Recently, high-profile statements about the necessity to consolidate efforts to fight terrorism became the topic number one for the entire world community. International terrorism is getting more widespread and poses a serious threat to all states without an exception. Recent terrorist attacks in France, Germany and Belgium have become the irrefutable proof that this global problem has gone far beyond the national borders and continues to grow with incredible speed. According to a survey, conducted in the USA in 2016, 79% of American adults believe that international terrorism is number one nation security threat.
Last year, a record number of terrorist attacks had been carried out all around the world. The data shows, there were 1170 terrorist attacks worldwide in 2016 that cost the lives of 9855 innocent citizens. This statistic does not include the large number of the attempted terrorist attacks, which was prevented thanks to the intensive work of special services or just by a good fortune when improvised explosive devices did not work.
There are four extremist groups, Taliban, Boko Haram, ISIS and Al-Qaeda, which are responsible for the majority of the terrorist operations throughout the world. These organizations cause emergence of several problems such as killings of innocent people, migration and infringment of human rights. In 2013, the main objectives for the listed groups were mainly Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria. However, now, their network spread far beyond the borders of the mentioned states.
In an era of unprecedented scientific and technological progress and globalization, terrorism has acquired a new and more dangerous form. Recently, informational terrorism became a leading weapon in the hands of different terroristic groups. You can build a border - wall between the states, but it does not become a hindrance for the flow of information. Terrorists are able to find the people they need via the Internet and influence their psyche and consciousness. This is enough for recruitment and further commitment of the terrorist acts by the hands of the gullible citizens.
The tragedy that occurred in the famous French city of Nice, has become one of the most bloody and claimed the lives of 84 people. The most interesting is that no any weapons or explosive devises were required for the commitment of that crime. This event was an irrefutable proof that terrorism is no longer based solely on the use of weapons for the discharge of public fear.
It is also worth remembering the terrorist act committed in Orlando (Florida, USA) on June 12 and the last terrorist attack in a shopping center "Olympia" in Munich that happened on July 22. In both cases, the attackers were citizens of the countries where they committed the crime. These terrible events are a reminder that there is no any nation, religion or border for terrorists.
The ideological justification for terrorism, according to which religion, but rather Islamism is the main cause of the spread of terrorism, slows down the process of fight with terrorism and lead the world to greater chaos and "Islamphobia." It is worth noting that aggressive opposition to Islam in many Western countries only exacerbates the situation and provoke appearance of the conflict between civilizations and religions. Last recalls about radical Islam and necessity to ban the wearing of hijab in public places as well as burkini (Muslim Women Swimwear) ban from the cities’ beaches cannot be considered seriously as effective methods to fight terrorism. As it became noticeably, such a reaction does not reduce the number of terrorist attacks or provide more security. Conversely, the largest number of terrorist attacks in Europe occurred in those countries (France, Belgium) that are furiously trying to avoid the Islamization of the European values.
Although, religious and ethnic differences remain one of the main reasons for the formation of the terrorist groups, but it is worth remembering that terrorism has no religion. This became especially clear after the numerous and incessant terrorist attacks in Turkey where the main religion is Islam. Over the past year, approximately 20 terrorist attacks happened in Turkey that killed more than 300 civilians. Kurdish radical group "Kurdistan Freedom Hawks" and ISIS claimed responsibility for the conducted attacks.
Terrorism will increase its power if we continue to perceive this term as a separate topic for each country. Arguing about the seriousness of terrorism in our time, we should not ignore several countries in the Middle East and Africa, where the number of victims of terrorism is growing exponentially. In order to prevent the spread of terrorism we should start with the elimination of its roots and sources. This infection, which has already targeted many states, is an integral part of the global military-political issues, and only concerted action and rallied efforts of all countries can prevent the spread of this "disease" over the entire world.
By Anastasia Lavrina