As Paris continues with its crackdown on terrorists, the rest of the EU, Malta included, is wondering how to deal with France’s invocation of a clause in the Lisbon Treaty, calling for aid in its war on Daesh.

We say Daesh because it is a term which the supposed Islamic State cannot stand, it is an acronym, but of the organisation, but it has another meaning, which is derogatory in the Arab language in the region.

We have heard much in the past days in terms of France carrying out raids to cleans the capital of terrorist elements. But we have also heard how France has upped the ante by dropping bombs on the stronghold of Raqqa. To understand the ideology of this twisted organisation, we must try to grasp what they want.

Russia and France have pledged together to bomb the Daesh, and now, France has invoked a clause in the Lisbon treaty calling for EU member to support it after having declared war. Experts have already said that supporting France would not breach the Maltese Constitution, if Malta were to offer logistical support.

One of the fundamental things that Daesh believe is that its soldiers will face the armies of the West at the town of Dabiq, which is in its control. Turning back to Wahhabist scriptures (which are largely shunned by most Muslims), Daesh believes that the end of the world is almost here and that Armageddon will soon be upon us. The organisation believes (or more accurately indoctrinates young men to believe) that they are soon to die, so what better way to do it than be martyred for their God and be admitted entry into paradise with their 70-dd virgins.

If you are brainwashed enough to believe that, you will believe anything. There have been many interpretations, but the contradiction in terms of what is going on seems to fly over the heads of the recruits.

Daesh’s methods do not subscribe to Muslim teachings. And the most contradictory thing seems to be that the idea of the Caliphate (again rejected by Islam as it does not fall within Prophet Mohammed’s teachings) seems superfluous when one is supposedly battling the anti-Christ in a village that was long ago touted to be the site of the final battle.

When we see just how warped the minds of Daesh followers are, then it is no surprise that they can commit the atrocities that they do, both in their homelands and here, in ours. Things have most definitely and irrevocably changed. While they say that Daesh fear unity the most, perhaps what they really fear is that the fairy tales they are being told do not exist. So what are the options? Do we put boots on the ground and face off at Dabiq, and show the Daesh that one of their raison d’ etres is simply rambling text from an old book? Do we bomb them into submission? Do we (again) throw billions of euros at the problem to arm the militaries of Iraq and other countries (and watch them melt away or cross over to Daesh?). As the title of this leading article states, everything has changed, forever. No matter how much we bluster about unity, the latest attacks in Paris have shaken the west to the core. We are defiant, yes. But we also have a very bruised and bloodied nose. We must fight back, an effective way to do that, however, has so far been elusive.