
| emulate | подражать, соперничать, следовать примеру |
| foe | враг, противник, недоброжелатель |
| indoctrinate | настраивать, внушать принципы |
| divert | отвлекать, отводить, отклонять |
| spearhead | быть инициатором, возглавлять |
PREPOSITIONS
- view with skepticism
- hostility toward
- from this perspective
- aimed at
- on behalf of
- along with
- align with
- increase in
- emulated by
- preference for
- with the goal of
- accuse of
- shortcoming of
- approach to
- war on terror
Dec 21, 2015 Brahma Chellaney
Brahma Chellaney, Professor of Strategic Studies at the New Delhi-based Center for Policy Research and Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin, is the author of Water, Peace, and War: Confronting the Global Water Crisis (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013).
Containing Islamist terror will be impossible without containing the ideology that drives it: Wahhabism, a jihad-extolling form of Sunni fundamentalism whose spread has been bankrolled by oil-rich sheikhdoms, especially Saudi Arabia. That is why the Kingdom’s new anti-terror coalition should be viewed with profound skepticism.
BERLIN – Containing the scourge of Islamist terror will be impossible without containing the ideology that drives it: Wahhabism, a messianic, jihad-extolling form of Sunni fundamentalism whose international expansion has been bankrolled by oil-rich sheikhdoms, especially Saudi Arabia. That is why the newly announced Saudi-led anti-terror coalition, the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, should be viewed with profound skepticism.
Wahhabism promotes, among other things, the subjugation of women and the death of “infidels.” It is – to quote US President Barack Obama’s description of what motivated a married couple of Pakistani origin to carry out the recent mass shooting in San Bernardino, California – a “perverted interpretation of Islam,” and the ideological mother of jihadist terrorism. Its offspring include Al Qaeda, the Taliban, Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, and the Islamic State, all of which blend hostility toward non-Sunnis and anti-modern romanticism into nihilistic rage.
Saudi Arabia has been bankrolling Islamist terrorism since the oil-price boom of the 1970s dramatically boosted the country’s wealth. According to a 2013 European Parliament report, some of the $10 billion invested by Saudi Arabia for “its Wahhabi agenda” in South and Southeast Asia was “diverted” to terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, which carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Western leaders have recognized the Saudi role for many years. In a 2009 diplomatic cable, then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton identified Saudi Arabia as “the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide.” Thanks largely to the West’s interest in Saudi oil, however, the Kingdom has faced no international sanctions. Now, with the growth of terrorist movements like the Islamic State, priorities are changing. As German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said in a recent interview, “We must make it clear to the Saudis that the time of looking the other way is over.” This shift has spurred the Kingdom to announce a “crackdown” on individuals and groups that fund terror. But, according to a recent US State Department report, some Saudi-based charities and individual donors continue to fund Sunni militants.
From this perspective, Saudi Arabia’s surprise announcement of a 34-country anti-terror alliance, with a joint operations center based in Riyadh, is a logical step, aimed at blunting growing Western criticism, while boosting Sunni influence in the Middle East. But, of course, the alliance is a sham – as a closer look at its membership makes clear. Tellingly, the alliance includes all of the world’s main sponsors of extremist and terrorist groups, from Qatar to Pakistan. It is as if a drug cartel claimed to be spearheading a counternarcotics campaign. Listed as members of the alliance are also all of the jihadist citadels other than Afghanistan, including war-torn Libya and Yemen, both of which are not currently governed by a single authority. Moreover, despite being touted as an “Islamic” alliance, with members coming from “all over the Islamic world,” the group includes predominantly Christian Uganda and Gabon, but not Oman (a fellow Gulf sheikdom), Algeria (Africa’s largest country), and Indonesia (the world’s most populous Muslim country). The failure to include Indonesia, which has almost twice as many Muslims as the entire Middle East, is striking not only because of its size: Whereas most countries in the alliance are ruled by despots or autocrats, Indonesia is a robust democracy. Autocratic rule in Islamic countries tends to strengthen jihadist forces. But when democracy takes root, as in tolerant and secular Indonesia, the clash between moderates and extremists can be better managed. Saudi Arabia’s dysfunctional approach is reflected in the fact that some alliance members – including Pakistan, Malaysia, Lebanon, and the Palestinian Authority – immediately declared that they had never actually joined. The Kingdom seemed to think that it could make that decision on behalf of the major recipients of its aid. Add to that the unsurprising exclusion of Shia-governed Iran and Iraq, along with Alawite-ruled Syria, and it is clear that Saudi Arabia has merely crafted another predominantly Sunni grouping to advance its sectarian and strategic objectives. This aligns with the more hardline policy approach that has taken root since King Salman ascended the throne in January 2015.
