What is terrorism? The Advanced English Dictionary defines terrorism as
the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear
Terrorism is a worldwide problem and it cuts across race, politics and religion. But today, terrorism appears to be exclusively linked to Islam, leading to the coinage of the term "Islamic terrorism". This is because it is the only brand of terrorism that is mostly known nowadays. Globally, Islamic terrorism eclipses other brands of terrorism. Al- Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram and a long list of other Islamic terror groups are causing mayhem in many countries of the world.
Some have argued that Islam as a religion is what fosters terrorism on the world because terrorist ideology is an inherent part of Islamic theology. They aver that there is no way one would subscribe to Islamic fundamentalism without veering into terrorism. The religion of Islam calls for spreading their brand of theocracy by any means necessary. Others have countered that true Islam is a religion of peace and that terrorists are not true Muslims or at best, are Muslim extremists.
To whichever divide of the argument you belong, the fact remains that the world is in trouble. World leaders, especially those of the West, probably underestimated the problem. It is not too late to wake up to reality and decimate this hydra-headed monster. As one American puts it, "The only way that we as Americans can defeat terrorism at home and across the world is by accurately targeting its root causes."
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