EDITORIAL

When Will It End?

Posted

The people of the United Kingdom are weary from terrorism. There have been three terrorist attacks in their country in the last three months. The latest attack came over the weekend when terrorists in a van plowed into pedestrians on London Bridge. Just two weeks earlier, a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including an 8-year-old girl, outside the venue where popstar Arianna Grande had just performed.

The war on terror is unlike any other war that has been fought. Traditional wars have involved militaries fighting on behalf of their governments and countries. Traditional wars have a defined enemy usually within a specific, targeted region. Terrorist cells can be anywhere, and they will use any means to kill. It is often difficult to identify if they are rogue or connected with any larger networks such as ISIS. The Allied forces defeated the Axis forces in World War II, but today it is impossible to eradicate terrorism in the same way.

One way to begin to quell Islamic fundamentalist terrorism is for Muslim leaders to preach peace, specifically to the worshippers who attend their mosques. Also, peaceful Muslims have the task of identifying potential extremists in their midst and challenging them to peace. The only way Islamic extremists will stop killing is if they have a change of heart, and that challenge to change their hearts will be more effective if it comes from people within their community who believe in peace. Good and peaceful Muslims must exert positive pressure to persuade those who have been swept up by a hateful and violent ideology to turn to the way of peace.