Horrors like Barcelona – and similar
attacks elsewhere in Europe this year – not only
disturb me, they confuse me because I don’t know what the Islamic terrorists
are trying to achieve. This isn’t the same as the terror attacks by the IRA and
the Basque Separatists. They had a simple objective: they wanted independence
from what they saw as an occupying foreign power.
Islamic terrorists, on the other hand, must know that they
are never going to achieve territory or influence by murdering innocent
civilians in Europe. It makes them visible,
certainly, but it only serves to vindicate attitudes of prejudice and intolerance towards Muslims
in the minds of the bigoted.
So what is the aim, exactly? This is important because Tillerson
can spout all he likes about ‘bringing them to justice,’ but it won’t stop the
horrors happening. To do that you have to understand why it’s happening, and then set about addressing the cause. What
politicians mostly do in these circumstances is address the popular hunger for
revenge, and it won’t work.
It makes me wonder – just wonder, that’s all – whether there
is something behind these outrages that we don’t know about. And I suppose I’d
better stop there.
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