Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Force of ideas: On the New Orleans truck attack

​Force of ideas: On the New Orleans truck attack

The Islamic State must not be allowed to regain foothold (पैर जमाना) in West Asia

The truck attack in the French Quarter of New Orleans, on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people and wounding 30, suggests (सुझाव देना, संकेत करना) that the threat of low-tech (using only low technology), lone wolf (a person who likes to do to things on his/her own) attacks has not gone away. The attacker, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an American citizen who had served (work for, have a job with, perform duties for) in the military, was killed in a shoot-out (गोलीबारी, मुठभेड़). Police found an Islamic State (IS) flag and explosives (विस्फोटक पदार्थ) in his truck. Just hours earlier, Jabbar had posted videos on social media, indicating that he was inspired by the IS. In recent months, the IS, a terrorist organisation founded in Iraq and Syria, and now present across geographies, has released propaganda (प्रचार, दुष्प्रचार) videos asking its “soldiers” to strike (हमला करना, मारना) during celebrations in western cities in the holiday season. A few hours after the New Orleans attack, a Tesla Cybertruck (a battery electric pickup truck built by Tesla, Inc. since 2023) exploded (blow up, burst (apart), detonate, go off) in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, killing at least one person and injuring several. Police later said Jabbar, the suspected (संदिग्ध, आरोपी) New Orleans attacker, did not act alone, and are investigating any potential (संभावित, संभाव्य) link between the truck attack and the cybertruck explosion (blast, detonation, discharge, eruption, ignition, bowing up).

The IS, which lost its physical Caliphate in Iraq and Syria, has been trying to revive (पुनर्जीवित करना) its lost fortunes (circumstances, prospects, means, state of affairs, condition (the success/failure of something)). The terror group survived as an insurgency (विद्रोह, बगावत), shifted its centre of operations to Afghanistan (Islamic State-Khorasan), where it carries out attacks, targeting the country’s Shia (relating to Shia branch/sect of Islam) minority, and opened new networks in Africa. When the IS was at its peak in 2014-15, it had successfully globalised terror — any sympathiser (समर्थक) could hold (have, possess, carry) the IS flag, declare loyalty (वफादारी, निष्ठा) to the ‘Caliph (chief, ruler, head (considered a politico-religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad))’ and unleash (let loose, unchain, unshackle, let something go freely/uncontrollably) attacks against the “infidels (a person who does not follow the same religion that someone considers as the true religion)”. World cities, from Dhaka to Orlando and Istanbul to Belgium, witnessed dozens of IS-inspired attacks. These have ebbed (diminish, decrease, fade away, disappear; it also means recede, retreat, flow back, go out), partly due to (के कारण, की वजह से) the destruction of the IS ‘caliphate (an Islamic state)’ and partly due to enhanced (बढ़ा हुआ, उन्नत) security measures (उपाय, कदम) and deradicalisation (the measures taken to motivate someone (with extreme views) to adapt less radical (extreme) views in their political or religious beliefs) programmes. But now that Syria is in transition (undergoing changes) following the fall (topple, collapse, stumble, tumble) of the Bashar al-Assad regime (government, system of government, establishment, administration), the IS is trying to rebuild itself. Kurdish fighters in Syria’s east, who played a pivotal (central, vital, significant/important, crucial/critical) role in defeating the Islamists (relating to a supporter of Islamic fundamentalism) in 2015-16, say IS militants (extremist, radical, fanatic, hardliner, fundamentalist, sectarian, partisan) have looted (steal (goods from a place)) government weapons’ depots and are preparing for a comeback. The New Orleans attack should serve as (function as, act as) a warning signal for the U.S. The IS should not be allowed to regain a foothold in conflict-ridden West Asia. Besides, the U.S. should also get to (to deal with a task at the appropriate time) the roots (source, origin, starting point, basis, reason) of the radicalisation (the process of causing someone to follow radical (extreme) ways particularly in politics ( & society). It can be motivated by a range of factors, including ideologies, religious beliefs, political beliefs and prejudices against particular groups of people) of American citizens and counter (fight, combat, tackle, resist, oppose, counteract) it. Organisations such as the IS should be fought with both force and ideas.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.foothold (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पैर जमाना
English Meaning - grip, anchorage, secure position, purchase, support.

2.suggest (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सुझाव देना, संकेत करना
English Meaning - indicate, denote, point to, signify.

