To thwart ISIS, first consider history

By Jay Parini
Updated 11:26 AM EST, Tue November 17, 2015
A memorial commemorates the victims of the Paris attacks on a street in Paris on Monday, November 16.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
A memorial commemorates the victims of the Paris attacks on a street in Paris on Monday, November 16.
A woman on November 16 sits in front of the Parisian concert venue Balaclan, where many of the victims from the Paris attacks were killed.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
A woman on November 16 sits in front of the Parisian concert venue Balaclan, where many of the victims from the Paris attacks were killed.
An anti-border control, pro-refugee sticker is pasted over an advertisement in Paris on November 16.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
An anti-border control, pro-refugee sticker is pasted over an advertisement in Paris on November 16.
A young man in Paris on November 16 holds a sign that reads "Not even afraid" in the neighborhood of Le petit Cambodge, a restaurant that was hit in the attacks.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
A young man in Paris on November 16 holds a sign that reads "Not even afraid" in the neighborhood of Le petit Cambodge, a restaurant that was hit in the attacks.
Security guards stand outside a Disney store on Champs Elysees in Paris on November 16.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
Security guards stand outside a Disney store on Champs Elysees in Paris on November 16.
Comments made with different colored chalk are written on the Place de la Republique in Paris on November 16.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
Comments made with different colored chalk are written on the Place de la Republique in Paris on November 16.
A man sells newspapers on Sunday, November 15, at the Barbes-Rochechouart Metro station in one of the Paris neighborhoods with the highest foreign-born population. The headlines read "The War against Daech / ISIS" and "The Day After."
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
A man sells newspapers on Sunday, November 15, at the Barbes-Rochechouart Metro station in one of the Paris neighborhoods with the highest foreign-born population. The headlines read "The War against Daech / ISIS" and "The Day After."
People walk past a man selling newspapers near the Barbes-Rochechouart Metro station on November 15.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
People walk past a man selling newspapers near the Barbes-Rochechouart Metro station on November 15.
A woman reads a newspaper in the Cafe Les Deux Magots on November 15 In the St. Germain neighborhood of Paris.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
A woman reads a newspaper in the Cafe Les Deux Magots on November 15 In the St. Germain neighborhood of Paris.
People sit inside the St. Sulpice Catholic church on November 15 in Paris.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
People sit inside the St. Sulpice Catholic church on November 15 in Paris.
Children play on November 15 with Notre Dame in the background.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
Children play on November 15 with Notre Dame in the background.
Tourists walk past Notre Dame on November 15 as the military and police patrol the area.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
Tourists walk past Notre Dame on November 15 as the military and police patrol the area.
A crowd gathers on Rue Charonne on November 15 near the site of one of the attacks.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
A crowd gathers on Rue Charonne on November 15 near the site of one of the attacks.
"No passaran!" is scrawled on a wall near the Bataclan music venue on November 15. The phrase translates roughly to "thou shall not pass" and refers to standing firm in the face of an enemy.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
"No passaran!" is scrawled on a wall near the Bataclan music venue on November 15. The phrase translates roughly to "thou shall not pass" and refers to standing firm in the face of an enemy.
People walk down Rue Charonne on November 15, near the site of one of the attacks.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
People walk down Rue Charonne on November 15, near the site of one of the attacks.
Drinks sit abandoned on a cafe terrace near Place de la République after a false alarm caused a panic on November 15.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
Drinks sit abandoned on a cafe terrace near Place de la République after a false alarm caused a panic on November 15.
A woman observes bullet holes in a wall near the Paris restaurant Le Petit Cambodge on Saturday, November 14.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
A woman observes bullet holes in a wall near the Paris restaurant Le Petit Cambodge on Saturday, November 14.
A crowd gathers on November 14 outside Le Petit Cambodge, where more than a dozen people were killed.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
A crowd gathers on November 14 outside Le Petit Cambodge, where more than a dozen people were killed.
A man wearing a French flag walks through the streets of Paris on November 14. French President Francois Hollande has declared a state of emergency.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
A man wearing a French flag walks through the streets of Paris on November 14. French President Francois Hollande has declared a state of emergency.
Candles and flowers are seen on November 14 at the spot where a victim died on the Rue de la Fontaine au Roi. Five people were killed in a shooting outside a bar in Paris' 11th district, according to prosecutor Francois Molins.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
Candles and flowers are seen on November 14 at the spot where a victim died on the Rue de la Fontaine au Roi. Five people were killed in a shooting outside a bar in Paris' 11th district, according to prosecutor Francois Molins.
A woman takes a picture of a window shattered by bullets on November 14.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
A woman takes a picture of a window shattered by bullets on November 14.
The windows of a laundromat on the Rue de la Fontaine au Roi were blown out in the attacks.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
The windows of a laundromat on the Rue de la Fontaine au Roi were blown out in the attacks.
People take pictures on November 14 near the Bataclan concert hall, where more than 80 people were killed.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
People take pictures on November 14 near the Bataclan concert hall, where more than 80 people were killed.
A woman walks past a memorial in Paris' 10th district November 14.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
A woman walks past a memorial in Paris' 10th district November 14.
Bernard-Henri Levy, a prominent French philosopher, stands in the center of a crowd near the Bataclan on November 14.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
Bernard-Henri Levy, a prominent French philosopher, stands in the center of a crowd near the Bataclan on November 14.
Women pay their respects near the Bataclan on November 14. Three gunmen shot concertgoers and held hostages late Friday night until police raided the building.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
Women pay their respects near the Bataclan on November 14. Three gunmen shot concertgoers and held hostages late Friday night until police raided the building.
Candles are lit to honor the victims of the attacks on November 14.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
Candles are lit to honor the victims of the attacks on November 14.
A family stands among TV crews set up on November 14 near the Bataclan.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
A family stands among TV crews set up on November 14 near the Bataclan.
Bullet holes are circled on a wall near Le Petit Cambodge on November 14.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
Bullet holes are circled on a wall near Le Petit Cambodge on November 14.
People gather on November 14 at the Place de la Republique square.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
People gather on November 14 at the Place de la Republique square.
A couple embraces in the streets of Paris on November 14. The world has rallied around France.
Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks
Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos for CNN
A couple embraces in the streets of Paris on November 14. The world has rallied around France.

