(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — British Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher revealed what he called “10 ideas” to keep the ‘Islamic State’ out of Lebanon, and Lebanon out of the ‘Islamic State’ in an opinion editorial piece published in The Daily Star.
“Neither Islamic nor a state, ISIS is a threat to real Islam,” Fletcher said. “Across the globe, Muslim leaders have condemned their actions. The coalition of over 60 countries, including from the Middle East, is showing that the world will not tolerate ISIS’ brutality.”
Fletcher said the vast majority in Lebanon will need to show that they care about protecting their country from extremism, “as the extremists care about imposing it.”
VIEW Fletcher’s 10 ideas below:
1. Back the security forces. More than ever, they are on the front lines. On the checkpoints, in the positions facing ISIS fighters, some are even held as hostages. The U.K. and others are getting kits and training to those confronting extremism. But many will feel exposed. They need to hear the full solidarity of the Lebanese people. Tell them why they matter so much.
2. Do something anti-sectarian. ISIS and extremism succeed if they provoke enmity and conflict between confessions. Every time connections are made that defy their hope, we strike back. Lebanon knows all too well what happens when “the other” side is stereotyped or ostracized. The vast majority do not want to go back to the destructive conflicts of the past. Those who understand that Lebanon’s diversity is its survival have to shout louder than those that don’t.
3. Keep calm and carry on. ISIS wants panic and fear. As with terrorists anywhere, the best response is to continue as usual. Don’t let it intimidate us. The people getting on with their lives and jobs in the face of intimidation are everyday heroes. Fatalism is a gift to the extremists.
4. Elect a president. It has been over 200 days since Lebanon has been without one. The president should be planning, troubleshooting, rallying, anchoring, leading. He or she would be a vocal presence in the international debates about the future of the region. Every day without a president is a missed opportunity, a day when the forces looking to destabilize the country become stronger, a day without a presidential voice arguing for the international community to help.
5. Fly the Lebanese flag. It is surely better to focus on what unites than divides. This country is not part of the “Islamic State,” it is the Lebanese state. That is something worth marching for.
6. Create jobs. There is a battle ahead for the hearts and minds of the poorest, those at most risk of radicalization. Government and businesses have to break that cycle, and create hope. We have to show that there is a better option than the nihilism offered by ISIS. Young entrepreneurs from Tripoli recently told me that they need security, decent Internet, hope. They’ll do the rest.
7. Don’t try to exploit the ISIS threat to make money. As the international effort develops, it is going to become even more risky to have any dealings with those behind this terror. So think twice if that includes you.
8. Establish sovereignty on the border. I think that this is an idea whose time has come. If the Lebanese state moves to fully secure its own border at last, at a time of such a threat from Syria, can any faction disagree?
9. Junk the stale narratives. I’m struck by how many people on one side of the debate claim that Israel, Saudi Arabia or Turkey created ISIS. And by how many on the other side tell me that, no, it was actually Iran. I’m sure that North Korea blames South Korea, and vice versa. We can have a legitimate debate about who, including the Assad regime, created the conditions in which ISIS flourished. But we need to go beyond simply using ISIS as just one more piece of evidence for our pre-existing worldview or pet conspiracy. This baggage gets in the way of dealing with the problem, together.
10. Don’t blame a refugee. Seventy-eight percent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are women and children. Most are vulnerable, their lives already shattered by a brutal war. Winter is hitting them hard – try spending a night in a tent in the Bekaa if you think they have chosen to be there. The Lebanese people have already shown extraordinary generosity. Making refugees the scapegoats for what ISIS is doing creates an even bigger problem. Don’t push them into ISIS hands.