Devil And Terrorism, Bird Of The Same Feather, Can we Survived Them?

AGUNLOYE ADEWUNMI BASHIRU

There is no gainsaying the fact that Devil and Terrorism are like Siamese twins and that terrorists are personification of evil because, like terrorist, devil attacks people; men and women as well as children who are unarmed. 

Wikipedia defines devil as personification of evil as it is conceived in many and various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. 

Where ever terrorism activities take place, the terrorists engaged in violent and high -profile attacks that included but not limited to hijackings, hostage takings, kidnappings, mass shootings, car bombings, and suicide bombings of schools, churches, mosques, markets, shopping centres, bus stop and train stations among others. 

In a devilish like operations by the different terrorists groups, till dates, over 35,000 Islamic terrorists attacks have taken place worldwide resulted into deaths of closed to 200,000 people.

To establish that devil and terrorism are like Siamese twins, terrorist groups such as the Islamic State (IS), Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) are capitalising on COVID -19 pandemic as a window of opportunity calling on followers to increase attacks. The recent wave of attacks from Islamic State in Afghanistan, Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province in Chad and Nigeria when every country of the world is battling with how to defeat the Coronavirus that is ravaging the world call for a serious concern. It is so sad that the terrorist groups are busy carrying on with their terror attacks.

This  is a clear evidence that terrorists are devil incarnate.From the beginning of year 2020, and during this COVID -19 crisis, some countries have witness series of insurgency attacks by the three most active terrorists group in the world now, the Islamic State (IS) , Boko Haram (BH)  and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

In February, 2020 alone, the Islamic State terrorist group combined with some terror groups affiliate to it have claimed responsibilities for a total of 12 terrorists attacks that resulted to killing of 93 people across 12 countries which, include London (United Kingdom), Metz (France), Hulhumale (Maldives), Jerusalem (Israel), Borno (Nigeria), Kabul (Afghanistan), Yagha Province (Burkina Faso), Quetta (Pakistan), Mogadishu (Somalia), Hanau (Germany), Toronto (Canada) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 

Islamic State is also responsible for the killing of 166 people in an assault on military based in Niger Republic, Streatham stabbing in United Kingdom that led to garrulous murdered of one person and as well as killing of 32 people during a ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan. 

During this COVID-19 Pandemic, between the  Boko Haram terrorist group and it is break away faction Islamic State West Africa Province over 100,000 people have been killed. The groups killed 50 Nigerian Soldiers in an ambush in Northern Yobe State, Goneri village and 92 Chadian soldiers were also killed in Chad. 

On Sunday, 15 March 2020, Boko Haram attacked Nigerian troops and killed six soldiers who included two Lance Corporals, two Sergeants,  and two Private at Banki in  Borno. Also, Boko Haram on Sunday, April 5, 2020 killed  seven  people when  two suicide bombers attacked a village in Northern Cameroon on the  border with Nigeria. 

It is disheartening and laughable when leader of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Abubakar Shekau in a recently released voice recording labelling anti-COVID -19 measures an attack on Islam in Nigeria, calling terrorists to capitalised on the ravaging COVID -19 to strike and kill claiming that God’s punishment on world leaders are against the activities of terrorists is Coronavirus, characterises international measures to address the virus as part of war on Islam by evil forces.

 What a wickedness statement from an evil terrorist like Abubakar Shekau?
There are some questions begging for immediate answers.  Is the terrorists and their sponsors not part of the Islamic world? Where did the terrorists like Abubakar Shekau and their likes derived there doctrine of killing people from?

Islam, which they claim, forbids people to embrace religion with force. It forbids killing of innocent people, taking hostages, kidnappings, forceful marriage of women without theirs and parents’ consent. We all know that Islam is a religious of peace and a religious which premises its doctrine on love.

Terrorism is an act of devil and all devilish acts must not be condoned in our society. This is a war will must join hands together to fight to a standstill.

Agunloye Adewunmi Bashiru (bagunloye@gmail.com) wrote this piece from Lagos, Nigeria