Editor’s Note: Jay Parini, a poet and novelist, teaches at Middlebury College in Vermont and is the author of “Empire of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal.” The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

Story highlights

Jay Parini: After Paris attack, U.S. must consider history before acting, to get to peace without creating further instabilities

He says path to current terror not helped by our foreign policy blunders in past. Now it's time to build coalitions to end, not feed, ISIS chaos

CNN  — 

In the wake of the sad, grotesque attacks on innocents in Paris this past weekend, it’s important for American policymakers – and Americans generally – to think hard about an appropriate response. It’s easy to make a mistake in these circumstances, one that will add kerosene to a fire that threatens everyone who cares deeply about the future of liberal democracy.

Jay Parini
Jay Parini

Many people (including Donald Trump) would agree with what Bernie Sanders said in last week’s presidential debate, that “the invasion of Iraq led to the massive levels of instability. It was one of the worst foreign policy blunders in the history of the United States.”

We need now to behave in ways that will enhance the possibilities of peace, and will not create further instabilities.

It helps to look at history – not to find equivalencies but understanding, taking the long view that recognizes appropriate contexts. We make bad decisions about foreign policy – and war – when we fail to take into account the historical setting, which is, well, almost everything.

For example, we lost 50,000 American soldiers in Vietnam because our policy-makers failed to look at the wider historical context, ignoring the traditional animosity between China and Vietnam – a conflict in which it was highly unlikely that the “domino effect” would ever be relevant. It wasn’t, and we created mayhem in the region.

