FOUR YEARS OF 9/11: THE NEW LEXICON OF TERRORISM

Pravin Sheth

No global phenomenon has given so many idioms, symbols and phrases as terrorism has during four years of 9/11. Post-9/11 developments are can be characterized by the new language of politics, religion and violence. Some of them are pregnant with ideological, political and cultural meaning. The new lexicon of terrorism succinctly redefines the nature of the new world and ethos of growing insecurity world-wide.

Each word of WTC--'World', 'Trade', and 'Center'--charged with profound meaning, altogether signifying more than the sum of its parts--both symbolically and metaphorically, changed the form, substance and the ethos of the post-9/11world.'Ground Zero' connotes the humiliation that a bearded man of a cave could inflict on the hyper power of this cyber age with its own means.

9/11, 12/13 (terrorist attack on Indian Parliament in 2001 that, if succeeded, could have wiped out India's political elites); 3/11(bomb blasts at Atocha station, Madrid in 2004); 2/9 in Beslan school on Russian border near Chechnya in 2004) and 7/7 in London have been described as 9/11 of the respective countries. They occupy place in history as the battles of Panipat, Waterloo, the Battle of the Bulge, Stalingrad and the like. At individual level, bin Laden and Abu Zarqavi have the distinction of having the highest reward on their head to those giving information about their whereabouts. Rather, recently, Zarqavi has emerged as more dangerous terrorist leader than bin Laden as the mastermind behind Iraqi insurgency and his networking to terrorist sleeper cells is found in Europe by think tanks. That agitates Prez Bush more than the one behind 9/11 whose mobility and maneuvering is cramped because of the focused pressure on him by USA. Other personalities that earned notoriety in their own way are George Bush, Tony Blair, Saddam Hussein and Pres Musharraf!

Some phrases like Eurabia (by the Italian journalist Oriana Fallacy), Euro-Jihad, Euro-terrorism have been used of late. They underline the growing presence of the Arab working immigrants in West Europe. Living in their own enclaves and impervious to modern world around them, Islamic communities there are increasing described as carriers of terrorism. In the same way, Peter Bergen's caution against the presence of Londonistan has become a shivering reality to the British. Historian Francis Fukuyama has coined the phrase 'Islamo-Fascism'; Bernard Lewis has coined 'political Islam' for Islamic fundamentalism, and the most dreaded phrase 'nuclear terrorism' is now used by strategic analysts like B. Raman.

Americans use smart phrases to subtly persuade the world to think on their line. 'Embedded Journalists,' for reporters on Iraq front, 'Shock and Awe' to impress the Iraqis to surrender to the military might of the super power,' Regime Change,' 'Hammer and Tong' to chase and nab Osama along Waziristan border of Pakistan were some of such phrases. But "The 'awe' is a distant memory. Hardly a day goes by without shock--for Iraqis, the US soldiers, civilians, Britons and the US-led coalition!" Osama is still at large--and kicking. All this exposed the limits of even a super power in realizing its stated claims. Rather the growing currency of phrases like'anti-Amercanism' stares in the face of once proud citizens of the world's most affluent and influential country. Massive protest rallies, world-wide, against the invasion of Iraq marked this sentiment. Not only the 'Arab Street,' but people in 575 cities of 66 countries held peace vigil meetings on March 15, 2003 to protest against the impending invasion in March 2003.That led Thomas Freidman to characterize such an unprecedented phenomenon as 'World Street.' New York Times called such world opinion as 'the other super power' that challenges the established super power.Al Jazeera emerged as a more popular TV channel than CNN-and ironically, more credible as well in the Third World. In summer of 2004, lurid photographs related to excesses in 'Abu Ghrayb' and 'Guantemala' were used by the Jehadists as a telling proof of what they "caution against freedom in America and the West that brings with it sexual license and corruption, decadence and depravity that symbolizes modernity." The whole city-wide deaths caused in the wake of military operations as in Fallujah by the Coalition forces and in Jenin by the Israelis created more terrorists than their expected elimination by such drastic steps for clearing these cities known as the den of terrorists.

