Global unity against terrorism is falling apart

Source: The post Global unity against terrorism is falling apart has been created, based on the article “The fragmentation in the global fight against terror” published in “The Hindu” on 7 May 2025. Global unity against terrorism is falling apart.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper3- Security-Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism.

Context: The April 22 Pahalgam terror attack exposed the weakening of global unity against terrorism. While many countries condemned the attack, most urged restraint from both India and Pakistan, showing a lack of resolve to confront the real perpetrators.

Global Response Highlights Divisions

1. Calls for Restraint, Not Action: Nations like the U.S., Russia, and the EU avoided directly holding Pakistan accountable. They focused on urging both India and Pakistan to maintain peace and solve disputes politically.
2. Evasion of Terror Label: Many leaders avoided using the term “terror attack” for the Pahalgam incident. The EU did not even label it as such, showing a clear shift from earlier “zero tolerance” postures.
3. Shielding the Perpetrator: Despite clear patterns from past incidents like Pulwama and 26/11, global players still demand “proof” from India, asking the victim to show restraint while ignoring the aggressor.

India Faces a Unique Bias

1. Stability Over Justice: India is advised to avoid escalation, as Pakistan promotes the “nuclear threat” narrative. The West, though bold with Russia, hesitates with Pakistan.
2. Religious Targeting Overlooked: The Pahalgam attackers identified and shot tourists based on religion. A Muslim pony operator was shot trying to save them. Yet the global response avoided acknowledging Hinduphobia.
3. Silence on Anti-Hindu Hate: The world reacts strongly to Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. But it remains silent on anti-Hindu attacks. Even U.S. candidate Vivek Ramaswamy faced religious slurs, with little concern shown.
4. Rare Acknowledgement: Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. Director of National Intelligence, was among the few who called it a “horrific Islamist terrorist attack” and recognised the religious motive. This was a rare moment of honesty.

Collapse of a Collective Global Fight

1. End of Post-9/11 Consensus: The unified global response post-9/11 is now gone. Countries are handling terrorism selectively, prioritizing threats based on internal interests.
2. Region-Specific Priorities: The U.S. under Biden focused on racially motivated extremism. Europe is concerned with right-wing threats. These shifts ignore cross-border terrorism in Asia.
3. Global Inconsistencies: The OIC uses Islamophobia to justify silence. Canada denies any responsibility for threats originating from its soil. China blocked India’s proposals to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists at the UN.
4. Neglect of African Terrorism: Terror in Africa has surged. The Sahel now accounts for over half of global terrorism deaths, as per the Global Terrorism Index 2025. Yet the global response remains indifferent.

Pakistan’s UNSC Tactics and India’s Pushback

1. Reviving the Kashmir Narrative: Pakistan used its UNSC seat to push for a closed-door session, as it did in 2019. But it produced no result, with most P-5 nations treating Kashmir as a bilateral issue.
2. Strategic Pressure by India: India opposed any UNSC statement, as it did in 2021 during the Ethiopia-Egypt water dispute. It also put the Indus Waters Treaty on hold as leverage.

The Way Forward for India

1. Need for Real Accountability: India’s partners must pressure Pakistan meaningfully, not just issue generic statements. Episodic condemnation is not enough.
2. India May Act Alone: If global partners do not act, India must act alone. Strategic autonomy must be used where needed.
3. Globalising the Fight Against Religiophobia: India should raise the issue of non-Abrahamic religiophobia at bilateral and global forums beyond the UN.
4. Reviving Anti-Terror Commitments: The world must not retreat from the frameworks it built. India should lead efforts to counter state-sponsored terror and its new methods.

Question for practice:

Examine how the global response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack reveals a weakening of international consensus against terrorism and its implications for India.