At home, Salman’s reign so far has meant a marked increase in the number of sentences of death by decapitation, often carried out in public – a method emulated by the Islamic State. Abroad, it has meant a clear preference for violent solutions in Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. A smaller Saudi-led Arab coalition has been bombing Yemen since March, with the goal of pushing back the Shia Houthi rebels who captured Sana’a, the capital, after driving the Saudi-backed government from power. Saudi warplanes have bombed homes, markets, hospitals, and refugee camps in Yemen, leading critics to accuse the Kingdom of deliberately terrorizing civilians to turn public opinion against the Houthis. Saudi Arabia’s solutions have often controverted the objectives of its American allies. For example, the Kingdom and its Arab partners have quietly slipped out of the US-led air war in Syria, leaving the campaign largely in American hands. But beyond Saudi Arabia’s strategic manipulations lies the fundamental problem with which we started: the Kingdom’s official ideology forms the heart of the terrorist creed. A devoted foe of Islamist terrorism does not promote violent jihadism. Nor does it arrest and charge with “terrorism” domestic critics of its medieval interpretation of Islam. Saudi Arabia does both. This speaks to the main shortcoming of today’s militarized approach to fighting terrorism. Unless the expansion of dangerous ideologies like Wahhabism is stopped, the global war on terror, now almost a generation old, will never be won. No matter how many bombs the US and its allies drop, the Saudi-financed madrassas will continue to indoctrinate tomorrow’s jihadists.
DISCUSSION AND APPLICATION QUESTIONS
- What are the key characteristics of Wahhabism and how does it contribute to the spread of jihadist terrorism?
- How has Saudi Arabia’s financial support impacted the growth of Islamist terrorism since the 1970s?
- What are the implications of the newly announced Saudi-led anti-terror coalition, and why should it be viewed with skepticism?
LANGUAGE REVIEW
FLASHCARDS
SYNONYMS
MATCH THE WORD WITH ITS TRANSLATION
| contain | сдерживать, удерживать, ограничивать |
| scourge | бедствие |
| subjugation | подчинение, покорение |
| pervert | искажать, неправильно истолковывать |
| secular | светский |
| emulate | подражать, соперничать, следовать примеру |
| foe | враг, противник, недоброжелатель |
| indoctrinate | настраивать, внушать принципы |
| divert | отвлекать, отводить, отклонять |
| spearhead | быть инициатором, возглавлять |
MATCH THE WORD WITH ITS DEFINITION
| contain | отвлекать, отводить, отклонять |
| scourge | подчинение, покорение |
| subjugation | быть инициатором, возглавлять |
| pervert | искажать, неправильно истолковывать |
| secular | бедствие |
| emulate | сдерживать, удерживать, ограничивать |
| foe | подражать, соперничать, следовать примеру |
| indoctrinate | светский |
| divert | настраивать, внушать принципы |
| spearhead | враг, противник, недоброжелатель |
MATCH THE WORD WITH ITS SYNONYMS
| contain | ruin, corrupt, spoil, mislead, abuse |
| scourge | affliction, terror, plague |
| subjugation | redirect, avert, sidetrack, disturb |
| pervert | enemy, opponent, adversary |
| secular | restrain, regulate, suppress, restrict |
| emulate | temporal, materialistic |
| foe | inculcate, brainwash |
| indoctrinate | originate, create, initiate, lead |
| divert | oppression, persecution, conquering, conquest, subjection |
| spearhead | imitate, copy |
MATCH THE WORD WITH ITS COLLOCATIONS
| contain | the sense of governance, the economic order; course of justice |
| scourge | in the war, conflict; of slavery, abortion; unseen, unexpected |
| subjugation | excitement, joy, emotions, the rebel movement |
| pervert | children, generation, students, with ideology, worldview |
| secular | the initiative; innovations, the effort, a plan, campaign |
