Faisal Alshammeri

The concept of “Every Man a Soldier” originates from The French Revolution. As part of the revolutionary ideals of France this concept emerged although it is not as discussed as much as other principles that became more well known afterwards. What this concept meant was that in society every person had a role to play in contributing to the establishment of, and implementation of revolutionary ideas throughout French society. In today’s world we certainly do see the need for each and every person to play their part. First, for clarification this modest writer is not calling for revolution or the spreading of revolutionary ideas. There is unequivocally and absolutely no need for that, more importantly anarchy in and of itself is not a cure for anything. Only a recipe for more anarchy. But with today’s fight against daesh and other radical movements throughout the region we alldo have our roles to play. Parents, Mosque, Imam, Sheikh, Teacher, Soldier, Officer, Intelligence Personnel, Civil Servant, Diplomat, and the Citizenry as a whole can all individually and collectively bring invaluable aid to humanity’s current and impending struggle with daesh and others. It is in this spirit that the concept of “Every Man a Soldier” is very applicable to us today. Criminals, sadists, terrorists, and others who offer nothing more than hostile belligerence thrive on the indulgence of any society’s understanding. For us here in The Kingdom our Mosque’s have been attacked, scholarship students while home on break from their studies in The United States have sacrificed themselves to prevent daesh terrorists from carrying out atrocities inside Mosque’s and even our valiant elders too have laid down their lives to spare the lives of others. In yet another example our noble citizenry in Najran have been exposed to rocket and mortar fire for being guilty of nothing more than fitting the description of what is deviously deemed as an easy target. Our honorable Armed Forces, and those of our coalition partners too, put their lives on the line so that we can have peace in our beloved homeland. They sacrifice potentially their lives and time with family to carry the fight to those in Syria, Yemen, and even further beyond. So as you can see we are allinvolved in this fight, and let us be abundantly clear about that. From His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz, may Allah bless him, all the way to the citizenry we are all soldiers and potential targets in this fight. Either we win or they do. It certainly is not a fight we asked for, intentionally sought out, but yet here it is. There is no compromise possible with our enemies, especially since they do not offer the same to us. We are all on the front lines, and therefore every citizen whether he recognizes it or not is a soldier in this war for The Kingdom and humanity as well.

         This is a fight that when one looks at it with a moment’s though should be able to plainly see is a deeply personal one for all of humanity, not just The Kingdom. Our enemies are willing to use game control consoles to recruit vulnerable youth while others will patiently seek out individuals who will hide unscrupulously in plain sight and use compulsive behavior to put The Kingdom at risk by pilfering secrets or working as a willing asset for a clearly hostile country. This fight is one were parents sometimes are unaware that someone is at their children before they do, and can only realize with heartbreak that they were powerless to intervene with hindsight. Our phones and user apps are frontline weapons for these deviant ones, who frankly the word deviant is almost a compliment when we see what their actions are and what their lives are committed to. In France we saw that the battlefield took place within the immediate vicinity of an International Friendly Match between Germany and France, a concert hall, and cafes packed with casual diners guilty of nothing more than wanting a nice evening with decent company to join them. As mentioned before the front lines and the front line soldiers in this struggle are our Parents, Mosque, Imam, Sheikh, Teacher, Soldier, Officer, Intelligence Personnel, Civil Servant, Diplomat, Police, Emergency Personnel, our noble Citizenry, and additional others too. When one looks at this it can appear at first to be a daunting task and formidable calling to bring awareness to the magnitude of the situation and correctly assess it in these terms. However when one takes a moment to pause and think, we can take great confidence in the quality of character in the groups of people listed as examples of our front line soldiers. The Kingdom’s current rise, and it’s continued ascendancy, is one that has yet to be told. This rise is based on it’s obvious progress, the character of it’s people, it’s growing presence within the region and beyond, the leadership mantle it has assumed, and the modesty it has gone about handling it’s affairs internationally. One does not need to deliberately seek attention and speak in the loudest tones for doing the right thing. When confronted with evil, if one does not choose to denounce it, confront it head on with the intention of purging it off the face of the Earth then that indifference in the face of it actually enables and supports evil. As long as we are all in the fight, with the objective of not only defeating our enemy thoroughly but in every regard possible, then we cannot be defeated. This humble citizen will answer his call for Allah, Our Prophet, (Peace be Upon Him), His Majesty King Salman (May Allah Bless him), our beloved Kingdom and Nation, and for our people. I have been, and will continue to be, a champion for Nation and humanity. Our very religion asks this of us.

 Writer and Political analyst *

@Mr_Alshammeri