Rise of Global Terrorism. Need for Global Action.

There was a huge furore last week, with almost everyone asking why terror attacks in Paris were highlighted by media; when there were similar attacks in Beirut, in Baghdad, and in many cities in Syria.

And now, these latest terror attacks in Bamako of Mali, and earlier ones, in Yola and Kano of Nigeria, show us that extremist terror is not affecting any single country or city. And they all need to be given attention.

News of innocent deaths at the hands of mindless killers needs global attention . After all, ‘Terrorism’, we know, is a real global threat, that must be fought with real global unity.

As I write this now, the city of Brussels in Belgium is on high alert. And beside me is the Sunday newspaper with a news story, from closer home, ominously titled: “Bahrain under terrorism threat, says study”.

Bahrain has been ranked “first” among GCC states, and 31st globally, for being under the threat of terrorism, according to a new research.

The Global Terrorism Index 2015 – compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace, a global think-tank based in Sydney, New York and Mexico – has given Bahrain a score of 4.871 out of 10 from among 162 countries.

Saudi Arabia came in the 43rd place with a score of 4.006, UAE in 101st place with 1.045, Kuwait in 123rd with 0.019. Oman and Qatar statistically have no terrorism threat.

I believe this index shows how rampant terrorism has become today. And the following figures are clearly indicative of the growing need, globally, to combat this menace.

Terrorism has, according to the institute’s report, killed more than 32,600 people in 2014. This is an 80 per cent increase from 2013. And it is the sharpest yearly rise, on record.

Seventy-eight per cent of fatalities occurred in Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan and Syria. Nigeria recorded the largest increase in deaths from terrorism. Fatalities quadrupled in 2014, reaching more than 7500.

Sadly, many deviant groups, obviously under terrible misguidance, seem to believe that theirs is a just cause. And that their cause can be fought for, by killing innocents in hundreds. In cold blood.

They have hardened themselves so much that they have become completely numb to understand the pain and suffering they cause.

They fail to realize that the dead in Paris attacks were people of several countries from around the world. They do not seem to care that the dead in the Mali attacks were nationals of Mali, France, Turkey and China.

It is a global issue now, and not a problem of Middle East alone.

And sadly, the extremists have become so ruthless that they are not merely brainwashing teenagers to join them. But they are indoctrinating children with such hate and such devilish purpose that children’s lives seem to not matter at all. Otherwise, why would they allow children to get killed?

Two girls, aged 11 and 18, detonated themselves in a busy mobile phone market in Kano, Nigeria, killing at least 15 and injuring at least 123 on November 18.

The discovery of 18 booby-trapped dolls now – between Baghdad and Karbala – with explosives, shows us that Islamic State (previously ISIS/ISIL) was clearly aiming to target Shia Muslims going on an upcoming religious pilgrimage, called Arbaeen, by attracting children to pick up the explosives .

These brutal acts do not need mere words of condemnation but decisive action. Instead of playing a blame game, the Middle East states and the Western world must come together. They must frame a collective strategy. That’s what matters.

Much needs to be done, and a gathering of global experts in Bahrain on Saturday to discuss ways of strengthening the war on terror funding is a great step forward.

Preventing charitable donations from falling into the hands of terrorist organisations is of paramount importance now. Cutting the financial lifelines of terror mongers can help in restricting global terrorism. But inter-governmental co-operation is very critical to overpower the common enemy.