Along with WMDs, PMD (people of mass destruction)--car bombs, suicide bombers- continue to occupy the media space, unendingly. Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Toiba as terrorist organizations and Saddam Hussein and Musharraf as leaders win the prize of notoriety. Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan--and Iran, of late--are the traing ground or patrons of this ideo-political violence.Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are termed as the "Triangle of Terrorism"(B.Raman). Six 'Ms'--Mullahs, Maulanas, Muftis, Masjids, Madrassas, Militant Muslims (and also, the Military in case of Pakistan) have been the catalysts and conduits in the making of young terrorists. Horrendous killing of more than 2000 in Manhattan, 202 people in Bali, 45 in Casablanca, 330 non-Muslim people--half of them children--in Beslan, 192 in Madrid and 56 in London and thousands in Iraq have made these names painted with blood and tears in human history--all in a small span of four years but having global impact on human psyche. None, from the status symbols of the super power to 'soft targets' like tourists resorts (Bali, Sharm-al-Sheikh in Egypt), posh hotels, restaurants (Morocco), mass transport (Madrid, London), religious places (India,Shia masjids in Pakistan and Iraq) and religious gatherings of thousands of believers(Baghdad,31/8/05) have escaped the wrath of the terrorists. Countries with Wahabi following like Saudi Arabia and Sunni's Pakistan and with modest Islamic traditions like Morocco have been subject to militant attacks. Liberal country like Denmark could not claim to be an exception as the film maker Van Gogh's murder in Copenhagen demonstrates in 2004. In the next phase, Pakistan is feared to be the epicenter of terrorism in view of uncontrolled concentration of Islamist militants, influence of mullahs, traing centres of terrorists as guided by ISI and supported by a section of its military.Also; its surreptious link with proliferation of nuclear know how and material makes it--otherwise a fragile state-- the most dreaded country in the world. Graham Allison in his recent study has alerted to the potentials of what he calls 'nuclear terrorism' .He alerts the world to this most dreaded form of 21st century terrorism and identifies Pakistan, "a shaky state" and Russia as two suspects to guard against.

Viewed as a whole, in Iraq only the death toll of the US soldiers has reached to around 1800. Thousands of Iraqi soldiers and civilians have been killed by bomb blasts that occur at five to six a day. Al Qaeda has transformed in Al Qaeda 2.0 as Peter Bergen encapsules the corresponding nature of its decentralized action and network. Suicide remains a preferred human technology. Though some of the top inmates of bin Laden have been arrested and significant clues about the dynamics of terrorism are obtained, more terrorists are now on the move than on 9/11; more countries have come under their spell. Even such countries as West Europe-Eurabia are on their next agenda, experts warn.Pres Bush wants to spread democracy in the Middle East. In stead, even in democratic systems of USA, Britain, France and India, etc. restrictive laws have to be framed that curb some accepted set of civil liberties. As the known critic of the Western political economy, Noam Chomsky has tellingly stated: "Pres Bush has more than satisfied one of the most impossible dreams of bin Laden. Bush has made America the most disliked, most disgusting and most hated nation in many parts of the world." In such a context, its lofty goals of peace, democracy and development are tragically compromised, at least for some time to come.

Currently,Eurabia is projected as the next theatre of terrorist acts. In his recent work, "The West's Last Chance: Will We Win the Clash of Civilizations?" Tony Blankley cautions: "Within our lifetimes, Europe will become Eurabia, a continent overwhelmed by militant Islam that poses a greater threat to the U.S. than even Nazi Germany.

What shape of the world is emerging at the end of four years of 9/11? Fukuyama predicts that we are at the beginning of a 'cultural war' of about a decade that turns into a war of "the West vs. Islam". To some, it's "Islam vs. the Rest" scenario. Others believe it's "the West vs. the Rest". Says Samuel Huntington with some caution after 9/11, the world is close to his "The Clash of Civilizations" thesis with the Christians and the Islamists as the main adversaries. Political Scientist Benjamin Barber graphically narrates "Jihad vs. Mc World" scenario. Curiously, globalization of terrorism and globalization of anti-Americanism, to some extent, have become symbiotic

What is imperative for the mankind's security, promotion of peace and protection of human civilization is to erase the borders between cultures and nations and bring down the walls between religions and ethnic communities. Can we turn borders into rivers and walls into bridges?

To appear in India Abroad, New York in September 2005.