Terrorism fight ‘a war of ideas’

NEWS — Universities have a special role in the fight against terrorists like ISIS, says TRU political science prof Derek Cook.

There were varying opinions on what that role should be, but discussion at a forum arising from last week’s news that a TRU student has joined ISIS — also known as the Islamic State — brought agreement that ISIS is a growing threat and that it will be hard to stop.

Cook organized the forum Thursday afternoon, which was attended by about 30 students and instructors.

“They’re operating not in the name of God but in the name of politics,” said Cook, who contended ISIS and many terrorist groups pervert religion “as a fig leaf” for political objectives.

No legitimate religion condones mass murder the way ISIS does, he said.

“This is a war of ideas and it needs to be taken on by those who engage in ideas — colleges and universities.”

He said more and more young people from Western countries are being conned into joining. “These people who are being recruited are being recruited from democracy.”

Anne St. John, an assistant professor in history, said some of those joining the terrorists seem to be doing it out of a need to belong to something.

“They feel like they’re part of a larger unit, of a group,” something they don’t seem to be experiencing at university, she said.

“These young men are drawn to adventure,” said another.

The Internet, for all its good points, aids in greasing the wheels of disaffection, others said.

Referring to TRU’s policy of not commenting on whether a person was ever a student at the university, Cook said it’s ironic that we uphold privacy rights “even for those who have joined a group of mass murderers.”

The student’s name has been reported as Collin Gordon.

The forum was held as NATO leaders met in Britain to talk about what to do about ISIS. CBC reported that Canada is preparing to send military advisers to Iraq to help fight the terrorist group.