Eleven months after the Charlie Hebdo massacre and Paris was once again the site of an attack committed by Islamic extremists. These events are increasing in frequency, and now include cities located in every part of the world. The "War on Terror" has become the martial focus for this generation, just as the Second World War and the Cold War had been for our grandparents and parents respectively.
These three ideologies: fascism, communism, and radical Islam share the similarity of opposing free speech and diversity. But unlike the first two, which existed in the embodiment of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, the third is proving itself to be an elusive enemy, one whose soldiers walk amongst us, strike without warning, and have the odds for success on their side.
The world has become a very different place since the events of September 11, 2001. During the decade that followed, the United States waged an unrelenting war against al-Qaeda, dismantling its global network and assassinating the leadership, including its infamous founder. The message however was never silenced, and a new host of messengers, the Islamic State, has since taken up the cause.
But the West's typical response, to answer violence with violence, shows they have failed to acknowledge a simple truth–that dropping bombs will do little to win the war for hearts and minds.
Just as mass shootings in the US have become intrinsically linked to mentally unstable individuals, so too are bombings with the image of the angry Muslim radical. There are two statements that are made immediately after such incidents: one from politicians, decrying the act as an attack on "our" way of life; and another from Muslim leaders, condemning the perpetrators and stating emphatically that Islam is a religion of peace.
Unfortunately, both sides only present part of the truth, and the public remains mostly ignorant as to the larger picture. This results in the truism that an enemy cannot be defeated unless it is first understood.
The Western governments, the United States in particular, must acknowledge that their failed foreign policy involving the Arab world is partially at fault. They cannot tout democracy and human rights, and at the same time prop up dictators and monarchies with foreign aid and oil money.
The populations see through this contradiction, and end up having a very real reason to harbour distrust towards the West.
At the same time, moderate Muslims need to ultimately and universally reconcile the relationship their religion has with violence. Though Islam is not adversarial per se, it does endorse the concept of self-defence. ie they aren't about to turn the other cheek. So for an already troubled or impressionable personality, the before-mentioned ill feeling, combined with the rhetoric that their beliefs are being threatened, can easily lead a person onto a murderous path.
So not every Muslim is a terrorist, but any Muslim can become a terrorist.
While immediate military intervention is needed to curtail the ambitions of ISIL, it will not solve the problem.
Such an ideology may never completely be vanquished, but the goal of diminishing its appeal can be achieved by negating the validity of the message.
Western governments are not going to suddenly grow a conscience, but its citizens need to open their eyes to the fact that there is a human cost for the cheap petrol in their tank.
As long as their countries continue to have unequitable dealings with that part of the world there will there be animosity in return. More importantly though, Muslims themselves need to take a more proactive role. We shouldn't hold an entire religion responsible for the actions of a few zealots, but their religious and community leaders must be vigilant for signs of extremism and do all they can to quell it.
It's been almost a millennium since the Crusades, the epic clash of religion, culture, and civilisation. If we are to avoid a repeat of history, then an end must be sought to the cycle of violence. Else we are all doomed to share in the same extremism, be it in God's name or in our own.