Moreover, many Arabs and Muslims view Islamic State as a by-product of failed U.S. policies in the Middle East in the aftermath of the “Arab Spring.” They say that the current U.S. Administration’s weak-kneed support for former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his repressive measures against Sunnis paved the way for the emergence of Islamic State. They point out that Obama’s hesitance to support the moderate and secular opposition in Syria also facilitated Islamic State’s infiltration into that country.
Worse, there is no shortage of Arabs and Muslims who are convinced that Islamic State is actually an invention of Americans and “Zionists” to destroy the Arab world and tarnish the image of Islam.
The head of Egypt’s Al-Azhar University, Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning, was recently quoted as saying that Islamic State terrorists were “colonial creations” serving a “Zionist” scheme to “destroy the Arab world.”
Many Arabs and Muslims probably do not like Islamic State and view it as a real threat. But at the same time, they also do not seem to have much confidence in the Obama Administration, which is perceived as weak and incompetent when it comes to combating Islamists. They simply do not trust the Obama Administration.
Sheikh Yusuf al Qaradawi, Chairman of the Qatari-based International Union of Muslim Scholars, who is no fan of Islamic State, has also come out against the emerging U.S.-led coalition.
“Our ideological differences with Islamic State do not mean that we agree to an American attack on the group,” al-Qaradawi explained. “America does not care about the values of Islam. It only cares about its own interests.”
If there is one Arab leader who is really concerned about the repercussions of a war on Islamic State, it is Jordan’s King Abdullah, who is facing growing domestic pressure to stay away from the U.S.-led coalition.
Ironically, this opposition comes despite Jordan clearly appearing to be the next target of the Islamic State jihadis. Some reports have even suggested that Islamic State terrorists have already succeeded in infiltrating the kingdom.
King Abdullah’s dilemma is that if he joins the U.S.-led coalition, his country would be plunged into turmoil and instability. Yet the monarch is well aware that failure to take part in the war would facilitate the jihadis’ mission of invading his kingdom.
Over the past week, many Jordanians have publicly come out against the idea of Jordan joining the new coalition. These voices are not coming only from Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood, but also from secular individuals and groups.
Last week, 21 Jordanian parliament members wrote a letter to their government warning it against helping the Americans and their allies in the war on Islamic State.
Six Jordanian secular parties also joined the call in a statement addressed to the government: “We must resist imperialist schemes and continue to raise the motto of democracy, independence and freedom.”
Reflecting widespread skepticism over Obama’s intentions, Jordanian writer Maher Abu Tair, who is closely associated with King Abdullah, sounded an alarm: “Getting Jordan involved in the confrontation with Islamic State is a dangerous matter. If everyone is truly worried about Jordan, why not support it socially and economically instead of dragging it into a quagmire?”
Reflecting similar sentiments, another Jordanian writer, Abdel Hadi al Katamin, said: “Yes, this is not our war and we have nothing to do with it and we don’t need it. We don’t want to wage war on behalf of others in return for nothing and just to appease Obama. Not everything we hear and watch is correct. The best solution is for us to protect our borders and prevent Islamic State from infiltrating our country. If they come, then it will be our war.”