The cancer called Terrorism

Terrorism in its various manifestations has always been with us, even in the time of Jesus. Nothing has changed except that the average American is suddenly aware of it. I totally agree with Kerygma.

I am not sure if analysis of the reasons why people take to violent means will help. But I\'d like to share some points gathered during my interaction with colleagues and friends of other faiths. 1. The persons who take to violent methods are either from an impoverished and illiterate background who have been mislead by \\"scholars\\" having extremist views to carry out these acts for financial gain. 2. The other category are persons with a high level of technical skill / financial resources who look at the decadent culture of the west creeping into their society and corrupting the youth - hence their justification. 3. They have an almost rabid hate of Israel, Jews - even the star of David appearing on a book,T-shirt or toy is offensive. 4. They look at the fragmentation in Christendom with all these Protestant factions singing different tunes, different Bible translations, widespread disagreement on many issues etc. and believe it is easy to sway a few of them into their fold. So much publicity and encouragement is given to those converting to Islam. 5. They believe the military action in Iraq, Afghanistan etc. are a direct attack on their faith. Hence they sympathize with those who \\"stand up for the faith\\" and are \\"martyred\\" for their cause. Thus they justify the acts of suicide bombers in Iraq, pirates from Somalia, rebels in Kashmir, Chechnya, etc. They question why the west is not doing anything in Zimbabwe where Mugabe is plundering away. 6. Many of them sidestep the issue when asked about their patriotism to their home country or adopted country - be it a sporting event or joining the armed forces. 7. Of course there are also exceptional cases as well. The moderates are mostly the educated classes having successful family businesses and not averse to mingling with the secular crowd. There are many things though, that we can learn from them - such as being fastidious in prayer routine come what may, abstention from prohibited vices etc. If anything some of them are so zealous they think nothing of ramming their ideas into others\' heads.Some of the Protestants / Pentecostals are also likewise zealous. But, as Orthodox, we must let our living, our choices, our priorities and our steadfastness do the talking - quietly but firmly - not being swayed by trends or nice-sounding philosophies. The writings of our Church Fathers is one big treasure that we would be foolish not to delve into. Besides, terrorism in various forms has been present from the very beginning. The killing of boys below the age of 2 by King Herod comes to mind. And of course , the numerous cases of persecutions suffered by the faithful over the ages can, in a way be classified as terrorism of sorts, I guess. Here\'s something I\'d like to share in the midst of all this misery... The Serenity Prayer - by Reinhold Niebuhr God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. ... God bless, Paulos

Third World\'s poverty is the worst kind of terrorism and we,the obese citizens of the wealthy west,are fully responsible for it.

I think terrorists are not a new species of human, but ordinary men, albeit great evildoers. But they are not rabid, in the sense of incoherent ferocity; most have a serious grievance over the creation of the state of Israel, the American bases in Arabia, the prisons such as Guantanamo, the regime in Egypt, etc. We must deal with criminals as criminals. But we should also consider that our actions, even if we find them justified, are adverse to these people\'s legitimate hopes and interests. Some of our actions might be judged wrong. Others might be judged imprudent, or poor strategy. It\'s no use saying we cannot yield an inch to an enemy - every polity has had to yield to some enemies some time. If a new enemy arises with a capacity to challenge us, we have to face the fact, as all nations face the fact, that we are no exception. What i am saying is that these terrorists are more like a normal enemy, than a special disease. More like criminals than an army, true, but at some level indicators of underlying historical and contemporary wrongs. Imagine a Saudi army base in your state. Imagine a Cuban prison encampment on a choice bit of your coast. Imagine any reversal of what is resented, and perhaps the anger begins to make sense. I do not at all justify their actions, however.

Completely true. Remember Baader-Meinhof? Red Brigades? Black September? Carlos the Jackal? the anarchists of the late 19th-early 20th centuries? the KKK? Not to mention the original assassins, the Hashashin of the 13th century. Terrorism and extremism, be it political, religious or ideological, is nothing new, folks. Read some history, particularly that from outside your own country.

