Those who play down the Islamic State (IS, formerly known as Isis or Isil) insurgents’ long-term threat to our island are living in fantasy-land, oblivious of this fanatical group’s intentions to convert pseudo Christian Europe to militant Islam. I am convinced that the young Marsascala priest who recently dared hint at this fundamentalist threat does not walk alone in his assessment of the prevailing scenario.
The rapid infiltration of IS in several European cities has sent shockwaves to many world leaders, as radicalised young members are recruited in their thousands. This situation demands strict vigilance. The threat is real, visible and aggressive.
The brutal massacre of journalist James Foley, possibly by an Englishman, seemed to have been a watershed in the free world’s attitude in the face of this well-trained, well-armed and well-funded extreme Jihadist militia. They are also menacing moderate Islamic states like Jordan, Lebanon and Iran, with their sights set on the Eastern Mediterranean, an easy target.
It all started with the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It is well-known that at the time Iraq and Syria had no terrorist organisations. Paradoxically, some Gulf States like Qatar and Saudi Arabia started funding terrorist organisations when chaos reigned in Iraq.
In 2011 there was a replica of the so-called Arab Spring in Syria. And the United States and Britain started arming and funding the militant groups to defeat President Assad. Unwittingly, they were training and arming IS in Syria and bombing them in Iraq. The situation is very complex indeed as IS funding comes from three of the Western allies in the Sunni world – Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The glamorisation of extreme fundamentalist Islam has produced a militant international brigade reminiscent of the recruitment of young men and women inspired by fascist ideology who travelled to Spain in the mid-1930s to fight in the Spanish Civil War.
The present generation is well equipped with all forms of social media and information technology that was unknown to their militant predecessors. I strongly recommend the novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark relating to the danger of indoctrination on young minds, which has recently been voted one of the best English books published since 1923.
The glamorisation of extreme fundamentalist Islam has produced a militant international brigade reminiscent of the recruitment of young men and women inspired by fascist ideology
At this crucial moment in time, political analysts in international relations stress the fact that Malta is in dire need of revising the definition of neutrality in its Constitution. They contend that this clause relates to the scenario of 1979 at a time when the world was divided into two major political and ideological entities, namely the United States and the Soviet Union. Its relevance at that time even obtained the tacit approval of the US through President Ronald Reagan.
The geo-political situation has now changed dramatically but our definition of neutrality remains unchanged. Undoubtedly, the clause has served its purpose but today its relevance is manifestly anachronistic. Many countries previously in the Soviet bloc are now sovereign states within the European Union. Some of them have also joined Nato as a protection against aggressive expansion by Russia.
Recent events in the Mediterranean basin have compelled the Minister for Foreign Affairs, George Vella, a hardened and highly respected politician, to remark in an interview that “neutral Malta is not immune to a potential threat from the extreme fundamentalists”.
He stressed that Malta’s military capabilities have to be stepped up and reviewed to meet this potential threat.
In view of IS’s intentions to infiltrate Libya, he warned, it has become crucial for Malta to revise its defence provisions as “the country lacks the means to defend itself”.
I believe that in these dire circumstances an urgent discussion on the neutrality clause in the Constitution should be tabled without any further delay.
It is well to remember that Malta’s northern Mediterranean neighbours are fully protected by the Nato shield. With the smouldering embers in the fragile North African counties being fanned by the flames of this new creed, tiny Malta is totally isolated, lurking in the abyss of non-alignment of yesteryear, an easy prey for the vultures engaged in the eradication of Christian culture.