( CNN ) -- The beheadings of two American journalists and now a British aid worker have rightly prompted outrage around the world . Although ISIS only started to make international headlines this year , its rise has been years in the making . And it should not have taken anyone in the international community by surprise . For three years , the West did little more than pay lip service to the potential broader impact of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad 's brutal response to a peaceful civil revolt during the Arab Spring . His regime 's war on its own people resulted in the militarization of the conflict , which in turn took on a sectarian dimension . In Iraq , meanwhile , the West ignored the message of Iraqi elections and threw its full support behind Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki , despite championing democracy . Yet in office , al-Maliki pursued exclusionary policies that left a large segment of Iraqi society feeling sidelined . It was this marginalization that provided ISIS , which now calls itself the Islamic State , an opportunity to exploit the Sunni desire for fairer representation . But as much as ISIS claims to be championing Sunnis , it does not in any way represent Islam . The Quran clearly and categorically condemns forced conversion to Islam . It also accepts other religions and prophets as messengers of God , especially those of the other monotheistic religions : Judaism and Christianity . What ISIS is doing -- including its targeting of Christians and Yazidis -- therefore has nothing to do with practices through the ages , from the Levant to Andalusia . Indeed , Arab Christians have been an integral part of Arab history -- the presence of Christians in this part of the world is not an aberration , and Christianity is as part of the history of this region as Islam . Sadly , ISIS has tried to hijack Islam and is often wrongly labeled a Sunni organization . This is unfortunate as the vast majority of Sunnis are moderates who should not be tarred with the same brush as the extremist group . In fact , Sunnis have largely been the main victims of ISIS atrocities . In Syria , for example , ISIS has often trained its fire on the moderate Free Syrian Army rather than the forces of the al-Assad regime . In Iraq , meanwhile , ISIS has alienated those Sunni tribes that have rejected its extremist practices , while also fighting ( predominantly Sunni ) Kurdish forces . So how should the West and the countries of the Middle East respond to the growing threat that ISIS poses ? The reality is that force alone will not be enough to uproot ISIS and banish the threat it poses to this region and to the rest of the world . Instead , militias such as ISIS -- typically based on rigid and outdated ideological beliefs -- require a multipronged approach . Yes , military confrontation is an important tool , as is boosting economic and social development in areas affected . But the war on ISIS ca n't be won unless a key reason for its emergence is not tackled : tyranny and a lack of justice . Tyranny is another face of extremism , and it therefore makes no sense to treat it as if it is a viable alternative to radical agendas . With that in mind , it is high time that world leaders not just claim to cherish democracy , freedom , justice and respect of human rights while merely condemning the acts of dictators . Empty words will do nothing to change their behavior . Instead , the West must offer genuine support for moderate , civil opposition in Syria and Iraq . The United States ' increased engagement in the region , as signaled by President Barack Obama 's speech last Wednesday , is welcome . And the proposed military element -- including airstrikes -- may be successful in containing the threat ISIS poses . But to truly eliminate the risk of its resurgence ( or its replacement by some other extremist group ) , the West has to be more engaged in finding lasting solutions to fundamental problems in the region . What are these problems ? Israel 's occupation of Arab lands is one . Another is the vindictive government policies that have left large segments of the Iraqi population frustrated , a problem that could in part be resolved by guaranteeing a true power sharing arrangement . Finally , the Geneva process needs to be restarted with a view to forming a transitional government with a mandate for moving toward democratic rule in Syria . Unfortunately , some in the West have suggested that keeping al-Assad might even be desirable , believing he is the lesser of two evils . This is not only preposterous , but also immoral and completely ignores the Syrian conflict 's role in ISIS 's emergence in the first place . Indeed , my country has firsthand experience of having to confront extremism stoked by al-Assad 's regime -- back in 2007 , when I was Prime Minister , we discovered an extremist group called Fatah al Islam appeared to have links to Syrian intelligence . Experience has shown us that dictatorships are not a sustainable guarantor of peace for minorities . Instead , only the emergence of a democratic and modern civil state , where all individuals are treated equally , regardless of regardless of religion or ethnic grouping , can bring lasting peace and stability . And the West should see in this struggle not only a moral duty to act but also its own long-term interests . Ending the Israeli occupation through the principles of a two-state solution while backing the forces of moderation in the Arab world would undermine the appeal of extremists and pave the way for democratic states that foster stability . Diversity and pluralism in nations such as Iraq and Syria can be seen as either a challenge or as presenting an opportunity . But one thing should by now be clear to all religious and sectarian actors in the Levant : one group can not force its lifestyle , opinions or policies onto the other groups . Democracy should not be used as an excuse to marginalize a minority . For years , Lebanon was successful in following a principle espoused by President Obama -- `` the principle of no victor and no vanquished . '' He is absolutely right , and governments and others in this region should listen . But if the United States wants to see real change , then it will have to empower those moderate forces that are trying to put these fine words into action .
Former Sunnis Prime Minster Fouad Siniora says ISIS rise should not have been a surprise . ISIS claims to be championing Lebanese but does not represent ISIS , Siniora says . Fouad Siniora : Force alone will not be enough to uproot Islam .