War on terror, or war on hatred?

Actions of extremists show they will not give up anytime soon. They are driven after being indoctrinated by some insane idea.

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Published: Wed 6 Jul 2016, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Wed 6 Jul 2016, 2:00 AM

'A sickness of the mind', one letter writer said of terror and its perpetrators. What's more shocking is that modern terrorism is luring young people from rich backgrounds as witnessed in the Dhaka attacks. So it's not about bleak economic conditions that were once blamed by experts and commentators. The cycle of violence has spawned a maniacal industry that is bloody and unsparing. What's more scary is that it is relentless. The killers and wannabe death squads never seem to give up. When a person turns suicidal and is unafraid to take his or her own life before blowing up others, what can elite special forces do to stop him? How farther should the security perimeter be? Intelligence and security agencies are finding it hard to predict and thereby prevent the next attack because the enemy is a hiding in the mind of some lone wolf or stalkers who respond to their handlers when the time is right. Sleeper cells soon become full blown killer machines that show no mercy on innocent civilians. The attacks during the fag end of Ramadan began in Istanbul, spread to Dhaka, Baghdad, Jeddah, the holy city of Madinah, and Qatif. Indonesia also reported an attack on Tuesday morning.
The epicentre of this madness could lie in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, countries in the grip of violent groups spreading their brand of violence on the so-called civilised world by taking it to global capitals. Actions of extremists show they will not give up anytime soon. They are driven after being indoctrinated by some insane idea. Religion is an excuse. Brain-washed recruits are becoming bolder. Social media is fanning the flames of Daesh, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Al Shabaab. In these attention-seeking times, the message is easy to put out. Millions feed on controversies and the baser side of life. Bad, murky news sells. Self-confessed leaders of extremist groups use social networks to egg their supporters on to launch attacks on a particular group or community. The Dhaka attackers were educated, rich youth who loved football. They were men of the world, yet were allegedly influenced by a popular television preacher with millions of followers. They had their minds twisted, which turned into a devil's workshop. They took up guns. One of the attackers in Saudi Arabia was a driver. What drove him to kill himself and others? The answer is clear. A sick ideology that promotes violence. The war on terror is passe. What's needed is a war on hatred.


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