In his latest book, “Into the Storm of International Politics,” Ryuho Okawa, the founder and CEO of Happy Science, points out that the emergence of the Islamic State was caused by Saddam Hussein’s curse, and concludes that the Islamic State will eventually collapse.
If the Islamic State should be annihilated, however, another Islamic extremist group will emerge in its place.

The United States has long been involved in Middle Eastern conflicts. During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980’s, the United States supported Iraq, but found itself in conflict with Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War. The Iraq War that broke out in 2003 ended with the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of the Iraqi people, including civilians, and the execution of former President Saddam Hussein. Hussein must have felt that the U.S betrayed him.

At present, the U.S. is supporting the new Iraqi government, whereas its political opposition, the Baath Party, which was once led by Saddam Hussein, is giving the Islamic State its full support.

In 2013, Master Okawa conducted a spiritual investigation of Saddam Hussein after his death. At that time, Hussein’s spirit poured out his grudge toward the West and revealed that he was the real planner of the 9/11 attacks. Although he was already dead, he said, “I am continuing my underground resistance against the Western countries.”

The Mindset of the Islamic State Is Close to the Ideology of Communism

The grudge toward the United States is not the only reason why there is no end to the emergence of Islamic extremist groups. In addition to the extreme interpretation of jihad, the poverty facing the Islamic nations also bears some responsibility. Besides the past colonial rule of the West and the ensuing regional conflicts, some of the tenets of Islam impede the development of Muslim nations, leaving the people mired in poverty.

“Equality before God” taught in Islam reminds us of the idea of human rights in the West if interpreted to mean “human beings are equally precious as children of God.” However, the denial of the rich-poor gap could justify making everyone equal by taking wealth away from the rich, resulting in society where all are equal under poverty.
If this idea is taken to its extreme, it is the same as the idea of communism that tries to realize such a society – even employing violence to achieve its ends. The essence of communism is to justify jealousy toward those who achieve success through their own efforts. Therefore, it can be said that Islamic extremism is a modern-day communist movement in that it attempts to justify dissatisfaction within society and the West, and seeks to control people through violence and fear.

Islamic nations need to affirm wealth and prosperity, and create a society where people can succeed through their own self-reliant efforts.