A Belgian soldier stands guard around a security perimeter as a reported police intervention takes place around the Grand Place central square in Brussels on Sunday, November 22. Multiple raids took place throughout Brussels, according to the Belgium Federal prosecutor, and 16 people were arrested. Salah Abdeslam, a suspect in Paris terror attacks, was not among them.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images
A Belgian soldier stands guard around a security perimeter as a reported police intervention takes place around the Grand Place central square in Brussels on Sunday, November 22. Multiple raids took place throughout Brussels, according to the Belgium Federal prosecutor, and 16 people were arrested. Salah Abdeslam, a suspect in Paris terror attacks, was not among them.
Belgian police officers and soldiers secure an area as a reported police intervention takes place around the Grand Place central square in Brussels on November 22.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images
Belgian police officers and soldiers secure an area as a reported police intervention takes place around the Grand Place central square in Brussels on November 22.
Belgian national Ahmad Dahmani, center, suspected to be involved in the November 13 Paris attacks, was arrested late Friday, November 20, in southern Antalya province, Turkey. Dahmani had been tracked by a police anti-terror unit after he arrived at the Antalya International Airport -- on a flight from Paris -- the day after the massacre.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
SABAH/DP/ABACA
Belgian national Ahmad Dahmani, center, suspected to be involved in the November 13 Paris attacks, was arrested late Friday, November 20, in southern Antalya province, Turkey. Dahmani had been tracked by a police anti-terror unit after he arrived at the Antalya International Airport -- on a flight from Paris -- the day after the massacre.
Two Syrian nationals, Ahmet Tahir, left, and Muhammed Verd, were arrested by Turkish security forces in southern Antalya province, Turkey, on November 20. They were captured, allegedly with a fake Syrian passport for Belgian national Ahmad Dahmani, suspected of location scouting for the Paris attackers.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
SABAH/DP/ABACA/SIPA
Two Syrian nationals, Ahmet Tahir, left, and Muhammed Verd, were arrested by Turkish security forces in southern Antalya province, Turkey, on November 20. They were captured, allegedly with a fake Syrian passport for Belgian national Ahmad Dahmani, suspected of location scouting for the Paris attackers.
Police searched the home of Hasna Ait Boulahcen's mother in Aulnay-sous-Bois, France, on Thursday, November 19. Ait Boulahcen, 26, was killed during Wednesday's raid on an apartment in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, official sources in France told CNN. She did not blow herself up as was previously thought.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
OLIVIER ARANDEL/Maxppp/Landov
Police searched the home of Hasna Ait Boulahcen's mother in Aulnay-sous-Bois, France, on Thursday, November 19. Ait Boulahcen, 26, was killed during Wednesday's raid on an apartment in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, official sources in France told CNN. She did not blow herself up as was previously thought.
A body is removed from an apartment that was raided by police in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, France, on Wednesday, November 18. French special forces were looking for those behind the November 13 <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/13/world/gallery/paris-attacks/index.html" target="_blank">terrorist attacks in Paris.</a> The hourslong ordeal ended with at least two suspects dead and eight detained.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP/Getty Images
A body is removed from an apartment that was raided by police in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, France, on Wednesday, November 18. French special forces were looking for those behind the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris. The hourslong ordeal ended with at least two suspects dead and eight detained.
Authorities zeroed in on the Saint-Denis building after picking up phone conversations that a relative of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the attacks' purported ringleader, might be there. The Paris prosecutor's office later announced that Abaaoud's bullet-riddled body was found after the raid.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
Pierre Suu/Getty Images
Authorities zeroed in on the Saint-Denis building after picking up phone conversations that a relative of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the attacks' purported ringleader, might be there. The Paris prosecutor's office later announced that Abaaoud's bullet-riddled body was found after the raid.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve visits Saint-Denis during the raid on November 18.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
Pierre Suu//Getty Images
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve visits Saint-Denis during the raid on November 18.
A Renault Clio with Belgian license plates is towed by the police in Paris on Tuesday, November 17. The car is believed to have been rented by <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/17/europe/paris-attacks-at-a-glance/index.html" target="_blank">Salah Abdeslam.</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/17/world/paris-attacks/index.htmll" target="_blank"> Authorities are looking for Abdeslam,</a> a Belgium-born French national who is one of three brothers suspected in the terror attacks.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
Thibault Camus/AP
A Renault Clio with Belgian license plates is towed by the police in Paris on Tuesday, November 17. The car is believed to have been rented by Salah Abdeslam. Authorities are looking for Abdeslam, a Belgium-born French national who is one of three brothers suspected in the terror attacks.
Special forces stand guard on a roof in Molenbeek, a suburb of Brussels, Belgium, on Monday, November 16.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
DIRK WAEM/AFP/Getty Images
Special forces stand guard on a roof in Molenbeek, a suburb of Brussels, Belgium, on Monday, November 16.
Armed police guard a street in Brussels on November 16.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP
Armed police guard a street in Brussels on November 16.
Salah Abdeslam's brother Mohammed speaks to the media at his house in Molenbeek on November 16. Mohamed Abdeslam was released by police after being detained over the weekend.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
Leila Khemissi/AP
Salah Abdeslam's brother Mohammed speaks to the media at his house in Molenbeek on November 16. Mohamed Abdeslam was released by police after being detained over the weekend.
Special forces sit on a roof in Molenbeek as they prepare to enter a house on November 16.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP
Special forces sit on a roof in Molenbeek as they prepare to enter a house on November 16.
Armed police guard a street in Molenbeek on November 16.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP
Armed police guard a street in Molenbeek on November 16.
A man is detained by a police officer after a raid in the Mirail district of Toulouse, France, on November 16. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said there were 150 police raids overnight in the country.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
AP
A man is detained by a police officer after a raid in the Mirail district of Toulouse, France, on November 16. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said there were 150 police raids overnight in the country.
Police officers overlook Paris as they patrol in front of the Sacre Coeur Basilica on November 16.
Photos: The search for Paris terror suspects
MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images
Police officers overlook Paris as they patrol in front of the Sacre Coeur Basilica on November 16.