| emulate | social, cultural, national, of terrorism/ unemployment |
| foe | organization, government, state, society, community |
| indoctrinate | attention, from the norm, traditional practice/ policy |
| divert | of women/ children/ of satellite nations; deep/ foreign |
| spearhead | techniques, system, strategy, countries, the counterparts |
COMPLETE THE SENTENCES BY FILLING IN FOCUS WORDS
subjugation scourge diverted secular spearheaded emulate perverting foes contain indoctrinating | 1. The energy secretary resigned from the cabinet in February after being charged with …………. the course of justice, pocketing a tax-free severance fee of £17,000. 2. Dr Solava Ibrahim, an Egyptian-British lecturer in international politics at Anglia Ruskin University, describes the then «dominant discourse» about Muslims as «being violent or constantly linked to terrorist attacks or debates around women’s ………….». 3. It is in launchpad countries like Tunisia, which has overtaken Libya as the main crossing point for Africans and others dreaming of Europe, that European leaders hope to …………. the problem. 4. A US aid agency is suspending food aid to Ethiopia, because it says donations are being …………. from those in need. 5. The risks of staying in Myanmar increased for active members of the civil disobedience movement, a vast strike …………. by public sector workers, against military rule. 6. While protesters represent a wide cross section of society, they come largely from the country’s …………. middle class. 7. Hate crime, including disability hate crime, is a …………. on communities across the country and does not reflect the values of modern Britain. 8. In recent years, trade unions in Germany and other Northern European countries have called to …………. the Spanish model. 9. The candidate looks forward to facing his …………. on the debate stage. 10. Mr. DeSantis has accused teachers in the state of …………. children with left-wing ideology. |
MATCH THE COLLOCATIONS FROM THE TEXT
| 1. boost | a) can be managed |
| 2. advance | b) the ideology |
| 3. include | c) civilians |
| 4. shortcoming of | d) skepticism |
| 5. the clash | e) militarized approach to |
| 6. contain | f) approach |
| 7. deliberately terrorize | g) the objectives |
| 8. dysfunctional | h) the country’s wealth |
| 9. profound | i) the objectives |
| 10. controvert | j) predominantly |
COMPOSE MEANINGFUL SENTENCES BASED ON FOCUS WORDS AND COLLOCATIONS FROM THE TEXT
E.g. _____________ emulate the model _____________
→ Germany doesn’t want to emulate the model of the neighboring Netherlands, which combines decriminalization with little market regulation.
- _________ to contain the damage of potential manipulation _________
- _________ tackle the scourge of low pay _________
- _________ were concerned with the subjugation of _________
- _________ systematically perverted the rules _________
- _________ lead to a less secular and pluralist society _________
- _________ should be emulated _________
- _________ improving relations with foes _________
- _________ vulnerable to being indoctrinated by _________
- _________ divert attention from _________
- _________ spearheaded the tax fraud investigation _________
PREPOSITIONS
- view ___ skepticism
- hostility ___
- ___ this perspective
- aimed ___
- ___ behalf of
- along ___
- align ___
- increase ___
- emulated ___
- preference ___
- ___ the goal of
- accuse ___
- shortcoming ___
- approach ___
- war ___ terror
GRAMMAR MIX
- Some Sudanese ________ the EU for supporting the RSF in the past as part of a plan to control the country’s borders — a claim the EU ________ .
- have been blaming; have been disputing
- blame; disputes
- are blaming; are disputing
- are blamed; is disputed
2. Relations between the four members of South America’s Mercosur trade bloc—Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — are at their worst since the group ________ more than three decades ago.
