The first line of defense

The concept of “Every Man a Soldier,” which originates from the French Revolution, is not discussed as much as other principles that became better known afterward. What this concept meant was that in society, every person had a role to play in contributing to the establishment and implementation of revolutionary ideas.
In today’s world, we certainly see the need for every person to play his or her part. To be clear, I am not calling for revolution or the spreading of revolutionary ideas — there is absolutely no need for that. More importantly, anarchy is not a cure for anything — rather, it is a recipe for more anarchy.
But with today’s fight against Daesh and other radical movements throughout the region, we all have our roles to play. Parents, mosques, imams, sheikhs, teachers, soldiers, officers, intelligence personnel, civil servants, diplomats, and citizenry as a whole can all individually and collectively bring invaluable aid to humanity’s 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.
In Saudi Arabia, our mosques have been attacked, scholarship students on break from their studies in the US have sacrificed themselves to prevent Daesh terrorists from carrying out atrocities inside mosques, and even our valiant elders 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 an easy target.
Our honorable armed forces, and those of our coalition partners, put their lives on the line so we can have peace in our beloved homeland. They sacrifice time with family, and potentially their own lives, to carry the fight to those in Yemen. So as you can see, we are all involved in this fight — let us be abundantly clear about that.
From King Salman all the way to the citizenry, we are all soldiers. Either we win or they do. It is not a fight we asked for or sought out, 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 frontlines, so all citizens, whether they recognize it or not, are soldiers in this war for the Kingdom and all of humanity. It can appear at first to be a daunting task, but when we take a moment to pause and think, we can have great confidence in the quality of character of our frontline soldiers.
The Kingdom’s ascendancy is based on its obvious progress, the character of its people, its growing presence regionally and beyond, the leadership mantle it has assumed, and its modesty in handling its affairs internationally.
One does not need to seek attention and speak loudly to do the right thing. When confronted with evil, if one does not choose to denounce or confront it, that indifference actually enables and supports evil. We cannot be defeated as long as we are all in this fight together, with the objective of defeating our enemy thoroughly and in every way possible.
This humble citizen will answer his call for Allah, our Prophet Muhammad, King Salman, our beloved country and our people. I have been, and will continue to be, a champion for nation and humanity. Our very religion asks this of us.

Faisal Al-Shammeri is a political analyst. Twitter: @Mr_Alshammeri