After the horrible terrorist attack in France, the French government strongly advised their citizens to stay inside their homes and be safe. They also ordered those in the workforce including foreign workers to “work at home.”
According to our Europe correspondents Arlene Andes from Belgium and Berly Tugas from France, this directive by the French government was followed by the Belgian authorities in order to keep their citizens safe.
The Belgian government heightened its alert level since the day of the Paris attack. For several days, offices, shops, schools, hospitals and train stations were closed. The “work at home” policy is now being implemented in some European nations.
Everyday, we hear reports of different forms of terror attacks. People nowadays are literally living in fear.
According to the Watchtower magazine published in jw.org: “Terrorism’s emerging new look embraces actions and strategies that may be harder to prevent or combat. More and more, terrorists are able to utilize new technologies and secure independent financing.
While USA Today reports, “New computer and communications technology and links with organized crime make terrorism even more difficult to combat.”
The new look also involves new targets, forcing reporters and news analysts to coin such expressions as “cyberterrorism,” “bioterrorism” and “ecoterrorism.”
How threatening?
The article said that their actual targets are ordinary people who have nothing to do with the terrorists’ avowed cause. What is their purpose then? The terrorists apparently want to convey a powerful message to politicians, military leaders, or economic leaders, but often there is no link between their cause and their target. This is indeed a sad reality.
But why do extremists resort to acts of terrorism?
Watchtower continued that terrorism is systematic, premeditated and calculated. The resulting toll in deaths and injuries is not the primary objective. Such carnage is a means to an end, part of the atmosphere of shock and fear that the terrorist wishes to create in order to undermine authority and gain a hearing for his specific cause.
There are several factors cited behind the violent acts of terrorists. “Terrorism is fueled by hatred,” as stated by Louis J. Freeh, director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“Terrorism is a symptom or problem and not the actual cause,” according to Michael Shimoff in his paper “The Policy of Terrorism” with a long-term goal of eliminating the underlying social and political causes of terrorism.
It is also borne out of despair and frustration with seemingly intractable political, social and economic forces.
In closing, the Watchtower article said that, the reality is, no matter how seriously motivated human efforts are to combat terrorism, it cannot successfully deal with its causes.
However, while the solution to the problem of terrorism is beyond human power, certainly, it is not beyond God’s power.
(Susan Andes, also known as Susan K., can be heard over Radyo Inquirer dzIQ 990AM, Monday to Friday, 10:30 a.m.-12 noon. For audio and video live streaming visit www.ustream.tv/channel/dziq. For more information, visit www.bantayocw foundation.org. The Bantay OCW Foundation satellite office is located at 3/F 24H City Hotel, 1406 Vito Cruz Extension corner Balagtas Street, Makati City. Telephone: [632] 8992424 Bantay OCW helpline: 0998-9912629. E-mail: bantayocwfoundation@yahoo.com/susankbantayocw@yahoo.com)