Drop double standards

The brutality of the recent attacks on innocent civilians in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region proves that the rioters were terrorists rather than "heroes", as the Western media at times prefer to call them.

The brutal tactics used by the rioters in Xinjiang is typical of terrorists, who believe in "shock and awe" to stun their foes into accepting their demands. There is no place in a civilized society for violence, and this is the principal reason why the international community should unitedly fight against terrorists.

In the latest Xinjiang riots, 24 people, including 16 innocent Uygurs, were killed in Lukqun township of Shanshan county. The rioters attacked the township's police stations, a local government building and a construction site, and set fire to police cars. Twenty-one police officers and civilians were injured.

Such atrocities should be condemned by all but sadly, such unity of purpose against this deadly foe of civilization is absent in the international community.

Islam is a religion with varied sects. Like other religions, it also has its share of moderates and fundamentalists. And it is these fundamentalist (or extreme) elements that have unleashed terror on the better part of the globe. Their trail of terror runs from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, India, Russia and Thailand to Nigeria, Algeria and Mali. In fact, no country seems to be immune to terrorist attacks, although the West continues to use double standards to determine such attacks in its own backyard and in countries like China.

Islamic fundamentalists believe believers in other religions (or even other Islamic sects) are "infidels" and thus not fit to live. They detest modern society, especially the advancement made by women. It is by getting access to such fundamental religious texts that some people in Xinjiang have acquired extremist beliefs, including the penchant for violence.

NATO member states, in particular, have been known for their partnership with such extremists, most recently in Libya and Syria, where extremist groups have been armed and set loose against the rest of society. Former Libyan president Muammar Gadhafi was indeed a whimsical leader. But throughout his years in power he ensured that Libya remained free of Islamic extremists. In contrast, after its "liberation" by NATO, Libya has become a honeycomb of terror cells and a prolific source of weapons, men and materials for terrorist groups operating in Africa, most visibly in Mali.