Each time, extremists of all religions and creeds prove they suffer acute stagnant thinking, ethical dilemma and baseless delusions – a fact driven home since coronavirus outbreak which extremists attempted to use unethically and inhumanely to achieve their narrow-minded agenda at the expense of own communities, nations and mankind at large.
Conspiracy and Heavenly Revenge Illusion
As scientists discussed the novel COVID-19 pandemic risks and defence mechanism, some clerics in the Arab world argued that coronavirus was a god-inflicted revenge from China for its oppressive measures against the Uighur Muslim minority. When the pandemic reached Italy they reiterated the same explanation citing Italy’s role against the Muslims in the Crusade war. Strange enough, the explanation was marketed by an economics university professor. When the disease broke out globally militants said it was a heavenly revenge for violating God’s orders. Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood (MB) attached coronavirus outbreak to government’s instructions prohibiting niqab, and MB Wagdi Ghunaim’s fatwa maintained that “Corona is God’s revenge and Muslims’ test”.
The list was not confined to Muslim extremists only. The hindu Swami Chakrapani Maharaj, Leader of the extremist nationalist All India Hindu Mahasabha Organization, said the Corona virus was God Vishnu’s punishment for flesh eaters”. US Paster Rick Wiles said the virus was the world of sin with the end approaching. God’s “angel of death” and a “pandemic to purge the world from the in 21th the end approaching”. Yahuda Glick said the coronavirus was God’s punishment to China for oppressing Bible believers and usurping human rights”. Another illusion sprang: conspiracy illusion was raised by the Shiite Iraqi clergyman Mouqtada Al Sadr who accused the US President Donald Trump of spreading the virus among US adversaries.
Extremists have certain characteristics in common:
First, Oversimplification amounting to naivety.
Second: Flawed thinking. Moqtada Al Sadr failed to explain the reason behind the coronavirus hitting the US.
Third: Shallow knowledge of history and science. When Al Sadr cited “legal same-sex marriage” as the reason for spreading coronavirus across the world, he missed the fact that severely-hit China and Italy did not legalize same-sex marriage fully.
Moral Crisis
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood (MB) expressed schadenfreude against the Egyptian government and MB leaders even “called on people with flue or high temperature to hit police stations and military, government and media premises to increase the pandemic”.
An FBI memorandum revealed that US far-right organizations urged enthusiasts to spread coronavirus among the jews and attach policemen with certain infecting sprayers.
One Salafist affirmed that “Coronavirus can be cured by Arabic medicine. So, there is no need to worry and we are ready to go to china to cure infected people”.
The extremist wings saw the coronavirus an ample opportunity to propagate their thinking by using social media to approach people during lockout, and to take advantage of authorities’ preoccupation with combating the virus and gain further ground. This is the case at least with Da’esh.
While the UN called for a ceasefire throughout the world, a move greatly welcomed by conflict and war zones, the extremists did not respond, and they- including Taliban, Da’esh and Al Qaeda- even insisted on pursuing their operations. Daesh called in enthusiasts “not to show any mercy and pursue attacks during this crisis”.
Though it is customary for communities to shelve their differences in time of crisis and danger, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood sites and channels went on lambasting the government and questioning their competence and spreading harmful and sinister rumors about the virus outbreak. Some resented this attitude by saying “Italian mafia offered donations to the government to combat the virus” but MB are taking advantage of the situation to attack the Egyptian government.
Confrontational Procedures Hampered
Certain religious wings refused to close mosques and, moreover, challenged the government, including Moroccan Salafist Sheikh Abdul Hamid Abu Al Na’eem who declared Morocco “a war zone” where blood, property and women are sanctioned”.
