The terror attack which shook Belgium and the world is disheartening and condemnable (“The message in the Brussels attack”, March 24). It reminds us that terrorism is for the weak and the cowardly. Ahead of the European Union-India meeting in Brussels, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should join his hands with the EU and stand in solidarity against terrorism not only with words but also in action, representing the people of India. We simply cannot afford another 9/11, 26/11, Paris, Pathankot, or Brussels.
Swaroop Varghese Saju, Thiruvananthapuram
Terror attacks such as the Brussels attack have an unfortunate side effect. They only provide fodder to the proponents of a poisonous anti-Muslim and anti-refugee rhetoric. One only needs to look at Twitter to see the vitriol. In the light of these attacks, let us not become like the terrorists by forgetting the one key thing that separates us from them: humanity.
Nidhi Chadha, Bengaluru
Terrorising populations is not the primary motive of outfits like the Islamic State. The unstated objective of these terrorists is to pit the Muslim citizens of Europe against the others. These outfits are desperate to stop the peaceful assimilation of Muslims into Western societies. Bomb attacks succeed in intensifying Islamophobia in Europe and make the lives of Muslims more miserable. This discontent among the Muslim youth provides a fertile recruiting ground for the IS.
Preventing radicalisation of Muslims is not the sole responsibility of Western governments. The moderate sections among the Muslim community also need to act as a bridge between the governments and the youth who are susceptible to extremist indoctrination. Ghettoisation of Muslims in European cities hardly helps the cause of the community as it prevents interactions between different cultures and widens mistrust among them.
V.N. Mukundarajan, Thiruvananthapuram