First of all, prayer is always the answer; prayer that attacks will be averted and prayer that in the case of attacks we can handle them in a Christian fashion. We cannot act out of hatred. Let's discuss the religion of Islam. I have not studied Islam, or read any books, but I have had plenty of exposure to it. My experience tells me that most Muslims are indeed peaceful people, but the root of some of the problems is the political power inherent in Muslim clerical positions. Not unlike the power Popes once enjoyed launching crusade after crusade, not just against Muslims but against various protestant denominations. The Catholic Church was not a violent institution, but the power the Pope wielded back then tempted and corrupted some with disastrous consequences. Same for the modern Muslims, an extremist with a desire for violence can become a cleric or utilize a cleric to push his jihad agenda. I don't think that is a reflection of the basic tenents of the Islam faith. How to fight terrorism? Multiple ways. First, there is a military solution. The military solution is effective in certain circumstances and opportunities. Examples are but not limited too; destroying training facilities, eliminating key leaders or caches, or (like in Afghanistan) overthrowing a government that is permissive to terrorist activities. But terrorism as a general rule has its roots in poverty. If you examine the demographics of the actual \"trigger pullers\" in terrorist organizations they are usually the same. Young, uneducated, and poor. This includes anything from an IRA member to a mid-east Jihadist. It is very logical. If you have a good chance at a job or education, why would you join a terrorist organization? I don't think people join up to be suicide bombers unless they are severely challenged job and education wise. It is very sad to see the people get taken advantage of, the \"brains\" of terrorists rarely risk their own lives as they send so many to kill and die. So a solution is to improve living conditions, and that is part of the strategy today in Iraq and more so in Afghanistan. Afghanistan especially is very poor and has a very limited infrastructure. A lot of organizations, from the UN and the US military, are focusing on many projects to improve the quality of life, stimulate the economy, and build infrastructure in Afghanistan. Teams of engineers rove the country working on projects, roads are built, schools and clinics are built, etc etc. That is proving to be an effective means of denying the Taliban grassroots support. Of course the Taliban target all of these things on a regular basis. Terrorism will always be with us. Poverty feeds it and hate drives it. But do not let it cloud you judgement or drive you to hatred. Last, I will say this. There are many things in this life worth fighting for, some worth dying for. There is nothing in this life worth losing your soul over.

You should read the experience of Father George Calcui when he was in the Communist camps. I read a recent article about him in an old Orthodox Word. Of course he doesn't speak of terrorism as we now know it, but rather of what I would consider Communist Terrorism. You would really get a lof from his writings, and the story of his life. Many times through the greatest hardships, come the greatest saints. Hate, terror, evil....these things are not new. We even harbor them in our own hearts. The fathers can tell us how we can combat these things with love, patience, prayer, goodness.... Read the experience of the saints in such hard times, and I think you'd find your anwser.

Problem with the \"poverty breeds terrorists\" philosophy is in the fact that many of the terrorists in the West have been from wealthy Muslim families. Just look at the 9-11 hijackers and the medical doctors in the UK, etc. True, most of the terrorists locally in the mid-East are poorer, and can't get to the West to do their damage, but I think the problem stems from the influence of radical imams in the mosques. True, many zealous Muslim men point to western influences as a scapegoat, but fail to control their own behavior. Instead, they react like children at the slightest insult, who are not in control of themselves. Middle Eastern Christians do not act like that and can keep themselves in check, despite their poverty. The problem is in Islam and its convoluted teachings. Due to Islam's \"law of abrogation\" Mohammed will contradict himself from one sura to the next. So, as the Bible can be misinterpreted by protestant preachers, so can any given imam with an axe to grind, whether that be about the West, the Jews, the Hindus, other Muslims of a different flavor, etc. The only solution I see is that they come to Christ. Any other action by \"outsiders\" will be construed negatively.

Just a quick reply to clarify one point. Poverty breeds the grassroots support of terrorism and the bottom line terrorist troops. Fundamentalism provides the leadership, direction, cadres, and funding for terrorism.

Hogwash!

Rich, you are gifted with eloquence and I whole-heartedly agree with your sentiments.