Statement by the ISp affiliate in Romania, Socialist Action Group (GAS)
On Friday 22 March, a terrorist attack was carried out in a Moscow concert hall. So far, 133 people have been killed, and the attack has already been claimed by the Islamist group ISIS.
This incident is not happening in a vacuum, but in the context of the inter-imperialist war that defines the geopolitical relations of this historical moment. Both sides have already established their own rhetoric. Western media and Ukrainian sources have been quick to accuse a false flag operation by the Putin regime, which would aim to spur a massive military mobilisation for war in Ukraine. We cannot help but notice the hypocrisy and supremacism of the Western media, when similar claims about attacks in Europe and America are immediately labelled conspiracy theories and those who make them are accused of propaganda.
Meanwhile, Putin and the FSB have accused suspected terrorists of trying to escape to Ukraine. We cannot access any concrete evidence of this, but we can see how such a tragic incident immediately becomes ammunition in the imperialists’ propaganda war—just like the 1999 bombings that preceded the invasion of Chechnya.
Contrary to the dominant rhetoric of recent decades, it is not religion in general or the Muslim religion specifically that causes the emergence, growth and actions of terrorist organizations such as ISIS. This is an idealistic theory which is rather convenient for those who stand to gain from the spread of Islamophobia in the context of the genocidal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, actively supported by the US, EU, UK and others. The real drivers of terrorism are economic and geopolitical, with political support and often resources provided by one regime or another behind them. The funding of terrorist groups by imperialist powers is an issue deserving more attention, especially in the context of the current wars.
It is imperialist interests that lead to terrorism, and the material conditions in capitalism allow terrorists to recruit and cultivate a base of supporters. Racism in European metropolises denies immigrants from countries once colonised by them integration and throws them into the arms of extremists. This is not just a moral or behavioural issue, as marginalised groups are often the first, but not the last, victims of austerity policies and work intensification methods.
It is the working class that suffers from these complex phenomena. It is the common people who are killed in armed attacks or explosions. It is necessary to organise a mass anti-war and anti-imperialism movement that strikes decisively at the interests of the ruling class—our lives and security may depend on it.
