This refers to Claude Smadja's article "ISIS' clear and present danger" (August 28). Iraq has a long tradition of allowing religious, cultural and ethnic diversity to exist. Like the Kashmiri Pandits in India, a tragic fate seems to await the Yazidi community if the world does not intervene. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its ilk are claiming a religious obligation to exterminate an entire minority if they do not succumb to their demands. They must be dismantled before more people are killed. The toxic ideology of the ISIS has serious consequences for nations like India and its security apparatus. Some Indians have gone there to join the ranks and sadly they are applauded for doing so. The prevalence of beheading as a state-recognised form of punishment in some countries seems to be an inspiration for these extremists. The US and several European countries have been talking about ways to eradicate this new scourge. Through combined efforts, the United Nations should raise an international force to move against these modern-day killers. Making payments or complying with their demands will only encourage them.
H N Ramakrishna Novi, Michigan
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