The Reality of Islamic Terrorism

The United States is generally viewed as a very safe country, both by its citizens and people from different countries. This view may hold since the United States is one of the most powerful countries in the world, being that it has "the world's largest economy and biggest military budget" according to a study carried out by the US News and World Report . There is also plenty of security and order (compared to other less-developed countries), which causes the citizens of the US to be confident that they are secure from many threats and dangers.

Even though there is crime and immorality in the US, it does not compare to that of other countries. But over the last few decades there has been a rising threat of security in this country, as well as many countries of the world. This danger has aroused from different Islamic fundamentalist groups and is known as "Islamic extremism or "radical Islam" among many other titles. So, should Americans be concerned about radical Islam? And more importantly; is it a real threat or just fiction?

It is important to understand that not all Muslims hold to the terroristic views of certain extremist groups. According to an analysis carried out by The Burke Chair at CSIS, Anthony Cordesman states that "the vast majority of Muslims do not support extremist violence.  Many Muslims are peaceful in their religious practices, so it is inaccurate to label every Muslim as a terrorist. But even though the majority of Muslims are not extremist, the threat of radical Islam is evident nonetheless. Being that Islam is the second largest religion in the world, and the fastest growing one , it is highly likely that the extremist threat will rise as time passes.

To better understand the dangers of Islamic terrorism, it is essential to see just how dangerous these terrorist attacks are and have been throughout history. There have been several attacks all over the world by these extremist groups, or by certain individuals who share the same terroristic mindset. There is currently a great threat that many middle-eastern countries face from groups such as ISIS or al-Qaeda, but the extremist threat is also evident in other countries by different extremist groups and individuals who share the same Islamic terroristic mindset. For example, according to Alexander Smith from NBC News, the terroristic Islamist group called "Boko Haram has killed thousands of people over the past years in the country of Nigeria . Europe has also been a focal point for many terrorist groups and individuals over the past few years. Violent attacks such as the one in Paris in 2015  and the attack at a Brussels airport in 2016 , are some of the clearest examples of the evident danger of Islamic terrorism in first-world countries. And of course, the US is no exception.

Over the last decades, the US has seen its share of violent terroristic attacks. Many of these attacks were carried out by certain individuals who were not influenced by an Islamic worldview but by other motives, as in the case of the Oklahoma City bombing . But it was not until the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, that the United States realized the severe danger of radical Islam. This attack brought forth the "war on terror" but it seems as if the Islamic attacks have only increased since then. Throughout the last few years, there have also been several deadly attacks caused by certain individuals who had ties to terroristic groups or were influenced by them. Some of these examples include the San Bernardino attack which left fourteen casualties, and the Orlando nightclub shooting which left forty-nine casualties  .

The danger of Islamic terrorism is unmistakably real at the present moment and should concern every American. And even if the United States is a safe and powerful country, if not controlled, the threat of terrorism will undoubtedly affect every American's life. That is why several measurements need to take place to ensure this country's security. For the most part, the US government has done a decent job preventing terroristic attacks, but more measures in security will help prevent many opportunities for these extremists. But even so, not every attack can be prevented entirely. For this reason, it is the Christian's duty to depend on God's providence and protection during these uncertain times.

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