- is established
- was being established
- was established
- had been established
3. Though the Maghreb and ECI interconnections (The eight-country and territories interconnection, which includes Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, Turkey, the West Bank and Gaza) ________ for some time, electricity trade among Arab countries ________ modest.
- existed; remained
- have been existing; have remained
- have existed; has remained
- exist; remain
4. The Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) is a regional cooperation system between the Arab States of the Gulf ________ the challenges imposed by surrounding circumstances, the geographical proximity of the GCC states and the similarity of their regulations and economic and social conditions were additional factors that helped in the establishment of the GCC.
- was created to meet
- creating to be met
- having created to be met
- created to meet
- The main categories of interregionalism (pure, transregional, hybrid and bilateral) ________ be meaningfully applied to the case of South America and Southern Africa.
- might
- may
- could
- can
6. ________ than half of ASEAN countries have comprehensive data protection laws, and the capacity of data protection authorities remains limited.
- fewer
- less
- least
- fewest
7. The EAEU is on the verge of a historic evolution ________ digital technologies will have a fundamental impact on all sectors of the economy and society in general.
- in which
- where
- when
- then
8. By analyzing large datasets, machine learning models can help identify ________ types of training lead to greater readiness and opportunities to enhance readiness by changing training tactics.
- that
- which
- what
- those
9. GCC countries have similar labor policies regarding foreigners, ________ each country determines a specific duration of stay for foreign workers.
- however
- hence
- though
- so
10. ________ China is in a great position to harness data on its citizens and even purchase data on U.S. citizens, that data does not yield much military advantage.
- when
- while
- as
- since
VOCABULARY NOTES
| contain сдерживать, удерживать, ограничивать | definition to keep under proper control; to prevent or hold back the advance, spread, or influence of synonyms restrain, regulate, suppress, restrict collocations contain [excitement, joy, emotions]; the rebel movement |
| scourge бедствие | definition a cause of great trouble synonyms affliction, terror, plague collocations a [social, cultural, national] scourgeis a scourge on [society, the country, mankind, humanity]the scourge of [drugs, terrorism, cocaine, unemployment][plagued, weakened, punished] by the scourge |
| subjugation подчинение, покорение | definition to bring under complete control; conquer synonyms oppression, persecution, conquering, conquest, subjection collocations national, of women/ children/ millions of people/ of satellite nations; deep/ foreign |
| pervert искажать, неправильно истолковывать | definition to lead (smb) away from what is right in moral behavior; to bring (smth) to a less excellent state synonyms ruin, corrupt, spoil, mislead, abuse collocations the sense of governance, the natural economic order; the course of justice |
| secular светский | definition characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world; not concerned with or devoted to religion synonyms temporal, materialistic collocations a secular [organization, government, state]a secular [approach, alternative] tosecular [democracy, music, practices, education]a secular [society, community] |
| emulate подражать, соперничать, следовать примеру | definition to imitate in an effort to equal or do better than; to try to do as well as or better than synonyms imitate, copy collocations techniques, system, strategy, neighboring countries, the counterparts |
| foe враг, противник, недоброжелатель | definition a person who feels hatred toward another; enemy synonyms enemy, opponent, adversary collocations foe in the [war, conflict, battle]; [hidden, unseen, unexpected]; a foe of [slavery, abortion] |
| indoctrinate настраивать, внушать принципы | definition to instruct in a doctrine, principle, ideology, etc., esp. to imbue with a specific partisan or biased belief or point of view synonyms inculcate, brainwash collocations children, generation, students, with ideology, worldview |
| divert отвлекать, отводить, отклонять | definition to turn aside or from a path or course, distract synonyms redirect, avert, sidetrack, disturb collocations divert attention, divert from the [usual, norm], divert from traditional [thought, practice, policy] |
| spearhead быть инициатором, возглавлять | definition to lead or initiate (an attack, a campaign, etc) synonyms originate, create, initiate, lead collocations the initiative; innovations, the effort, a plan, campaign, expansion |