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Suicide bomber kills 65 and injures hundreds, targeted Christians celebrating Easter


Chris in VA
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Is it true, Or just a perception, that the number of terrorist acts has increased relative to a few decades ago?

 

I am wondering what can actually and effectively be done to counteract terrorism as a modus operendi. It doesn't seem that just targeting known terrorist organizations is sufficient, as someone usually crops up to take their place.

Edited by maize
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:(

 

Is it true, Or just a perception, that the number of terrorist acts has increased relative to a few decades ago?

 

I am wondering what can actually and effectively be done to counteract terrorism as a modus operandi. It doesn't seem that just targeting known terrorist organizations is sufficient, as someone usually crops up to take their place.

It certainly seems that attacks are increasing. But we also get news almost instantaneously from around the world. However, attacks on "unbelievers" isn't anything new. This has been going on for centuries.

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:(

 

Is it true, Or just a perception, that the number of terrorist acts has increased relative to a few decades ago?

 

I am wondering what can actually and effectively be done to counteract terrorism as a modus operandi. It doesn't seem that just targeting known terrorist organizations is sufficient, as someone usually crops up to take their place.

 

It's up right now in relation to the last 15 years, but not in comparison to the last 40.  Here's an older Washington Post article and a chart from that article, Here's a conservative group's data presentation on terrorism rates in the last 40 years. You can get lots of info on the Global Terrorism Database. And another older WaPo article about its decrease before the rise of Daesh.

 

And, of course, it all depends on whether you're looking at attacks targeting the US, which types of attacks you include (attempted, thwarted, fatal, etc), and so many more things.

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I think that until the unrelenting poverty, discrimination and lack of hope that plagues many of the countries from which these terrorists arise is addressed, we will continue to see terrorism grow. I believe that these conditions provide fertile ground for extremism of all kinds.

 

Anne

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I think that until the unrelenting poverty, discrimination and lack of hope that plagues many of the countries from which these terrorists arise is addressed, we will continue to see terrorism grow. I believe that these conditions provide fertile ground for extremism of all kinds.

 

Anne

 

I'm not so sure about that. When you look at how comfortable many of these European terrorists are in terms of their socio-economic background, that assertion breaks down. Osama bin Laden was from a very wealthy family, as well. The Boston Marathon bombers? College students in the US!

 

I think that certainly those social and economic factors attract some people. But this recent attack in Pakistan was by Muslims who wanted to kill Christians. It's an ideology of hate that drives them, irrespective of their social and economic backgrounds.

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I'm not so sure about that. When you look at how comfortable many of these European terrorists are in terms of their socio-economic background, that assertion breaks down. Osama bin Laden was from a very wealthy family, as well. The Boston Marathon bombers? College students in the US!

 

I think that certainly those social and economic factors attract some people. But this recent attack in Pakistan was by Muslims who wanted to kill Christians. It's an ideology of hate that drives them, irrespective of their social and economic backgrounds.

 

It correlates me when looking at those who physically engage in the acts of terrorism. 

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is there a point to this?

they have the same motives and the same targets - make power grabs and kill anyone who opposes them.

 

Do you mean is there a point to me mentioning who the attack was by?

Well, yeah, I guess. It's not that I'm making a point, just that I'm mentioning who did it. Facts.

 

I never really thought of lumping terrorists all together. Is that a better way to talk about it?

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Do you mean is there a point to me mentioning who the attack was by?

Well, yeah, I guess. It's not that I'm making a point, just that I'm mentioning who did it. Facts.

 

I never really thought of lumping terrorists all together. Is that a better way to talk about it?

 

I'm confused too. In a discussion about a terrorist attack, of course it's important to know who the terrorists were. Why in the world would that NOT matter?

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It's now up to 70 dead last I read. :(

 

A Muslim man in the UK was killed a few days ago because he wished his Christian friends and neighbors a Happy Easter.

 

For those of you curious about who did it, it was Jamaat-ul-Ahraar, which is a faction of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).  So if you read Pakistani news sources, you may just see TTP mentioned or Jamaat-ul-Ahraar.    To complicate things, this group had pledged allegiance to IS.   So, in a way, everybody is right.

 

While, yes, it was an attack on Christians, their motives are broader.  Sadly, it's a lot to do with politics, and the group basically issued a challenge to the PM and wanted him to know that they were in Lahore.  It's a gigantic mixed up mess and various militant groups have been waging war on the Pakistani people (of all faiths) at least since 9/11.  Christians are a favorite target, as are Shi'as and Ahmadis (sect of Islam).  "Normal" Muslims are often the victims as well.  They like to be especially evil and target schools (like the one in Peshawar), so sadly while I want to say I'm surprised at their attacking a Park, I'm not.   

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I am surprised more people apparently aren't emotionally affected by the fact that a group intentionally went and blew up dozens of little children.  I have been away from my computer all day, but I thought I'd come back and see a lot of outrage, maybe people coloring their profiles in the colors of Pakistan's flag.  Nope.

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I'm not so sure about that. When you look at how comfortable many of these European terrorists are in terms of their socio-economic background, that assertion breaks down. Osama bin Laden was from a very wealthy family, as well. The Boston Marathon bombers? College students in the US!

 

I think that certainly those social and economic factors attract some people. But this recent attack in Pakistan was by Muslims who wanted to kill Christians. It's an ideology of hate that drives them, irrespective of their social and economic backgrounds.

Oh, I agree that there are many involved who aren't in the poverty stricken category and have entirely different motivations. But where do the vast majority of the soldiers and "martyrs" come from? As far as I can tell, it's primarily in the poverty stricken areas of the Middle East and in marginalized communities in western countries.

 

Anne

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I am surprised more people apparently aren't emotionally affected by the fact that a group intentionally went and blew up dozens of little children.  I have been away from my computer all day, but I thought I'd come back and see a lot of outrage, maybe people coloring their profiles in the colors of Pakistan's flag.  Nope.

 

It's amazing how little news coverage it's gotten here.  This morning it was even behind the Brussels story - and only given pretty much one line (local news) whereas the Brussels story had far more time.

 

When I talked with my dad yesterday he mentioned Brussels.  I told him about Lahore thinking he hadn't heard yet.  He'd heard.  He just felt that was "normal" for that area.   :cursing:

 

Terrorism everywhere is sad.  I wish those involved would give up their "My way or die" mentality.

 

But truthfully in the US, it's apparently not equally sad as far as our media or some of our population is concerned.  :crying:

 

My prayers go out to Pakistan.

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Re: Pakistani flag, I did see some things on Facebook.  I think it was through Huffington Post.  It's a little heart shaped version of the Pakistani flag.  Part of me wonders if people are not using it (besides the not being aware thing) because the attack was on Christians, but the flag is green (one of the colors of Islam) and has the little star and crescent moon.

 

I do think that in some ways people (Westerners) expect terrorism in Muslim countries in general, Arab countries, etc.  So that's part of the reason there wasn't more outrage over the Beirut bombings that occurred right after Paris, the attacks in Istanbul recently, and now this. 

 

Thing is....it really is not normal there. It's not like were talking about Syria where there's a civil war raging.  All three are cities at peace.   It is not normal for people in Istanbul to have terrorist attacks...nor even Beirut these days.  Lahore is the second largest city in Pakistan, and a top 20 city in terms of size/population for the world.  It's not like it's some obscure mountain town or something.  It's the equivalent of a terrorist attack in Chicago or LA.

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