Pushed to the limit, we simply withdrew in 1975, with our tail between our legs. And where is Vietnam today? The U.S. is currently the largest single importer of Vietnamese goods and Vietnamese are the eighth-largest student group studying in the States. Of course, it took almost four decades for that kind of healing to occur.

Which is a good thing to keep in mind. Healing can happen.

In the Middle East, we must always be aware of our long history of ill-considered interventions. For instance, we helped to overthrow Mohammad Mossadegh, a democratically elected Prime Minister in Iran, in 1953, putting our weight behind the dictatorial Shah, who ruled with an iron fist until he was overthrown by the 1979 Islamic Revolution. We must try to keep this history in mind when considering our difficulties with Iran: they have long memories, even if we don’t.

Then there is our avid support for the extremist House of Saud, in Saudi Arabia; this alliance goes back to 1933, and was largely about oil, then as now. The rise of extreme forms of Islam is closely tied to our Saudi alliances. Indeed, Osama bin Laden was himself a member of an elite Saudi family, and his movement centered on outrage over the American military presence in the land of Mecca.

A Syrian refugee is seen at the Taqi Al-Din school in the Dumar neighbourhood of Damascus where many families are taking shelter on February 26, 2013. The Syrian conflict has already claimed more than 70,000 lives in the two years since President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on anti-regime protesters, leaving another two million people internally displaced and forcing 870,000 refugees to flee to neighbouring states. AFP PHOTO / LOUAI BESHARA (Photo credit should read LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images)
A Syrian refugee is seen at the Taqi Al-Din school in the Dumar neighbourhood of Damascus where many families are taking shelter on February 26, 2013. The Syrian conflict has already claimed more than 70,000 lives in the two years since President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on anti-regime protesters, leaving another two million people internally displaced and forcing 870,000 refugees to flee to neighbouring states. AFP PHOTO / LOUAI BESHARA (Photo credit should read LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images)
LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Shunning refugees is no answer to terror

In thinking about the rise of jihadists, it’s important to recall our support for the violent mujahadeen during the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989). This support helped to secure forms of Islam that, in due course, led to the rise of fundamentalist Islam throughout the Middle East.

The path to 9/11 was firmly paved by these, and many other, miscalculations.

