Let’s Talk About Barcelona (and Terrorism)

It is difficult to put yourself in the shoes of those who have suffered, directly or indirectly, from the recent terrorist attacks that took place in Barcelona. And it is even more difficult to put yourself in the shoes of the people who experience terrorism on a daily basis, far from us. Thousands of people in Iraq and Syria go through this situation every day,  without being able to imagine a better future.

It is absurd to hold an entire religion accountable for the actions of a tiny minority. However, seeing the comments of many people who get comfortable on social media, we can understand how real this nonsense really is.

Hateful messages multiply each time a terrorist attack occurs. However, to understand what happened in Barcelona, ​​it is necessary to know what terrorism is and what it feeds on. Messages of support are necessary and beneficial in these cases, and it is equally important to be well informed and not to generate hatred towards people who have nothing to do with what is happening. product.

Terrorism is a great threat that requires that we be united and not divided…

What is terrorism?

The first problem we face is in the definition of terrorism. Currently, each country and organization has their own definition of this term. And if all these explanations have some points in common, they also have big differences. One could say that  the definition of terrorism is political as soon as it touches the interests of the one who defines it.

One of the ends that policy should pursue is the unification of the definition of terrorism. An international conceptualization that could be used by the security forces as well as by those who apply the law and pursue him in the streets.

Based on these standards, let us see the definition of Boaz Ganor, ex-head of the Israeli Mosad who proposes: “ Terrorism is a form of struggle through which violence is deliberately used against civilians to achieve political objectives (nationalist, socio-economic, ideological, religious, etc.) ”. According to this definition, every attack on civilians carried out for a political purpose would be terrorism. On the other hand, these attacks in which the victims were members of the security forces would not be considered as terrorism, but as guerrilla warfare.

The interests of terrorism

With regard to the interests of terrorism, we must differentiate between two types of motives. On the one hand, we find the individual motives of each person or terrorist and, on the other, the interests of the terrorist organization. The most important thing for the organization is to instill fear.

Attacks like those in Barcelona, ​​London or Paris, which can seem completely random and impossible to avoid, seek to send a message: no one is safe. Faced with this, it is normal that people, whether they have been directly affected or not, feel fear, even terror. However, this terror can also become chronic and irrational.

In this way,  the goal of the terrorist organization is to instill a chronic fear  that causes people to feel unsafe. One of the immediate consequences is that the population will agree to the government’s security measures, agreeing to pay for these measures in exchange for reduced rights and freedoms. Another likely consequence of the attack will be the focus of our gaze on certain characteristics of terrorists, such as religion: hatred towards those who killed innocent people will extend to those who practice this same religion.

This will cause people to put pressure on the government to institute stricter measures that limit freedoms in favor of unnecessary security. Another consequence is that this fear will concentrate on certain people. And more specifically on all those who have Islam as their religion or who have Arab origins.

In this way, the terrorist organization will try to legitimize its actions by presenting them as a noble defense of those who are victims of discrimination, who are oppressed and marginalized. The difference between “us” and “them” is going to be bigger and bigger. Hate speech will polarize society and facilitate the work of those who recruit terrorists.

The interests of terrorists

The personal interests of terrorists can be manifold. Each person is going to have different priorities. If we take into account the fact that jihadist terrorism arises from a perversion of Islam, the interests will maintain a relationship with the beliefs of this religion. Terrorists are not necessarily going to be Muslims, but we will find in them motivations linked to the benefits that religion can bring them.

So some of the individual “benefits” for terrorists are going to be: getting their entry into heaven, having 72 houris (virgin women) waiting for them in heaven, having the ability to choose 70 people who will go straight to heaven when they die (regardless of their actions in their life), great prestige for the family and the idealization of the deceased terrorist, who becomes a real martyr.

However, as we have said, not all interests are religious. The families of terrorists normally receive amounts of money that they could not get any other way. Terrorists who participated in an attack and were not captured will enjoy great recognition and will even have more responsibility in their organization. Finally, another common interest is  seeking revenge on those who think they are responsible for the situation.

A mixture of these interests and a few others will define  the individual motivations of terrorists which, as we have seen, do not necessarily coincide with those of the organization.

Recommendations in the event of an attack

While it is important to know the previous assumptions, it is even more important to know what standards of action to follow. We should know, above all, how to react in the event of a terrorist attack, even if it does not happen in our geographical area. To begin with,  it is essential to listen to the experts and the security forces. Their directions are the first to follow.

Showing support through social media can also be beneficial for everyone. As we have seen,  using hate speech, criminalizing entire communities and supporting racist and intolerant policies is precisely what terrorists want. If you do all of this, you are acting in their best interests.

Likewise, sharing morbid images is another bad practice. In addition to causing irrational fear, these images can offend the sensibilities of those affected. On the contrary, sharing information about what to do next, with images that show unity and understanding towards those affected, both directly and indirectly, will be of greater help. Dismissing faulty practices by exposing them or stopping to watch them is also another good idea.

In the event that we are at the scene of an attack, the recommendations given by the professionals are: escape, hide and alert. First, it is necessary to flee and find a safe place. Playing the hero can be counterproductive. Once you have found a safe place, you must warn the security forces to tell them what is happening and also warn a loved one to tell them that you are safe. Before calling for help, make sure you are out of danger. Remember: run, hide and call the police.

A few months ago, we were all Barcelona. Tomorrow we will all be Syrians and the day after tomorrow we will all be Afghans. Regardless of nationality, skin color, ethnicity or religion. We are all united against terrorism. Only in this way will we gain allies and lose enemies.