‘Useful Idiots’ for Global Terrorists: How the West Has Provided Shelter to Terrorist Organizations

Throughout their post-colonial history, under the aegis of the principles of individual freedom of conscience and freedom of speech, Western nations have often served as safe havens for individuals and groups fleeing persecution in their native countries. This policy may be the result of the collective transgenerational guilt from the colonial atrocities committed by their ancestors.

Unfortunately, this redemptive action has sometimes overshot its target, allowing terrorist operatives to percolate along with the genuinely persecuted asylum seekers, thereby facilitating the bad actors to find sanctuary, reorganize, and enhance their activities.

In 1964, Ayatollah Khomeini was exiled from Iran by the Shah, beginning a period of residence in several countries before he ultimately settled in the Paris suburb of Neauphle-le-Château in 1978. During his time in France, Khomeini gained unprecedented access to global media, which he leveraged to orchestrate the Islamic Revolution. 

This movement culminated in the West-friendly Shah’s overthrow in 1979 and the establishment of a strict Shia Islamic theocratic regime in Iran. The revolution not only transformed Iran but also inspired a wave of Islamist movements across the Middle East. Many of these movements adopted violent methods to pursue their goals, leading to widespread destabilization of the region. Today, this legacy continues to shape the ongoing confrontations between Iran, its proxy groups, and Israel.

Another example is the refuge and support, particularly in the United States, garnered by the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland and unify Ireland. During the Troubles from 1968-1998, the IRA received financial and moral support from Irish-American communities, some of whom viewed the organization as freedom fighters rather than terrorists. Fundraising through organizations like NORAID (Irish Northern Aid Committee) provided the IRA with resources to continue its campaign of violence, which resulted in thousands of deaths over several decades.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, London earned the moniker “Londonistan” due to the concentration of Islamist radicals who found refuge in the city. The British government’s reluctance to crack down on these figures, citing civil liberties, eventually led to a radicalization problem plaguing the UK and other Western nations. 

A careful watch is needed on groups like “Sikhs for Justice (SFJ)” which the Indian government has accused of being a front for terrorist activities, and banned in India, but continues to operate freely in the United States.

The 2017 prediction of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Foreign Minister of UAE, that in the future far more radical extremists and terrorists will be coming from Europe compared to the Middle East has been prophetic. The London bombings in 2005 and subsequent fairly regular terrorist attacks across Europe are stark reminders of how the sheltering of extremists can lead to violence. 

Figures such as Abu Hamza al-Masri, Omar Bakri Muhammad, and Anjem Choudary used their bases in London to promote jihadist ideologies, recruit followers, and, in some cases, plan attacks not only in the UK, but also send recruits to commit terrorist acts in countries like India, Pakistan, Algeria, and Egypt. Fortunately, the numerous arrests of potential perpetrators with ties to ISIS in the last ten years by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has prevented a major terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

European governments have been criticized for their leniency, towards the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighting for Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka by allowing unhindered financial contributions and political backing from Tamil diaspora communities. Similar accusations have been made regarding the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been fighting for Kurdish autonomy.

Since the early 1980s, Canada has been a focal point of controversy regarding its handling of Khalistani terrorists, who aim to form an independent Sikh nation in the northern Indian state of Punjab. Taking advantage of Canada’s commitment to multiculturalism and free speech, organizations violently advocating for Khalistan separatism have proliferated, resulting in the bombing of Air India Flight 182 in 1985, by Sikh extremists which killed 329 people, most of whom were Canadian citizens. 

The current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for the sake of political expediency, continues to turn a blind eye to extremist activities. His government is dependent on the support of the New Democratic Party (NDP) which is led by Jagmeet Singh, a vocal supporter of the Khalistani separatist movement. Unperturbed by the terrorism against Canadians by the Khalistani extremists, in 2018, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau during a visit to India invited a convicted Khalistani terrorist to an official event.

In recent years, the United States has also seen the rise of Khalistani violent activism within its borders, particularly in states with large Sikh populations such as California and New York, as exemplified by the March 2023 attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. A hands-off approach, prioritizing civil liberties over crackdowns on these groups, may come back to haunt the U.S., if American citizens who are against the Khalistan movement are harmed by these terrorists. A careful watch is needed on groups like “Sikhs for Justice (SFJ)” which the Indian government has accused of being a front for terrorist activities, and banned in India, but continues to operate freely in the United States.

Only by a stricter oversight of extremist groups, better intelligence sharing with affected countries, and most importantly, not being blinded by short-term benefits in the global geopolitical arena can Western nations ensure that their noble traditions do not degenerate into the fleecing of the gullible.

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Mandar A. Pattekar MD is a retired physician, community organizer, and a volunteer Hindu spiritual care provider.