FROLITICKS

In the week starting October 20^th, two tragic incidents occurred in Canada whereby a Canadian soldier in uniform was targeted and died following attacks by a lone assailant. One attack even took place on the grounds of Canada’s Parliament. Suspects in both cases were young Canadian-born men who at some point had converted to Islam.  Unfortunately, both were very troubled individuals who turned to jihadist or radical causes.  They perceived such causes as providing answers to everything, moral certainty and ultimately a way of striking out at a society with which they seem to have been quite upset.  Such events are very similar to recent ones in the U.S., including that of the Boston marathon bombings by two individuals.

Some are now referring to such attacks as a form of “micro-terrorism”.  This is in contrast to larger terrorist plots involving one or more cells of terrorists with well-organized and financed plans to destroy big targets such as subways, airplanes, key installations, etc.  However, “macro-terrorism” in North America and Europe has become much more difficult to undertake following 9-11.  Governments have put into place sophisticated security measures, including the monitoring of communication among terrorist cells.  However, as exemplified by the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL), the era of social media Internet usage has made it easier to find like-minded people online and connect up with them.  Using social media, terrorists are able to reach out to Canadians and Americans who feel excluded for whatever reason from society.  Some may be going through personal stress, or may even have serious mental-health issues.  The process has come to be known as “radicalization”, similar to what happens to people who join cults.

The main problem with so-called micro-terrorism is that it is very difficult for security forces to detect and prevent, often involving random attacks by one or more “lone wolves”. With virtually hundreds of potential suspects in both countries, there are just not enough resources to realistically monitor their activities.  In addition, simply expressing radical views is frequently not enough to detain and charge such persons with terrorist-related activities.  Social media may help to put them on the authorities’ radar, but not much more.  Living in a democratic society with certain inalienable civil liberties, one has to be cognizant of respecting certain rights and the “due process” of laws.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims of such heinous acts of violence. No one can justify the use of terrorism, whether promoted by ISIS or not. Radicalization is real cause for concern.  Societies must take as many steps as possible to combat radicalization.  On-going initiatives can include intercultural dialogue and the remedial counseling of individuals who may feel excluded and marginalized.  Through constant dialogue and inclusion efforts, hopefully we can greatly reduce any support for extremist ideologies within our communities.