World must unite against ISIS

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group cannot be reasoned or negotiated with ("Caliphate of fear"; June 29).

The path to negotiation or to reason must possess the elements of dialectic for both parties to come to a satisfactory or common point of acceptance. This infrastructure does not exist in ISIS.

The area within which ISIS resides is a place where strong religious prepossessions are in opposition to logic. Such religious prepossessions are the prophylactic against the acceptance of logic and reason, which itself is coloured by prepossessions.

Politics and religion have been intertwined to be presented to followers as religion, where adherents to this "faith" obey ISIS laws as God's laws. This is what binds and subjugates followers.

The caliphate of fear exists, just as cancer exists. The ISIS-like cancer has the same determination to grow for growth's sake.

The world must recognise this and take steps to eradicate the danger. There must be a global action strong enough in unity to annihilate, or at least deter, this threat.

ISIS can flourish only if the world does not act as one against this threat. World fragmentation allows ISIS to grow. World apathy will be its nourishment.

If the hotbed exists for ISIS to flourish, then the world must help raise the standard of living there so that poverty and hunger will not fuel neophytes to the ISIS cause.

Dudley Au

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.