It certainly didn’t help anything to invade Iraq in 2003, thus removing Saddam – a secular Muslim. When we destroyed his Baathist army, we unwittingly prepared the ground for the rise of ISIS fighters, who are the children of Saddam grown wild, maddened by a kind of existential despair.

So now what?

There are only three things to keep in mind: coalition, coalition and coalition.

President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, second from right, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo arrive at the Bataclan, site of one of the Paris terrorists attacks, to pay their respects to the victims after Obama arrived in town for the COP21 climate change conference early on Monday, November 30, in Paris.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Evan Vucci/AP
President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, second from right, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo arrive at the Bataclan, site of one of the Paris terrorists attacks, to pay their respects to the victims after Obama arrived in town for the COP21 climate change conference early on Monday, November 30, in Paris.
The Eiffel Tower in Paris is illuminated in the French national colors on Monday, November 16. Displays of support for the French people were evident at landmarks around the globe after the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday, November 13.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Frank Augstein/AP
The Eiffel Tower in Paris is illuminated in the French national colors on Monday, November 16. Displays of support for the French people were evident at landmarks around the globe after the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday, November 13.
People hold hands as they observe a minute of silence in Lyon, France, on November 16, three days after the Paris attacks. A minute of silence was observed throughout the country in memory of the victims of the country's deadliest violence since World War II.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Laurent Cipriani/AP
People hold hands as they observe a minute of silence in Lyon, France, on November 16, three days after the Paris attacks. A minute of silence was observed throughout the country in memory of the victims of the country's deadliest violence since World War II.
French President Francois Hollande, center, flanked by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, right, and French Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, center left, stands among students during a minute of silence in the courtyard of the Sorbonne University in Paris on November 16.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Guillaume Horcajuelo/AP
French President Francois Hollande, center, flanked by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, right, and French Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, center left, stands among students during a minute of silence in the courtyard of the Sorbonne University in Paris on November 16.
A large crowd gathers to lay flowers and candles in front of the Carillon restaurant in Paris on Sunday, November 15.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Ian Langsdon/EPA/LANDOV
A large crowd gathers to lay flowers and candles in front of the Carillon restaurant in Paris on Sunday, November 15.
A man sits next to candles lit as homage to the victims of the deadly attacks in Paris at a square in Rio de Janeiro on November 15.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Leo Correa/AP
A man sits next to candles lit as homage to the victims of the deadly attacks in Paris at a square in Rio de Janeiro on November 15.
People light candles in tribute to the Paris victims on November 15 in Budapest, Hungary.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
BALAZS MOHAI/MTI/EPA/LANDOV
People light candles in tribute to the Paris victims on November 15 in Budapest, Hungary.
People gather outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on November 15 for a national service for the victims of the city's terror attacks.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP
People gather outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on November 15 for a national service for the victims of the city's terror attacks.
People write messages on the ground at Place de la Republique in Paris on November 15.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
YOAN VALAT/EPA/LANDOV
People write messages on the ground at Place de la Republique in Paris on November 15.
People pray during a candlelight vigil for victims of the Paris attacks at a church in Islamabad, Pakistan, on November 15.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Anjum Naveed/AP
People pray during a candlelight vigil for victims of the Paris attacks at a church in Islamabad, Pakistan, on November 15.
French golfer Gregory Bourdy passes a peace symbol for the Paris victims during the BMW Shanghai Masters tournament November 15 in Shanghai, China.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Johannes Eisele/APF/Getty Images
French golfer Gregory Bourdy passes a peace symbol for the Paris victims during the BMW Shanghai Masters tournament November 15 in Shanghai, China.
A man offers a prayer in memory of victims of the Paris attacks at the French Embassy in Tokyo on November 15.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images
A man offers a prayer in memory of victims of the Paris attacks at the French Embassy in Tokyo on November 15.
A woman holds a candle atop a miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower during a candlelight vigil Saturday, November 14, in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Darryl Dyck/AP
A woman holds a candle atop a miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower during a candlelight vigil Saturday, November 14, in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Front pages of Japanese newspapers in Tokyo show coverage and photos of the Paris attacks on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images
Front pages of Japanese newspapers in Tokyo show coverage and photos of the Paris attacks on November 14.
An electronic billboard on a canal in Milan, Italy reads, in French, "I'm Paris," on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Luca Bruno/AP
An electronic billboard on a canal in Milan, Italy reads, in French, "I'm Paris," on November 14.
The Eiffel Tower stands dark as a mourning gesture on November 14, in Paris. More than 125 people were killed in a series of coordinated attacks in Paris on Friday. People around the world reacted in horror to the deadly terrorist assaults.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA/EPA /LANDOV
The Eiffel Tower stands dark as a mourning gesture on November 14, in Paris. More than 125 people were killed in a series of coordinated attacks in Paris on Friday. People around the world reacted in horror to the deadly terrorist assaults.
Lithuanians hold a candlelight vigil in front of the French Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Alfredas Pliadis/Cal Sport Media/ZUMAPRESS.com
Lithuanians hold a candlelight vigil in front of the French Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, on November 14.
Thousands gather in London's Trafalgar Square for a candlelit vigil on November 14 to honor the victims of the Paris attacks.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
