Editorial: Europe is in war

Photo: FRANCOIS LENOIR / REUTERS

In the war increasingly at hand, what we obviously need is unified European action into which Estonia will need to invest with ideas as well as deeds. 

When failing to find optimal and effective measures against the dangers, Europe will face a snowballing of populism in time leading to a possible decline of the (personal) liberties defining Europe. By that, we all lose out.

The best example at hand is movement in the Schengen space but that may not be the limit. In various states, principles of rule of law and freedom of speech are obviously under attack.  

On the other hand, important for us to acknowledge that Islamists have declared war on Europe and to our traditional way of life. In war, vital to clearly define the enemy and then to destroy him, in order to achieve strategic goals.

High time to put it plainly that we are continually in the very war the battles of which have been waged in both Afghanistan and Iraq while strategic goals still remain to be reached.

For the international community, what comes to mind are the traumatic memories of the war on terror as proclaimed in wake of 9/11 by the US President George W. Bush. Among other things, how easy it was to ridicule the «war on emotions» as by definition that’s what terror is – panic, horror.

Is that just jesting over unfortunate choice of words? Delving deeply, it did uncover the difficulties with defining the enemy and penning the strategy plainly. A frit of the mental and political trauma of the past decade’s failure would be pulling away from conflict areas.

Alas, as that has happened we have watched the conflicts worsen and new terror organisations rising.

Doubtless, there’s a whole lot of truth to shortcomings with social and cultural integration of Muslim communities in various parts of Europe. Surely, answers are to be sought for that. Meanwhile, immediate danger must be met swiftly and as precisely as possible.

The sprawling terrorist organisation ISIS in Syria and Iraq is related to the wave of attacks in Europe both directly and indirectly. The brains and training centres are located on territories conquered by ISIS.

Their success of several years has stirred the radicals – for them, conquering the world and bringing the Caliphate has been looking increasingly realistic. Insufficient the talk that terrorism (supposedly) has nothing to do with the right kind of Islam. Alas, that Allah  is not with the terrorists must also be proven on battle field. Time for the states in Europe to take clear including military steps in the Middle East.

Europe has shied away from asking what is actually being taught in the mosques on the continent. Not enough to be told that in most of these shrines they preach humaneness quite like the Christianity today. While true, it must be admitted there are the fiery and militant preachers as well.

We must think how to neutralise them without contradicting the free world values of freedom of speech and expression. We must realise that liberal societies need to protect themselves from such as call for the destruction of these very liberties. Moderate Muslims in Europe need to realise that standing against extremism is in their interests as well. They need to step forth and speak out and act accordingly.