You Can’t End Terrorism with More Terrorism2 min read

Why is it that certain dogs will attack when approached, while others will show immediate excitement and affection? Is it because of the colour of their fur? While this question may seem juvenile and absurd, it relates directly to the points-of-view of many racist individuals in today’s society. It appears quite obvious that an animal’s actions are determined by how they have been treated and raised; why, then, do so many people neglect to realise this trend in humans as well?
For some reason that I cannot seem to grasp, some men and women are incapable of recognising the human race as one. We too are mammals. We too are born with empty minds and absorb the environments into which we are placed. Yet, in a world filled with hatred and stereotypes, people with similar physical attributes take the blame for others with morals very different from their own.
Most recently in London, a man named Darren Osborne drove a vehicle directly into a crowd of worshippers outside a mosque in Finsbury Park, injuring ten and killing one. This attack was clearly a hate crime against Muslims, as Osborne was seeking revenge for prior terrorist attacks in the area. He was described by neighbours and family as short-fused and aggressive. Witnesses report that he shouted, “I want to kill all Muslims,” just before bystanders pinned him to the ground.
Following the recent attacks at the Manchester Arena and London Bridge, everyone has a right to grieve. Everyone has a right to be angry. However, nobody has the right to blame an entire religion for the misguided actions of a few radical individuals who uphold entirely different values. More importantly, nobody has the right to take another life, especially as a result of other lives being taken. News flash: those people were not terrorists. They were innocent members of society whose friends and families are now mourning terribly as they try to wrap their minds around what has happened.
Maybe he believed in a different God, or maybe he had been raised to believe different historical myths than those he attacked. But, they were not disrupting anyone with their beliefs. They were praying peacefully. As stated earlier, the victims were not terrorists. He was. However, his perspective was so warped that he genuinely believed his actions would serve as a retaliation for previous attacks by ISIS. We cannot continue to allow this sort of hatred to infiltrate our communities. We cannot sit back and watch acts of violence and counter-violence destroy the lives of innocent civilians. So what is the solution? The issue of terrorism is one of great complexity, and the majority of these crimes are not able to be prevented. Though I may not know of any true solution, I am sure of one thing. You cannot end terrorism with more terrorism.