PEAA/ZDS/Newscom/WENN.com
Thousands gather in London's Trafalgar Square for a candlelit vigil on November 14 to honor the victims of the Paris attacks.
A woman lights candles at a memorial near the Bataclan theater in Paris on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
LAURENT DUBRULE/EPA/LANDOV
A woman lights candles at a memorial near the Bataclan theater in Paris on November 14.
A man places a candle in front of Le Carillon cafe in Paris on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Jerome Delay/AP
A man places a candle in front of Le Carillon cafe in Paris on November 14.
A woman holds a French flag during a gathering in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images
A woman holds a French flag during a gathering in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 14.
Nancy Acevedo prays for France during the opening prayer for the Sunshine Summit being held at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Nancy Acevedo prays for France during the opening prayer for the Sunshine Summit being held at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida on November 14.
French soldiers of the United Nations' interim forces in Lebanon observe the national flag at half-staff at the contingent headquarters in the village of Deir Kifa on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP/Getty Images
French soldiers of the United Nations' interim forces in Lebanon observe the national flag at half-staff at the contingent headquarters in the village of Deir Kifa on November 14.
A couple surveys the signature sails of the Sydney Opera House lit in the colors of the French flag in Sydney on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Rick Rycroft/AP
A couple surveys the signature sails of the Sydney Opera House lit in the colors of the French flag in Sydney on November 14.
A woman places flowers in front of the French Consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Dmitry Lovetsky/AP
A woman places flowers in front of the French Consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 14.
Candles are lit in Hong Kong on November 14 to remember the scores who died in France.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Kin Cheung/AP
Candles are lit in Hong Kong on November 14 to remember the scores who died in France.
A woman lights a candle outside the French Consulate in Barcelona, Spain, on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Manu Fernandez/AP
A woman lights a candle outside the French Consulate in Barcelona, Spain, on November 14.
Britain's Prince Charles expresses solidarity with France at a birthday barbecue in his honor near Perth, Australia, on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images
Britain's Prince Charles expresses solidarity with France at a birthday barbecue in his honor near Perth, Australia, on November 14.
The French national flag flutters at half-staff on November 14 at its embassy in Beijing.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Andy Wong/AP
The French national flag flutters at half-staff on November 14 at its embassy in Beijing.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte after a speech on November 14 in The Hague following the attacks.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
BART MAAT/AFP/Getty Images
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte after a speech on November 14 in The Hague following the attacks.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe becomes emotional after his speech on the French attacks during the opening ceremony of a Japanese garden in Istanbul, Turkey, on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe becomes emotional after his speech on the French attacks during the opening ceremony of a Japanese garden in Istanbul, Turkey, on November 14.
A woman mourns outside Le Carillon bar in the 10th district of Paris on November 14. The attackers ruthlessly sought out soft targets where people were getting their weekends underway.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Kenzo TribouillardAFP/Getty Images
A woman mourns outside Le Carillon bar in the 10th district of Paris on November 14. The attackers ruthlessly sought out soft targets where people were getting their weekends underway.
People lay flowers outside the French Embassy in Moscow on November 14.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Dmitry Serebryakov/AFP/Getty Images
People lay flowers outside the French Embassy in Moscow on November 14.
Mourners gather outside Le Carillon bar in the 10th district of Paris on November 14. "We were listening to music when we heard what we thought were the sounds of firecrackers," a doctor from a nearby hospital who was drinking in the bar with colleagues told Le Monde. "A few moments later, it was a scene straight out of a war. Blood everywhere."
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images
Mourners gather outside Le Carillon bar in the 10th district of Paris on November 14. "We were listening to music when we heard what we thought were the sounds of firecrackers," a doctor from a nearby hospital who was drinking in the bar with colleagues told Le Monde. "A few moments later, it was a scene straight out of a war. Blood everywhere."
People attend a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered "all of Canada's support" to France on Friday, November 13, in the wake of the attacks.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Graham Hughes/AP
People attend a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered "all of Canada's support" to France on Friday, November 13, in the wake of the attacks.
Police show a heightened presence in Times Square in New York on November 13, following the terrorist attacks in Paris.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
John Angelillo/UPI/Landov
Police show a heightened presence in Times Square in New York on November 13, following the terrorist attacks in Paris.
People light candles at a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal on November 13.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Graham Hughes/AP
People light candles at a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal on November 13.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, fans observe a moment of silence for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris before a basketball game November 13.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Sam Morris/AP
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, fans observe a moment of silence for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris before a basketball game November 13.
The house lights are shut off and scoreboard dark as Boston Celtics players pause for a moment of silence for the Paris victims before an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks in Boston on November 13.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Charles Krupa/AP
The house lights are shut off and scoreboard dark as Boston Celtics players pause for a moment of silence for the Paris victims before an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks in Boston on November 13.
People light candles at a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal on November 13.
Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks
Graham Hughes/AP
People light candles at a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal on November 13.