3.shoot-out (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गोलीबारी, मुठभेड़
English Meaning - a gun battle; a firefight, a gunfight.

4.explosive (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विस्फोटक पदार्थ
English Meaning - bomb, incendiary device/substance.

5.propaganda (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रचार, दुष्प्रचार
English Meaning - the (deliberate & systemic) spreading of information (facts, ideas, rumours or lies) to influence public opinion.

6.strike (verb)

Hindi Meaning - हमला करना, मारना
English Meaning - attack, hit.

7.suspected (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - संदिग्ध, आरोपी
English Meaning - accused; regarded as a wrongdoer.

8.potential (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - संभावित, संभाव्य
English Meaning - possible, probable, likely.

9.measure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उपाय, कदम
English Meaning - action, step, course of action, procedure.

10.revive (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पुनर्जीवित करना
English Meaning - restore, revitalize, renew, bring back.

11.insurgency (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विद्रोह, बगावत
English Meaning - uprising, revolt, rebellion.

12.sympathiser (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समर्थक
English Meaning - supporter, well wisher.

13.loyalty (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वफादारी, निष्ठा
English Meaning - allegiance, faithfulness, obedience, adherence.

14.due to (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के कारण, की वजह से
English Meaning - because of, owing to, on account of, thanks to, by/in virtue of, in the wake of.

15.enhanced (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बढ़ा हुआ, उन्नत
English Meaning - increased, supplemented, magnified, raised, augmented, strengthened, intensified.

16.low-tech (adjective)

English Meaning - using only low technology.

17.lone wolf (noun)

English Meaning - a person who likes to do to things on his/her own.

18.serve (verb)

English Meaning - work for, have a job with, perform duties for.

19.cybertruck (noun)

English Meaning - a battery electric pickup truck built by Tesla, Inc. since 2023.

20.explode (verb)

English Meaning - blow up, burst (apart), detonate, go off.

21.explosion (noun)

English Meaning - blast, detonation, discharge, eruption, ignition, bowing up.

22.fortunes (noun)

English Meaning - circumstances, prospects, means, state of affairs, condition (the success/failure of something).

23.Shia (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to Shia branch/sect of Islam.

24.hold (verb)

English Meaning - have, possess, carry.

25.caliph (noun)

English Meaning - chief, ruler, head (considered a politico-religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad).

26.unleash (verb)

English Meaning - let loose, unchain, unshackle, let something go freely/uncontrollably.

27.infidel (noun)

English Meaning - a person who does not follow the same religion that someone considers as the true religion.

28.ebb (verb)

English Meaning - diminish, decrease, fade away, disappear; it also means recede, retreat, flow back, go out.

29.caliphate (noun)

English Meaning - an Islamic state.

30.deradicalisation (noun)

English Meaning - the measures taken to motivate someone (with extreme views) to adapt less radical (extreme) views in their political or religious beliefs.

31.in transition (phrase)

English Meaning - undergoing changes.

32.fall (noun)

English Meaning - topple, collapse, stumble, tumble.

33.regime (noun)

English Meaning - government, system of government, establishment, administration.

34.kurdish people/Kurds (noun)

English Meaning - the indigenous peoples in a mountainous region of Western Asia (south-eastern Turkey, north-eastern Syria, northern Iraq, north-western Iran and south-western Armenia).

35.play a role or play a part (phrase)

English Meaning - contribute to, be instrumental in, be a factor in.

36.pivotal (adjective)

English Meaning - central, vital, significant/important, crucial/critical.

37.Islamist (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a supporter of Islamic fundamentalism.

38.militant (noun)

English Meaning - extremist, radical, fanatic, hardliner, fundamentalist, sectarian, partisan.

39.loot (verb)

English Meaning - steal (goods from a place).

40.serve as (verb)

English Meaning - function as, act as.

41.get to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to deal with a task at the appropriate time.

42.root (noun)

English Meaning - source, origin, starting point, basis, reason.

43.get to the root (phrase)

English Meaning - to understand the source/origin of something.

44.radicalisation (noun)

English Meaning - the process of causing someone to follow radical (extreme) ways particularly in politics ( & society). It can be motivated by a range of factors, including ideologies, religious beliefs, political beliefs and prejudices against particular groups of people.

45.counter (verb)

English Meaning - fight, combat, tackle, resist, oppose, counteract.