The paradox of terrorism in today's global context

Terrorism continues to inflict pain and suffering on people all over the world. Hardly a week goes by without an act of terrorism taking place somewhere in the world, indiscriminately affecting innocent people. It is almost a given to find headlines about loss of life, destruction of property and damaged economic prosperities as a result of terrorist incidents around the world. This persistent occurrence of terror attacks has continued to increase global security risks. As terrorism threatens state sovereignty, citizens and basic human rights provisions, the responsibility of the State to protect its sovereignty and its people is challenged. About a week ago, Islamic State terrorists carried out a series of coordinated attacks in Paris, killing scores of people, sparking a global outpouring of outrage and sympathy. The strikes highlighted a disturbing and dramatic increase in the number of large-scale terrorist attacks. Reports indicate that France is being “punished” by terrorists over its involvement in the Syria and Iraq conflict – just as Uganda was “punished” in July 2010 during the World Cup finals for sending troops to Somalia, as well as Kenya which has had a rough share of this inhumane act against its innocent people for being involved in the war against Al-shaabab. Boko Haram’s perennial attacks against the people of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, hiding behind their perverted interpretation of Islam, have also been one of the most dreaded terrorist activities witnessed in the 21st century. However, there has been outrage on how the coverage of terrorism, which is a global problem, is inclined. It is seen that when a tragedy strikes in the West, it seems that the world ceases to work, stops moving, promptly pays attention and quickly sympathises. Interestingly, this is never the case when the same happens in less privileged parts of the world! For instance, in northern Nigeria nearly 7,000 people died last year alone at the hands of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. The starkest reminder of this came in January, when the world’s eyes were on Paris, where terrorists had attacked the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Compared again to what happened after the bloody and shocking event in Paris, immediately a “movement” begun on social media sites, many changed their profile picture using the French foreground. This should never be the case. Terrorism causes loss of life and untold suffering, no matter who the victims are. As such, the world needs to condemn or react in the equal measure when such utterly inhumane, barbaric and vicious attacks happen anywhere in the world. Terrorism is complicated and needs global action for it to come to an end. It is an issue that is well known not only in America or France but also in other parts of the world. ISIS fighters have continued to drive thousands of people into exile. The heartbreaking image of a helpless Syrian toddler who drowned in Europe because his family left their home in order to escape the chaos there is one stark reminder of the extent at which these terror groups are a threat to humanity. The focus should now be to fight all forms, types and kinds of terrorism, whether they are from the West or the East, from the Left, the Centre or the Right. The conflicting approaches by the world leading economies in fighting terrorism must not derail this mission. It is obvious that the war against terrorism must be led at the international level or dimension. However, it is also necessary to clarify the “uncertainty” features of terrorism and to establish an international consensus on the nature of intervention without any bias. A consistent strategy to combat terrorism on the basis of unified criteria will only be possible if the international community agrees on a common, comprehensive convention on terrorism. In this era of globalization, the world cannot successfully deal with terrorism unless countries fully cooperate. This era poses another facet of terrorism – the tremendous potency of technology and innovation – besides the globalization of economies, which have come to transcend national boundaries. Terrorist groups have shown that they can easily move across national borders with much ease. They have shown that they can find sanctuaries in the nation that is the weakest link, and exploit the differences between nations and cultures. No country can seal its own borders or rely on self-defence, and participate in today’s global economy. No nation can fight terrorism throughout the world on its own. National defence and response capabilities are critical to counter-terrorism but they cannot be enough. It is time to rise to the occasion and save shared planet from terrorism. No country should be left behind in this as no one knows what these uncouth and inhumane terrorists may be planning next! oscar_kim2000@yahoo.co.uk

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The paradox of terrorism in today's global context