With ISIS, we now face a global war of sorts, and yet — as with al Qaeda — there are many offshoots (such as the people who attacked Paris) — ad hoc sympathizers, in effect, who are willing to destroy even themselves to promote a narrow, violent strain of Islam.

Americans and their allies can’t simply bomb ISIS positions in Syria or northern Iraq and assume this will somehow take care of the problem. It won’t.

ISIS and its affiliates want the old “clash of civilization” argument to hold, the idea that a fault line exists, and that it’s somehow cultural. But this implies that we’re actually divided along these lines, and this is nonsense.

We’re not at war with Islam. Most Muslims are peaceful, living in Indonesia and other Asian countries. (Only 20% of Muslims are, in fact, Arabic.)

French security moves people in the area of Rue Bichat in the 10th arrondissement of Paris following a string of attacks on Friday, November 13.
French security moves people in the area of Rue Bichat in the 10th arrondissement of Paris following a string of attacks on Friday, November 13.
KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images

How ISIS threatens the West

ISIS isn’t even a “culture,” as President Francois Hollande of France has wisely noted: “We’re not engaged in a war of civilization, because these assassins do not represent any.”

It’s important that we refuse the simplistic and dangerous “clash of civilizations” argument, which feeds into a narrative that ISIS leaders will adore. We have to remind ourselves that the vast majority of Muslims everywhere are, indeed, peaceful. We must enlist their help, as it’s in their best interests to combat extremist forms of their religion.

And we must never take unilateral action but consistently work with our democratic allies around the world and with the U.N., aware that we’re all in this together, while always keeping the history of our relations with the Islamic world in full intellectual and emotional view.

This is an argument we can win, as life under ISIS is miserably basic and relies on the cycle of violence to sustain itself. It will never triumph over rational, thoughtful people who band together in the face of radical nihilism to establish a genuine and sustainable alternative that, for all its flaws, nevertheless works: liberal democracy.

Complete coverage on terror in Paris

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